Responsibilities & Maintenance
In the City of Cincinnati, per Cincinnati Municipal Code, the property owner is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk adjacent to their property. The City promotes safe and accessible sidewalks by inspecting and identifying sidewalks and driveways that are in need of repair, and the City Engineer is responsible for supervising sidewalk construction, reconstruction or repair.
Cincinnati Municipal Code §721-149
When a property has been included in the Sidewalk Safety Program:
Responsibility for constructing and maintaining sidewalk space is shared by property owners and the City to keep the right of way safe and free from nuisance. When a neighborhood is inspected for inclusion into the Sidewalk Safety Program, City Capital funding is used to complete necessary repairs to walks at intersections, bus stops, and abutting property controlled by General Fund City agencies.
The vast majority of sidewalk and driveway are of plain concrete construction. However, sometimes the construction method varies. For example, structural slabs can sometimes be encroachments that cover basement areas extending into the public right of way. Recent construction has placed a "topping" of clay pavers on these slabs for ease of future repairs. Replacing a structural slab requires design drawings sealed by a Professional Engineer. Maintaining structural slabs are solely the responsibility of the property owner.
Cincinnati Municipal Code §721-1-S1
The City shares responsibility with property owners using City Capital funding to complete necessary repairs to walks at intersections, bus stops, and abutting property controlled by General Fund City agencies.
The City also shares responsibility with property owners of residential corner properties (3 family or less) that have a public sidewalk along more than one side:
The property owners are responsible for all driveways and sidewalk frontage. The sidewalk frontage that is the property owner’s responsibility is determined by the following criteria:
- The sidewalk frontage where the driveway exists
- If there are no driveways or more than one driveway, the sidewalk frontage that the street address is based upon
- Where neither 1 nor 2 apply, the City Engineer shall determine the appropriate sidewalk frontage based upon typical frontages for adjacent parcels of property in that area.
Owners of commercial properties or residential properties (4 family or more):
Owners of commercial properties or residential properties (4 family or more) are responsible for all sidewalks and driveways on all sides of the property.
Cincinnati Municipal Code §721-147
NOTICE: The online version of the Cincinnati Municipal Code, related legislation, and regulations is not the official version. The only officially published version is available through the office of the Clerk of Council, located in Room 308 of City Hall, phone 513-352-3246. This online version may, occasionally, differ from the official version and should be relied upon for general information purposes only.