After villifying one of the city’s biggest property owners, Cincinnati city leaders have agreed to “not discriminate” against Vinebrook Homes after a lawsuit against the single-family rental home operator was dismissed.
Those were the terms of a settlement agreement reached earlier this week between Vinebrook and the city of Cincinnati, which sued Vinebrook and its affiliates in January 2023. .
The lawsuit alleged Vinebrook − a Dallas-based real estate investment trust with a corporate office in Dayton − violated a previous settlement agreement in a 2021 lawsuit brought by the city.
The 2021 lawsuit alleged Vinebrook repeatedly violated laws governing landlords in Ohio as well as the city’s building, health and safety codes.
The city filed a handful of similar lawsuits last year in what city leaders described as a crackdown on negligent or absentee landlords, most of which are still pending.
“We have no tolerance for investors who come into Cincinnati, let properties degrade, and exploit tenants,” Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said when the lawsuit against Vinebrook was filed last year.
The settlement reached Tuesday dismissed all claims against Vinebrook, which owns and operates 734 single-family rentals in Cincinnati, with prejudice. That means the city cannot refile the same claims against Vinebrook in Hamilton County Common Pleas court.
As part of the settlement, Vinebrook has agreed to adhere to the city’s municipal codes and promptly comply with any code enforcement orders issued by the city.
“VineBrook Homes looks forward to working with the City of Cincinnati to continue our long-standing mission of providing safe, clean and functional homes to our residents at affordable prices,” Co-founder Dana Sprong said in a joint press release with the city.
Neither Vinebrook nor the city admitted any wrongdoing in the settlement, and both sides have agreed to pursue “a more collaborative, productive relationship,” according to the press release.
“We are pleased to reach this resolution after productive communication and coordination with the VineBrook team,” City Manager Sheryl Long said in the press release.
Both sides declined further comment.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: City ordered not to discriminate against landlord in settlement
Source Agencies
