Frequently asked questions
What is Know Your Block?
Know Your Block is a free Columbus, Ohio rental research and code-violation
lookup map. It shows code-enforcement complaints — mold, rats, bed bugs, sewage
backups, no heat, and bad-landlord patterns — for any address in the city,
so renters and homebuyers can check a place before they move in.
Where does the data come from?
Every complaint comes from official City of Columbus code-enforcement records,
published through the city’s Accela permitting portal and ArcGIS mapping service.
We geocode and categorize the records but do not add, edit, or invent complaints.
How do I check if a Columbus apartment or address has complaints?
Search the street address in the box at the top of the page. You’ll see every
code-enforcement report filed at that address and on the surrounding block,
grouped by issue type and severity.
What kinds of problems does it track?
Pest and rodent infestations (rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs), mold and
water damage, sewage and plumbing failures, no heat or broken HVAC, fire and
safety hazards, illegal occupancy and squatting, and landlord and management
patterns where landlords ignore or cover up repairs.
Is Know Your Block free?
Yes. It is completely free to use, with no account required. It’s built as a
public-interest tool for Columbus renters, homebuyers, and residents.
How far back does the data go and how current is it?
The dataset covers January 2025 to the present and is refreshed as the City of
Columbus publishes new code-enforcement data, typically monthly. Older records back
to 2019 exist in the city’s systems and may be added in the future.
If an address has no complaints, is it safe?
Not necessarily. No complaints means nothing has been formally reported to the
City of Columbus — problems can still exist if no one filed a code-enforcement
complaint. Use Know Your Block as one signal alongside your own inspection.
How is this different from Zillow or Apartments.com reviews?
Listing sites show what landlords and property managers want you to see.
Know Your Block shows official government code-enforcement complaints — the
reported problems, infestations, and landlord complaints that listings and tours hide.
Know Your Block is an independent public-information
tool operated by Canary Civic LLC and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Columbus. It surfaces
public code-enforcement records and is not legal advice.