The City of Cleveland gives residents tools to deal with recurring problems in their neighborhoods. Like the house down the block where the tenants are always throwing loud parties. Or the parking lot around the corner where young people gather to show off on their minibikes and ATVs. Or the guy across the street who’s always letting his dogs run loose.
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you should know how to make use of the nuisance law changes that City Council passed in 2025. Council Member Michael Polensek said the changes would help residents deal with “neighbors from hell” like the house in his ward that’s the source of constant complaints about “fights, chaos, shooting, cars parked all over the street, all hours of the night.”
The updated nuisance law makes it easier for the city to take action against the owner of a home or business where frequent violations are taking place. The key change is that police officers no longer have to witness law-breaking to act. They can investigate based on residents’ complaints, and the city can treat complaints as evidence in a legal process to address the problem. Another change under the law is that it applies to people visiting a property, not just people who live in or own the property.
How’s it working so far?
In the eight months after the law was changed, the city told Signal Cleveland it has:
- sent 68 warning letters
- started fining 31 property owners for failing to reply with a plan
- declared 12 properties nuisances after fourth complaints.
The dozen nuisance property declarations is almost half the total number (26) issued in the previous six years, according to data provided to council.
What is criminal nuisance?
Common criminal nuisance complaints involve noise, disorderly conduct, drug use, gambling, using weapons, street takeovers or drag racing and animal-related violations (like cruelty, neglect and failing to control). You can read the full list of what qualifies as a nuisance in the city charter.
Is mowing the lawn at sunrise on a Saturday a crime? Maybe? The “Unnecessary Noise” section of Cleveland’s charter doesn’t specify hours for yard work, but it does say you can’t “unreasonably disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of neighboring inhabitants.”
Criminal nuisance complaints are handled separately from what are called civil nuisance issues such as overgrown grass, weeds and housing code violations.
How do I report a criminal nuisance?
Call 911 or the non-emergency line, 216-621-1234. Provide as much detail about the problem as you can. An officer will follow up with you, typically the next day, officials say. If you don’t want an officer to come to your home, you can arrange for an interview at the police station instead.
If you have photos or video of the violations, the officer will provide a QR code to upload them for use in the investigation. If you share doorbell camera video, make sure it’s time-stamped.
Your name will not be shared with the subject of your complaint.
What happens next?
After three calls and investigations within 12 months, the city will send a warning letter to the property owner. The owner has 14 days to respond with a plan to fix the problem. If the owner fails to respond, the Department of Public Safety can begin issuing fines of $100 per day.
If there is a fourth complaint, the city can declare the property a nuisance, raise the fine to $250 and take “administrative or law enforcement actions” to address the problem — and bill the owner for whatever that costs.
At seven complaints, the fine rises to $1,000. If fines aren’t paid, the city can ask the county to place a lien on the property, meaning that the owner can’t sell it until the debt is settled.
Property owners can appeal a nuisance letter to Cleveland’s public safety director and then to the Board of Zoning Appeals.