Cleveland's fair housing ordinance prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to applicants because they pay with Section 8 housing choice vouchers or other lawful sources of income, going beyond Ohio's baseline protected classes.
Cleveland Codified Ordinance Chapter 667 expanded local fair housing protections to include source of income, meaning landlords cannot post No Section 8 listings or reject otherwise qualified tenants paying with CMHA Housing Choice Vouchers, VASH, social security, child support, or other lawful funds. Complaints go to the Cleveland Community Relations Board and can be cross-filed with HUD. Ohio state law does not protect source of income, so Cleveland's ordinance fills a meaningful gap inside the city limits and parallels protections in nearby South Euclid and Cleveland Heights.
Source-of-income discrimination yields administrative penalties, mandatory training, restoration orders, and potential damages awarded by the Cleveland Community Relations Board or federal HUD parallel proceedings.
Cleveland, OH
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority administers about 16,000 Housing Choice Vouchers across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, setting payment standards, con...
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. Ohio landlord-tenant law (ORC 5321) allows landlords to decline to renew leases or terminate month-t...
See how Cleveland's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.