ADVOCACY ALERT: Cleveland Ceasing Vacant Property Exterior POS Inspection Requirement

On February 5, 2026, ACAR’s Advocacy Department received the following notice from Sally Martin O’Toole, Director of Building and Housing for the City of Cleveland.

“This pertains ONLY to § 3106.06 Inspection Required for Transfer of Vacant Residential Property; Correction Required Following Transfer:

“Effective 2.6.26, the city’s mandatory pre-sale exterior inspection of 1-3 unit vacant properties will no longer be in effect. This means that 1-3 family vacant parcels no longer require an exterior inspection to be conducted by the city before transfer. However, vacant building registration is still required for ALL vacant structures in the city. Due to the limited utility of the exterior-only inspections, a decision was made to discontinue this component of the Residents First program. Routine vacant building inspections will still be conducted on vacant properties as we continue to aggressively enforce the vacant property registry and ensure that all vacant parcels comply with the ordinance.”

Questions should be directed to the Building and Housing Department Records Room. Phone: 216.420.7582. Web:https://www.clevelandohio.gov/city-hall/departments/building-housing