Today, the City of Cincinnati filed a lawsuit against VineBrook Homes and its Cincinnati affiliates. The complaint alleges that VineBrook breached its settlement agreement regarding a 2021 lawsuit, in addition to claims of public nuisance, civil conspiracy, and intentional, repeated violations of both the Ohio Landlord Tenant Act and Cincinnati Municipal Code.

The lawsuit was filed by the Quality of Life Division of the City Solicitor’s Office and will be heard in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.

VineBrook, which owns approximately 950 properties in Cincinnati, including more than 5% of all housing stock in some communities, has an extensive history of building, health, and safety code violations.

“We have no tolerance for investors who come into Cincinnati, let properties degrade, and exploit tenants. VineBrook’s neglectful behavior has caused significant harm to renters, and the City of Cincinnati will fight back with everything we have to protect our residents,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval.

The City previously sued VineBrook in July 2021 and reached a settlement two months later; as part of that settlement, the company agreed to fix problems at its properties and cease certain eviction practices. Today’s lawsuit alleges that VineBrook breached the terms of that settlement and that their business model itself is a public nuisance.

“This Administration is committed to holding problem property owners accountable. VineBrook has had the opportunity to address ongoing issues, but instead continues to fall short,” said City Manager Sheryl Long. “The City refuses to accept these unfair practices and will stand alongside our citizens demanding change.”

The lawsuit joins others filed recently and further demonstrates the City’s willingness to prosecute bad-acting landlords. Last week, the City Solicitor’s Office sued the negligent owners of Williamsburg of Cincinnati as well as H&E Enterprises, a business entity of landlord and property owner Avi Ohad.