How to report a code violation in Columbus
Report it to Columbus 311. File online at 311.columbus.gov, use the Columbus 311 app, or call (614) 645-3111. Give the address, what you see, and how long it has been going on. The city routes housing and property complaints to code enforcement, and your report becomes part of the public record.
The full path
Start with 311
Columbus 311 is the city’s front door for code complaints. File online, in the app, or by phone at (614) 645-3111. It is free and takes a few minutes.
If anyone is in immediate danger, from a gas smell to a fire hazard to a collapse risk, call 911 first.
Say what, where, and how long
Include the street address and unit if there is one. Describe what you can see or smell in plain words. Say when it started and whether anyone has tried to fix it.
Photos help. So do specifics an inspector can verify, like which room, which wall, or which corner of the lot.
What happens next
The city opens a case and an inspector follows up. If they confirm a violation, the owner gets a notice with a deadline to fix it. Cases that stay unfixed can go to court.
The case enters the public record either way. That record is what this site maps.
Check the case later
You can look cases up at the city’s official case portal, or search the address on our free lookup to see it mapped with everything else reported nearby.
First, see what is already on record
Search the address before you file. If the problem is already reported, a second report still helps. Repeat reports are how patterns get attention.
Free · no account · opens the live map's Block Report for the address
Common questions
Can I report a code violation anonymously?
You can ask to keep your name off the report when you file with 311. The public case record shows the complaint and the address, not who filed it.
How do I report unpermitted work or a zoning problem?
Use the same path. File with Columbus 311 and describe the work and the address. The city routes building, zoning, and permit complaints to the right division.
How do I report a city utility problem, like a leaking hydrant?
Columbus 311 takes city utility and infrastructure requests too, including hydrants, street issues, and missed collection. One number covers all of it.
Does filing a report cost anything?
No. Reporting through 311 is free, whether you file online, in the app, or by phone.
Is Know Your Block the official place to report?
No. This site is an independent map of the city’s public enforcement records. Reports go to Columbus 311. What you file there shows up in the records we map.
Keep going
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.
Search an address →Contacts on this page were verified July 2026. City intake numbers and portals change rarely but they do change. If something here is out of date, the front door is always Columbus 311.
Know Your Block is an independent public-information project, not the City of Columbus and not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Report counts come from official City of Columbus code-enforcement records and describe reports filed, not verified conditions.