Housing Rental License (Certificate of Occupancy)

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 also note:

• Rental properties are inspected every three years. Learn more.
• Short term rentals (30 days or less), such as through services like AirBnB and VRBO, are illegal uses in the City, and are prohibited. Learn more.