Property Maintenance

Property Maintenance Program

The City of North Olmsted has undertaken a proactive program to insure a high standard of housing is available throughout the city. This program currently includes a five prong approach.

1. An active list of vacant homes has been established where the Building Division inspects the exterior on a monthly basis in the warm months and at 90-day intervals in the colder weather. The Police Department has partnered with Building and notifies us of unusual activity and if a new structure appears to be vacant and should be added to the list. If violations are discovered, they are pursued until completed.
2. All rental one, two and three family dwellings are required to be registered and are inspected for both exterior and interior maintenance on an annual basis. 
3. Each year, all residential dwellings in one ward of the city are inspected for exterior property maintenance. Homes in Ward I will be inspected in 2016.
4. All apartment buildings have been registered for over 30 years and are inspected annually.
5. Any property maintenance complaints that are called in from various sources are inspected as received.

Relevant Codes

Complaints

To report community concerns and complaints to the Building Division, please contact the office at (440) 777-8000. A member of the staff will take the pertinent information and process the complaint. The Building Division also acts as the receiving agent for local concerns and complaints investigated by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

Types of concerns/complaints investigated by the Building Division:

1. Structures erected without permits (e.g., fences, garages, sheds, swimming pools).
2. Safety and hazardous conditions (something that may cause injury).
3. Severe property maintenance issues (e.g., gutters falling off, broken windows, missing siding, deteriorated porches, etc.)
4. Recreational vehicles parked in a front yard for over three days.
5. Vehicles parked/stored outside that are inoperable or without current license plates.
6. Vehicles parked on grass.
7. New construction leaving mud on public roadways.
8. Apartment resident complaints (e.g., no heat).
9. Weeds and high grass.
10. Drainage, encroachments, and easements (in conjunction with the Engineering Division).
11. Sidewalks, aprons, streets, and rights-of-way (in conjunction with the Engineering Division).

Homeowner Resources

Home Repair Loan Program

The Cuyahoga County Home Repair Loan Program is designed to help low income residents in participating Cuyahoga County communities maintain the major components of their home. The Cuyahoga County Department of Development administers the program and oversees all of the projects though this program. In this way they ensure the quality of the work being performed and the fairness of the costs to the homeowners. This program can help people who cannot afford repairs or replacement of major home components on their own. Items such as a leaking or unsightly roof, a non-functioning or unsafe furnace, electrical and plumbing may be considered. Eligibility for the program is based on HUD guidelines and restrictions. Find more information here or call (216) 348-4066.

Heritage Home Program^sm

The Heritage Home Program^sm is available to owners of homes that are more than 50 years old. Specialists working for the Program answer home maintenance and rehab questions and provide an impartial opinion – one that doesn’t include trying to sell a product or service. This advice is absolutely FREE. This component of the Heritage Home Program^sm is what sets it apart from other programs of its kind. Now any homeowner wishing to do work on their older home can have the help and answers they need in order to get the project done properly.  We urge you to take advantage of the following FREE services:

• Site visits to answer home repair, improvement and maintenance questions
• Advice about increasing energy efficiency
• Access to information on local contractors
• Evaluation of contractor bids and estimates.

Qualified homeowners also have the option of obtaining a low-interest, fixed-rate Heritage Home Program loan, with rates as low as 2.0% for up to 10 years.  There are no maximum income restrictions. The owner just needs to have good credit and sufficient equity in the home to support the loan. There are no points involved with the Heritage Home Program^sm loan and the interest is tax deductible. Eligible projects include:

• Exterior and interior painting
• Kitchen and bath improvements
• Compatible additions
• Roof repair and replacement
• Basement waterproofing
• Window repair
• Masonry repair
• Insulation
• HVAC upgrades

The Heritage Home Program^sm loan is available for owners of residential properties of three units or less, regardless of whether the owner resides at the property. Homeowners receive custom construction specifications for exterior projects and Heritage Home Program^sm staff is available from project start to finish. Learn more or get started by contacting the Heritage Program.

Call: (216) 426-3116
Email: hhp@heritagehomeprogram.org
Website: www.heritagehomeprogram.org