Selling a Cleveland Property? A Missing Lead Safe Certificate Can Derail Your Closing
If you’re planning to sell a Cleveland rental property, you may be thinking: “I’m getting out anyway — why bother with a Lead Safe Certificate?” It’s a common thought. And it can cost you your closing. The Law Requires You to Disclose It Under Cleveland City Code § 367.12 and Ordinance #1039.203 (enacted February 5, […]
787 Calls. No One Answered. What Cleveland’s Lead Hotline Failure Means for Property Owners.
A new investigative report from Signal Cleveland lays out in stark detail how bureaucratic failure has hobbled Cleveland’s fight against childhood lead poisoning — and why the clock is now ticking on millions of federal dollars. The findings are worth every property owner and landlord in Greater Cleveland reading carefully. The 787 Calls Nobody Heard […]
Syracuse Landlords Settle With NY AG Over Lead Hazards — A Warning Shot for Ohio Mom-and-Pop Landlords
On April 20, 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with Syracuse landlords Brian A. Murphy and Harry Murphy after a multi-year investigation found widespread lead-paint hazards and unsafe conditions across nearly two dozen of their rental properties. Seven children living in Murphy-owned homes were found to have elevated blood lead levels. […]
More Than 2,800 Tickets to Landlords Each Month — Council Demands More Enforcement
At last week’s City of Cleveland budget hearing, the Law Department put some numbers on the table that every Cleveland landlord needs to hear. During Q4 2025 alone, the city issued more than 1,500 civil infraction tickets to landlords for housing code violations. That’s roughly 500 tickets per month. At $200 per ticket, the city […]
Cleveland Lost $3.3 Million in Lead Safety Funding — Here’s What That Means for Landlords
The City of Cleveland just lost $3.3 million in state funding that was earmarked to make homes lead-safe. The Ohio Department of Development pulled the grant after City Hall failed to spend the money fast enough. Columbus lost funding too — over $6 million total redirected away from Ohio’s two largest cities. As a lead […]
Cleveland Councilman Fined for Lead Safe Certificate and Rental Registration Violations at His Own Properties
Even the lawmakers who created Cleveland’s lead-safe requirements aren’t exempt from enforcement — and that’s exactly how it should work. Earlier this month, Cleveland.com reported that City Councilman Kevin Bishop was issued seven code violation tickets across four rental properties he owns. The violations? Failure to obtain Lead Safe Certificates and failure to register properties […]
Cleveland’s Lead Safe Progress: Council Presentation Recap — February 9, 2026
Cleveland’s fight against childhood lead poisoning is showing real results. On February 9, 2026, the City presented an update to Council on the Lead Safe Certification program — and the numbers tell an encouraging story. Lead Poisoning Rates Are Dropping The most important takeaway: fewer Cleveland kids are being poisoned by lead. The percentage of […]
Cleveland forefits 3.3 Million in lead abatement funding
Cleveland Just Lost $3.3 Million for Lead Removal — Here’s What Homeowners Need to Know Ohio just clawed back $3.3 million from Cleveland that was supposed to help make homes lead-safe. The reason? The city couldn’t spend the money fast enough. Out of a $4.9 million state grant meant to replace lead-painted windows and doors, […]
Federal Court Dismisses Challenge to Cleveland’s Rental Registration and Lead-Safe Requirements
Cleveland’s Chapter 365 stands: What landlords need to know after the BVG Properties ruling If you’re a Cleveland-area landlord, you’ve probably heard the complaints — or made them yourself. Cleveland’s rental registration and lead-safe certification requirements feel like a lot. The fees, the inspections, the Local Agent in Charge paperwork… it can feel like the […]
Cleveland Councilman Who Voted for Lead Laws Exposed for Ignoring Them at His Own Rentals
Published: February 6, 2026 Investigative reporting by cleveland.com has revealed that a Cleveland City Council member who voted for the city’s 2019 Lead Safe Ordinance — and again in 2024 to strengthen penalties for noncompliant landlords — has never obtained lead-safe certification for any of his own rental properties. The revelation has drawn sharp criticism […]