RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — We’re continuing coverage on pay-to-stay protections, which helps renters who are behind on rent payments.
Several months ago, Cuyahoga County Council proposed similar legislation.
But it is now at a standstill due to the need for more legal review.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
Now we’re learning local municipalities, like Richmond Heights, aren’t letting this stop them from passing their own laws.
“There’s some very good people here that fall under hard times, and they need extra time, and they need extra opportunity,” said Councilman Frank Lentine. “This is going to provide that for them.”
Councilman Frank Lentine represents Ward Two in Richmond Heights.
He’s also the owner of Lentine’s Styling Den Barber Shop, which happens to be in one of the city’s largest apartment complexes.
“There’s 728 suites here, and that’s quite a few people,” said Lentine.
With a population of more than 10,000 residents and about 5,000 homes, Richmond Heights is considered a small community.
But Lentine says it has a heavy apartment presence, which consists of more than 35% of its housing population.
Because of this high number of renters, Lentine says he and others see a great need for this legislation.
“This was brought to us by the mayor. She was the one that brought our attention to it. She’s telling us that other communities are considering the same thing, and that’s where we picked up the idea,” said Lentine.
Evictions are not only hurtful to those families involved but also to local businesses, like Sweet Surprises, who rely on this community’s support to keep their doors open.
“A lot of these women and men even that do local baking do it out of their homes. It’s like a second job for them, or some of them, it’s their primary business, but a lot of them, it’s their second job. They do it out of their homes, so if they have to get evicted or moved, then we’re not going to have that business here,” said Sweet Surprises Inventory Specialist Amy Peterson.
As a result – Peterson says it will hurt their local cake and candy supply store, which has been a community staple in Richmond Heights for more than 40 years.
All of our local bakers are phenomenal,” said Peterson. “They all come here for their supplies.”
That’s why Peterson supports city council’s decision to protect tenants who are behind on rent payments, so everyone in the community can flourish.
“We can grow their business; we grow our business,” said Peterson.
City Council passed this legislation on Tuesday, so it will go into effect 30 days from that date.
Pay-to-stay protections prevent counties, townships or municipal corporations from controlling rights and obligations like rent control and rent stabilization between tenants and landlords.
While it hasn’t been successful county-wide – cities like Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, South Euclid, Lakewood, Maple Heights, Newburgh Heights and Warrensville Heights haven’t seen any challenges to their existing ordinances.
