Housing Rental License (Certificate of Occupancy)

RENTAL LICENSE RENEWAL DEADLINE EXTENSION: In light of reported delays in receiving the Rental License/Exemption renewal notices due to the USPS, the deadline for submitting a Single-Family, Two-Family, or Condo Housing renewal Rental License/Exemption is being extended to March 1. Any application received after this date will be assessed a late fee. All applications are to be submitted online. Detailed instructions can be found below.

In order to access your rental property, you must use the unique username and password that was included in the mailing.  If you did not receive a letter or if you have misplaced it, please request a copy be sent to you by emailing the Housing Department and include the property address(es) in the body of the email. We will respond with instructions and your login information within one business day. The March 1 deadline for submitting a renewal application for apartments remains unchanged.

Residential rental property owners (landlords) are required to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy every year. The completed Certificate of Occupancy application must list all occupants, provide contact information for the owner and tenants, and be accompanied by an application fee which varies by property type.

To Apply

Beginning with the 2021 rental license, all applications (new or renewal) for Housing Rental Licenses must be submitted through the City's new CitizenServe portal. The City has adopted this platform to provide online services for permitting and licensing. For detailed instructions on using CitizenServe, please click on the appropriate link below.

New Rentals

For all residential properties that do not have a rental license that is valid for the current year. Click here to download the new rental instructions.

Renewals

For all two-family, apartments, and single-family or condos, that have a current Rental License. Note: Renewal instructions were sent out mid-December for renewing for the upcoming year. This included a cover letter with a CitizenServe user name and temporary password to use for accessing the system for the first time. If you did not receive a user name and password, or if you have misplaced this letter, please call us to reset your password at 216-491-1471. Detailed instructions were included with the mailing and can also be accessed by clicking here.

Learn More

The fees for the Certificate of Occupancy permit are:

  • Single-family rentals: $200
  • Two-family rentals: $100 per unit
  • Condominium rentals: $100
  • Apartments: $45 per unit

Late fees are imposed after February 1 for single-family, two-family and condominiums, and after March 1 for apartments.

Please note:

  • Rental properties are inspected every three years. Learn more.