How to report a neighbor’s property
Report a neighbor’s yard, trash, or junk vehicles to Columbus 311, online or at (614) 645-3111.
Overgrowth, accumulated trash, dumping, and inoperable cars on private property are all enforceable. The owner gets a notice and a deadline to fix it, and the public record does not show who filed.
The full path
What is actually enforceable
Grass and weeds past the city’s height limit. Trash and junk accumulating in the yard. Illegal dumping. Vehicles that are inoperable, unlicensed, or being lived in. Structures falling apart. These are the bread and butter of code enforcement.
Report it to 311
File with Columbus 311 online, in the app, or at (614) 645-3111. Give the address and describe what is visible from the street or your own property. You do not need photos from their yard, and you should not go get them.
What happens to your neighbor
An inspector checks. If it is a violation, the owner gets a written notice and a deadline, usually with time to comply before any fine. Most cases end with the problem fixed and nothing more.
Chronic cases need repeat reports
One report opens one case. A property that slides back every month builds a record only if it keeps getting reported. That record is exactly what this site makes visible.
See what is already reported on your block
Chronic properties usually have a history. Search the address to see whether the city already knows.
Free · no account · opens the live map's Block Report for the address
Common questions
Will my neighbor know I reported them?
The public case record shows the complaint and the address, not who filed it. You can also ask 311 to keep your name off the report when you file.
Who do I call about trash in a neighbor’s yard?
Columbus 311, at (614) 645-3111 or online. Accumulated trash that attracts pests is enforceable on any property, rented or owned.
Can I report a junk car in a driveway?
Yes. Inoperable or unlicensed vehicles kept in the open are enforceable on private property. Give the address and describe the vehicle.
What if my neighbor’s yard is drawing rats?
Report the condition, not the rat. Tall grass, piled junk, open trash, and animal feed are what an inspector can cite. Say where the rats are coming from and what is feeding them. More than half of Columbus rat complaints arrive as a tall grass or trash complaint for exactly this reason.
What if the noise is every weekend?
Tonight’s noise is a police call. Noise that repeats is a 311 case. Report the address with the days, the start and end times, and what you heard, and keep a log. If the noise is a business running out of the house, say so: that is a zoning complaint, and zoning is enforceable.
Is calling the city on a neighbor an overreaction?
A report is a request for the city to look, not a punishment. Notices come with time to fix the problem. For conditions that attract rats or drag a whole block, it is also how anything changes.
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 August 2026. If one has changed, Columbus 311 can route you.
Know Your Block is an independent public-information project operated by Canary Civic LLC, not the City of Columbus and not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and this site does not recommend or partner with any legal provider. Report counts come from official City of Columbus code-enforcement records and describe reports filed, not verified conditions.