Landlord-Tenant InformationProgramsContactHomeEmail mpiepsny@clevelandtenants.org

 


The Cleveland Tenants Organization is proud to be a

 
Our mission is to preserve and expand the supply of safe, decent, fair, affordable and accessible rental housing in Greater Cleveland by:

  • Informing citizens of their rights and duties in rental housing;
  • Representing tenants and the interest of tenants in the preservation and promotion of rental housing rights;
  • Empowering tenants individually and collectively to represent themselves and their interests;
  • Advocating for the needs of low and moderate income tenants;
  •  Resolving disputes between landlords and tenants;
  •  Preventing homelessness; and
  • Combating discrimination in housing based on race, religion, color, gender, handicap, familial status, social/economic class, and sexual orientation.
CTO has a staff of 10 persons and is governed by a 21 person Board of Trustees representing a broad spectrum of the community. CTO has approximately 400 individual members and over 1,000 affiliate members who belong to local tenant organizations which are affiliated with CTO.

Mike Piepsny is the Executive Director of the organization and Ruby Nelson is the President of the Board of Trustees.
 
 
Cleveland Tenants Organization February 2008 Newsletter
CTO'S Winter Newsletter is now available online.  You can download a copy by clicking on the link below (PDF file).
 
 
2007 Cleveland Tenants Organization Annual Report
CTO'S 2007 Annual Report is now available online.  You can download a copy by clicking on the link below (PDF file).
 
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HousingCleveland.org
Looking for Affordable Rental Housing... Go to http://www.housingcleveland.org/  This is the new data base created by a whole host of non-profit and governmental organizations to put in one place as comprehensible a list of for rent, affordable vacancies in Cuyahoga County.
 

Be a part of the effort to eliminate homelessness by supporting

the Heading Home initiative...

Heading Home was convened in April 2005 in order to make recommendations in two areas:  preventing homelessness, and increasing the supply of affordable rental housing for households with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income.  Following the release of the report in late 2006, an implementation process was initiated, and a plan released in early 2007.  It will take the effort and commitment of our elected officials, community advocates, service providers, stakeholders, and community partners to implement this initiative.  To learn more about getting involved and/or endorsing the plan, CLICK ON THE LOGO ABOVE to visit our partner agency, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH).
 

  

If you are interested in joing the effort to increase affordable housing and eliminate homelessness, or in serving on one of the sub-committees, call CTO’s Executvie Director, Mike Piepsny at (216) 432-0617!

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Donate to CTO
You can help keep CTO moving forward and providing the important information about landlord tenant laws, affordable housing information and environmental health issues, by donating to CTO.  By doing so, we will also put you on our quarterly mailing list. 

Become a Member Today!
You can become a member of the Cleveland Tenants Organization TODAY for only $12.00 per year!  For more information, email our Executive Director, Mike Piepsny HERE.  Membership entitles you to instantaneous email responses, the "Insider's Hotline" phone service, our quarterly Newsletter, as well as special invitations to our events! BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

Rental Rights Workshops
Every Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Cheryl Boyer is at Lakewood Christian Service Center, 1412 Marlowe Ave, Lakewood, Ohio, to answer individual questions about landlord - tenant rights and responsibilities.
 
Out of Reach Study Released
The National Low Income Housing Coalition has published its annual study on the state of affordable housing in America.  Go to the http://www.nlihc.org/ for details.
 
Cleveland Lead Ordinance passed
Cleveland City Council recently amended the lead ordinance, originally passed in August 2004. The ordinance requires landlords to disclose their knowledge of lead based paint hazards on their property to new tenants.  The ordinance mirrors the Federal Statute which has been in effect since 1994.  The ordinance allows local enforcement of the law, rather than having to rely on Federal actors.  For more information about the ordinance, call Juanalicia Duran at CTO.  432-0617
To view a copy of the ordinance go to the site of our partner, Environmental Health Watch at http://www.ehw.org/ and look under lead paint information.
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Cleveland Tenants Organization

Green Statement

adopted June 12th, 2008

 

recycle symbol

 

As a non-profit organization whose mission, in part, is to preserve and expand safe, decent, affordable rental housing, the Cleveland Tenants Organization recognizes that reducing our impact on climate change is an essential act in preserving a safe, decent, and affordable future for our children and generations of children to come. As part of our green initiative, CTO commits to:

 

·        Increasing the use of recycled paper for all of our publications

·        Reducing paper consumption by increasing utilization of internet-based communications

·        Printing and copying on both sides of paper

·        Instituting a paper, plastic, and aluminum can recycling program

·        Utilizing internet-based meeting technologies and e-mail to decrease the reliance of employees, volunteers and program participants on car travel

·        Encouraging employee, board, and volunteer use of public transportation

·        Posting an environmental change statement on our website

·        Turning off lights whenever we leave a room

·        Utilizing CFL bulbs for lighting when possible

·        Keeping a scrap box of draft paper so that both sides of paper can be used

·        Replacing old computers with energy-efficient notebooks

·        Switching off copier and computers every evening

·        Turning off air conditioning and other cooling devices during evening and weekend summer hours

·        Reducing the thermostat and turning off other heating devices during evening and weekend winter hours

 

In addition, when working with partners in the affordable housing arena, CTO will advocate for builders and renovators to consider the use of building-related energy efficiency measures, and green building techniques.

 

 

Cleveland Tenants Organization

Privacy Policy

Adopted July 16th, 2007

 

Visitors to the CTO website:

 

CTO does not enable cookies or other tracking devices on its website.  CTO does not collect personally identifying information from its website, unless the visitor elects to provide CTO with that information.  CTO does collect information on usage of the site in order to better serve the needs of clients, however, the information is only reported in aggregate numbers and no personally identifying information is collected as part of the general usage statistics for the site.  

 

In the event that CTO creates an on-line mailing list, and requests e-mail addresses and other personal information, CTO will not sell, rent, share, or release the e-mail addresses or any other personal information without the visitor's expressed permission.  Visitors under 18 years of age should not send any personally identifying information to CTO. 

 

CTO through its website provides general information about the Ohio Landlord Tenant law and information of interest to landlords and tenants.  The information on the website is not intended to be legal advice.  Only an attorney-at-law who is authorized to practice in the State of Ohio can provide legal advice. Visitors to this website should not rely upon the information contained in the website as legal advice.

 

CTO members:

 

When a person becomes a CTO member, CTO asks for certain personal information, which is for CTO's internal use only.   CTO's policy is not to sell, rent, share, or release any information about its members.  CTO members who would like to correct or remove their names from the CTO database should contact Executive Director Mike Piepsny.

 

Questions or inquiries:

 

A visitor or CTO member who has any specific question or concern regarding this privacy policy may contact Mike Piepsny, CTO Executive Director, by e-mail at mpiepsny@clevelandtenants.org or by mail at Cleveland Tenants Organization,

3631 Perkins Ave., Suite 3A-4, Cleveland, Ohio 44114.