Columbus, OH · Issue Report

Mold & water damage in Columbus

The read computed from 1,811 reports · JAN 2025 – JUN 2026

Columbus logged about 1,800 mold and water damage reports in the last 18 months. That is about one of every 35 complaints filed with code enforcement. Nearly every one is scored severe or critical. Inspectors treat these as habitability problems, not nuisances. Reports are increasing, with 2026 so far running about 40% ahead of the same months last year. Mold and water damage reports peak in July at about one and a half times the volume of a typical month. No neighborhood is spared, but rates run highest in Westgate & Hilliard fringe and Blacklick / Brice.

1 in 35
share of all reports
1,811 reports on file
Increasing
2026 vs same months 2025
+39% so far this year
July
peak reporting month
about 1.6× a typical month
Renting or buying

Renting or about to?

Most mold reports describe water from above. On a tour, look at bathroom ceilings, under-sink cabinets, and basement walls, and ask what caused any fresh paint.

Mold is the problem tenants most often report landlords ignoring. Check the address for both mold and negligence reports before you sign.

Check an address on the live map →
Right now

Dealing with it right now?

Photograph the mold and the water source before you clean anything. Then report it to 311 in writing with the address and unit.

Untreated mold in a rental is enforceable. If management paints over it instead of fixing the leak, report that too. The paper trail is what escalation runs on.

Owners

Landlord or property manager?

Fixing leaks fast and venting bathrooms prevents the reports that recur most. Painting over mold without fixing the water is itself a reportable pattern.

When it gets reported

Share of the year's reports landing in each month, corrected for how many times each month appears in the data window.
January · 6% of the year's reportsJFebruary · 7% of the year's reportsFMarch · 8% of the year's reportsMApril · 8% of the year's reportsAMay · 9% of the year's reportsMJune · 10% of the year's reportsJJuly · 13% of the year's reportsJAugust · 11% of the year's reportsASeptember · 9% of the year's reportsSOctober · 7% of the year's reportsONovember · 5% of the year's reportsNDecember · 6% of the year's reportsD

Reports peak in July at about one and a half times the volume of a typical month. The quietest month is November. A quiet autumn does not mean the problem went away. Reporting drops citywide in cold months.

All mold and water damage reports by month latest month: 133
133 JAN '25 JUN '26

Where it's most reported

Neighborhoods ranked by rate, meaning each category's share of the neighborhood's reports against its citywide share, so big neighborhoods don't win just for being big. Only rates with enough reports behind them are listed.
#1Westgate & Hilliard fringe3.7×36 reports #2Blacklick / Brice2.5×32 reports #3Hayden Run / Scioto Darby1.7×26 reports #4Lincoln Village1.6×66 reports #5Far East / Eastland1.6×179 reports

For contrast, rates run lowest in Franklinton among the busiest areas.

Low Moderate Severe Critical
Open the live map filtered to mold & water damage →
Each dot is one report, colored by severity. The live map adds search, filters, and the Block Report.

Often reported with

What else shows up at the same addresses. Address-level comparison, so this reads as a building-quality signal, not a coincidence of one phone call.
Smoke detectors & fire hazardsAddresses with mold and water damage reports are about six times as likely to also have fire safety reports on file.→ RoachesAddresses with mold and water damage reports are about five times as likely to also have roach reports on file.→ Sewage backupsAddresses with mold and water damage reports are about five times as likely to also have sewage reports on file.→ Landlord & management negligenceAddresses with mold and water damage reports are about three times as likely to also have landlord negligence reports on file.→

What people describe

The words that come up most in these reports, from the complaint narratives. Counts are reports mentioning each phrase.
mold1,171 water746 ceiling497 bathroom383 leak347 basement358 issues418 flooding236

Common questions

How do I report mold and water damage in Columbus?

Report it to 311 by phone, app, or columbus.gov with the address and unit. Photograph the mold and any leak before cleaning. In a rental, ask the landlord for the repair in writing at the same time, so the report and the request date match.

Are mold and water damage reports in Columbus going up?

Yes. Mold and water damage reports so far this year are running about 39% ahead of the same months last year.

Where are mold and water damage reports most common in Columbus?

Rates run highest in Westgate & Hilliard fringe, Blacklick / Brice and Hayden Run / Scioto Darby, comparing each neighborhood's share of reports against the citywide share. No neighborhood is entirely without them.

Who is responsible for fixing mold and water damage?

In Columbus rentals the landlord is responsible for fixing the water problem behind mold and for remediating it. Code enforcement can cite untreated mold as a habitability violation.

Looking at a specific address?

Get the full Block Report, covering what's been reported at that exact address, the same building, and chronic neighbors within a third of a mile.

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Source & method

What counts here. Reports that describe mold, mildew, active leaks, or flooding damage.

Data comes from official City of Columbus code enforcement records (Accela portal + ArcGIS REST API). Reports are categorized by keyword matching on complaint narratives and city record types, so counts are reports filed, not verified conditions, and automated matching can misfile individual records. The data window covers JAN 2025 – JUN 2026, so month-of-year patterns will sharpen as full years accrue. Mold reports are complaints, not lab results. This page makes no claim about toxicity or health outcomes.