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DEFINITIONS

Columbus City Codes tit. 7, ch. 703
in effect

Columbus City Codes § 703.01 Application of terms.

703.01 - Application of terms. (A) The definitions in this chapter shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this Health, Sanitation and Safety Code. (B) The interpretation of the definitions used in the enforcement of this code are the prerogatives of the property maintenance inspector and the property maintenance appeals board, which as a board rules on the intent of this code and the rules and regulations adopted in connection therewith. (C) Whenever the words "premises," "dwelling," "dwelling unit," "building," "rooming house," "rooming unit," or "premises," are used in this Health, Sanitation and Safety Code, they shall be construed as though they were followed by the words "or any part thereof." (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.02 Letter A.

703.02 - Letter A. "Acceptable waste" means that portion of the residential waste stream that is normally disposed of by occupants of residential dwelling units including common household waste, yard waste, recyclables, white goods and bulk refuse. "Acceptable waste container" is used to describe those containers that may be used for acceptable waste disposal. Plastic bags are not acceptable waste containers. "Accessory structure" means a building or structure the use of which is incidental to that of the main building or structure and which is located on the same lot. "Agriculture" means the practice of growing crops and raising livestock to provide food and other goods. "Alley" means street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in the city and not intended for the purpose of through vehicle traffic and includes any street or highway that has been declared an "alley" by council. "Approved" means approval by the director under the regulations of this code as applied to a material, device or method of construction or approval by other authorities designated by law, ordinance, or this code to give approval to the matter in question. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1247-2012, § 2, 7-30-2012; Ord. No. 1613-2025, § 1, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 703.03 Letter B.

703.03 - Letter B. "Basement" means that portion of a building located partly below grade but having less than one-half (0.5) of its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground. "Bathroom" means a room, which affords privacy to a person and is equipped with a flush-water closet, a lavatory basin, and a bathtub or shower. The following clarifying phrases are pertinent to the term "bathroom": (A) "A room which affords privacy" shall mean a room which is completely enclosed when the door is closed. (B) The bathroom is not complete unless the facilities include all of the following items: (1) A flush water closet; (2) A lavatory basin; (3) A bathtub or shower facility; (4) Adequate heat; and (5) Heated and unheated water. (C) The bathroom requirements of subsection (B) above do not preclude the existence of flush water closets and lavatory basins in other locations within a dwelling, but they shall contribute nothing to meeting other minimum requirements. "Building" means any structure designed or built for the support, use, enclosure, shelter, or protection of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind. "Business building" means any structure, whether publicly owned or privately owned that is adapted for occupancy for transaction of business, for rendering of professional service, for amusement, for the display, sale, or storage of goods, wares or merchandise, or for the performance of work or labor, including hotels, apartment buildings, tenement houses, rooming houses, office buildings, public buildings, stores, theaters, markets, restaurants, grain elevators, slaughter houses, warehouses, workshops, factories, condominiums and all outhouses, sheds, barns, and other structures on premises used for business purposes. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.04 Letter C.

703.04 - Letter C. "Cellar" means that space in a building located partly or entirely below grade, which has one-half (0.5) or more of its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground. "City" means the city of Columbus, Ohio. "Code enforcement officer" means a property maintenance inspector or a property maintenance trainee, and is a duly authorized representative of the director. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.05 Letter D.

703.05 - Letter D. "Debris" means the scattered remains of something or the ruins of something. "Department", unless otherwise specified, means the department of building and zoning services. "Dilapidated" means a general condition of decay or extensive disrepair. "Director" when used without clarification means the director of the department of building and zoning services or designee. "Division" when used without clarification means the code enforcement division of the department of building and zoning services. "Dormitory sleeping room" means a room providing sleeping quarters for a number of persons. "Dumpster" means a type of automated collection container that is made of metal or other material approved by the public service director and is collected primarily by front-loading waste collection vehicles. "Dwelling" means any building or structure, which is occupied or intended for occupancy in whole or in part as a home, residence or sleeping place for one (1) or more persons. "Dwelling unit" means one (1) or more habitable rooms forming a single habitable unit within a dwelling with facilities, which are used or intended to be used by one (1) or more persons for living, sleeping, cooking and eating. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. 1552-01 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 0455-2010, § 5, 4-5-2010; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 2328-2021, § 7, 9-20-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 703.06 Letter E.

703.06 - Letter E. "Easement" means the right of a person to go onto land in possession of another and to make a limited use of the land. "Egress" means a way of travel, including the system of corridors, stairways, exterior stairways, fire escapes and rooms connecting each dwelling unit or rooming unit with the exterior of the building at ground level. "Exterior stairway" means one (1) or more flights of stairs on the outside of a building and the necessary landings and platforms connecting them to form a continuous and uninterrupted passage from one (1) floor to another. Standard fire escapes are not included as exterior stairways. "Extermination" means the control and elimination of insects, rodents, or other pests by eliminating their harboring places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food; by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination methods. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.07 Letter F.

703.07 - Letter F. "Fee schedule" means the fee schedule adopted pursuant to C.C. 4103.14. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. 1552-01 § 1 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.08 Letter G.

703.08 - Letter G. "Garbage" means animal or vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation or serving of food. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.09 Letter H.

703.09 - Letter H. "Habitable room" means enclosed floor space used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking or eating purposes excluding bathrooms, water closets, laundries, pantries, foyers or communicating corridors, closets and storage spaces. "Health commissioner" as authorized by the board of health means the designated health authority of the city of Columbus or an authorized representative. "Health department" means the health department of the City of Columbus, Ohio. "Health hazard" means that state or condition of the environment, which places, either directly or indirectly, the health or safety of a person in danger or peril. "Horticulture" means the science and art of growing plants, particularly for food, medicine, and decoration. "Housing appeals board" means the property maintenance appeals board. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1613-2025, § 1, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 703.10 Letter I.

703.10 - Letter I. "Illegal dumping" includes open dumping as defined in Section 3734.01 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), illegal use of containers and littering. "Illegal use of containers" means the unauthorized disposal of acceptable or unacceptable waste in a container. "Infestation" means the presence within or around a dwelling or premises of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests. "Other pests" means animals, which cause a threat to health including but not limited to bats, pigeons or raccoons. "Insanitary condition" and "unsanitary condition" means any environmental condition that may produce an unhealthy or unsafe condition. "Insect" means any member of a class of usually winged invertebrates with three (3) pairs of legs and not limited to flies and roaches. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.12 Letter K.

703.12 - Letter K. "Keeper" or "proprietor" includes all persons, whether acting by themself or as a servant, agent or employee of a premise or property. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 703.14 Letter M.

703.14 - Letter M. "Materials from construction or demolition operations" shall include but not be limited to such materials as brick, concrete, stone, glass, wallboard, framing and finishing lumber, roofing materials, plumbing, plumbing fixtures, wiring and insulation. "Multiple dwelling" means any dwelling containing two (2) or more dwelling units including units sharing bathrooms, but shall not include rooming units as defined under "rooming units", Section 4501.33. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. 1132-2008 Attach. (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.15 Letter N.

703.15 - Letter N. "Native Plant Pollinator Garden" means a carefully designed and maintained area featuring plants native to the state that support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects. "Noxious Weeds" means those plants listed in Chapter 901:5-37 of the Ohio Administrative Code, titled "Prohibited Noxious Weeds." (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1613-2025, § 1, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 703.16 Letter O.

703.16 - Letter O. "Occupant" means any person living, sleeping, cooking in, or having actual possession of a dwelling unit, rooming unit or other building or part or fraction thereof. In the case of vacant structures, buildings or premises, the owner or agent or other person having custody of the building, structure or premises shall have the responsibility of an occupant of it. "Operator" means any person who has charge, care, or control of a building, or part thereof, in which dwelling units or rooming units are let. "Operator" also means any person who rents to another or others or who has charge, care or control of a building or part thereof, in which dwelling units, rooming units, or hotel units are let, or who has charge, care or control of any premises or part thereof upon which no structures have been erected or upon which non-dwelling structures are present. "Organization" means a corporation for profit or not for profit, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, unincorporated association, estate, trust, or other commercial or legal entity. Organization does not include an entity organized as, or by, a governmental agency for execution of a governmental program. "Owner" means the owner of record as shown on the current tax list of the county auditor; the mortgage holder of record, if any, as shown in the mortgage records of the county recorder; and any purchaser under a land contract. "Owner" also means any person who has a freehold or lesser estate in the premises; a mortgagee or vendee in possession; or any person who has charge, care or control of the premises as agent, executor, administrator, assignee, receiver, trustee, guardian or lessee. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.17 Letter P.

703.17 - Letter P. "Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, agent, operator, business trust, estate, syndicate, cooperative, or any entity recognized by law, or anyone in charge or in control of a premise or property. "Premise" or "premises" means land(s) and everything of a permanent nature attached thereto as part of the realty, a platted lot or part thereof or unplatted lot or parcel of land either occupied or unoccupied by any dwelling or nondwelling structure, and includes any such building, accessory structure or other structure thereon. "Premise" or "premises" shall, for purposes of this code shall include all land(s) to the centerline of the street, alley, or right-of-way which this code designates certain responsibilities to a person. "Property" means real and personal property. "Personal property" includes all property except real property. "Property maintenance appeals board" includes the term "housing appeals board." "Property maintenance inspector" and "property maintenance inspector trainee" means a "code enforcement officer", and is a duly authorized representative of the director. "Proprietor" or "keeper" includes all persons, whether acting by themself or as a servant, agent or employee of a premise or property. "Public nuisance" means any structure or vehicle, which is permitted to be or remain in any of the following conditions: (A) In a dilapidated, decayed, unsafe or unsanitary condition detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare, or well-being of the surrounding area; or (B) A fire hazard; or (C) Any vacant building that is not secured and maintained in compliance with Chapter 4513; or (D) Land, real estate, houses, buildings, residences, apartments, or premises of any kind which are used in violation of any division of Section 2925.13, Ohio Revised Code. "Public nuisance" also means any structure, vehicle or real property which is not in compliance with any building, housing, zoning, fire, safety, air pollution, health or sanitation ordinance of the Columbus City Codes or Columbus City Health Code, or any real property upon which its real property taxes have remained unpaid in excess of one (1) year from date of assessment. "Public place" includes any street, sidewalk, park, cemetery, schoolyard, body of water or watercourse, public conveyance, or any other place for the sale of merchandise, public accommodation or amusement. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1247-2012, § 3, 7-30-2012; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 703.19 Letter R.

703.19 - Letter R. "Rank Growth" means a cover of vegetation of any type, cultivated or not, including trees, which has attained such a height and density as to constitute harborage, actual or potential, for rodents or vermin, or to be considered a health hazard or a danger to public safety. "Real property" includes lands, tenements and hereditaments. "Refuse" means all putrescible and nonputrescible solids, except body wastes, including but not limited to garbage, rubbish, ashes and dead animals. Refuse also means anything discarded or rejected as useless, worthless or trash. "Refuse container" means a watertight, insect-proofed container that is constructed of metal or other durable material impervious to rodents, and that is capable of being serviced without creating insanitary conditions, or such other acceptable refuse containers that may be used for acceptable waste disposal as determined by the director of public service or a duly authorized representative. Openings into the container, such as covers and doors, shall be tight fitting. "Repair" means to restore to sound condition. The term "repair" here includes renewal, replacement, or reinforcement, of an existing part of a structure but excludes additions made to, or remodeling of a structure. "Right-of-way" means the surface of and the space above and below the paved or unpaved portions of any public street, public road, public highway, public freeway, public lane, public shared-use path, public way, public alley, public court, public sidewalk, public boulevard, public parkway, public drive and any other land, developed or undeveloped, dedicated or otherwise designated for the same now or hereafter held by the city. "Rodent harborage" means any space where rodents live, nest or seek shelter, any condition that provides shelter or protection for rodents in, under, or outside of a structure of any kind or an accumulation of any type of material, which might provide such rodent shelter, or protection. "Rodent-proofing" means a form of construction that will prevent the ingress or egress of rodents to or from a given space or building, or gaining access to food, water or harborage. The method of construction may include but is not limited to the closing and keeping closed of every opening in foundations, basements, cellars, exterior and interior walls, ground or first floors, sidewalk gratings, sidewalk openings and other places that may be reached and entered by rodents by climbing, burrowing or other methods, by the use of materials impervious to rodent gnawing and other methods approved by the appropriate authority. "Rubbish" means combustible and noncombustible waste materials including such items as paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin can, metals, mineral matter, glass, crockery, dust, and the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other combustible material. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1247-2012, § 4, 7-30-2012; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1613-2025, § 1, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 703.20 Letter S.

703.20 - Letter S. "Safe load" means the minimum live load indicated in the Building Code. "Safety" means the condition of being free from danger and hazards, which may cause accidents or disease. "Semi-solid" shall mean that material while cohesive and viscous, flows slowly or loses its shape when unconfined, but does not readily release liquids under normal climatic condition. "Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, or easement lines intended for the use of pedestrians. "Solid waste" shall mean residual solid or semi-solid material as results from industrial, commercial, agricultural or residential operations, including but not limited to garbage, rubbish, furniture, appliances, yard waste, liquid waste, animal waste, chemical waste, hazardous waste, construction debris, demolition debris, scrap lumber, tires, scrap metal, vegetable waste, boxes, cartons, paper, ashes, tin cans, bottles, broken glass, metals, rubber, plastics and all other nauseous or offensive materials resulting from human habitation or business or manufacturing enterprises. "State" or "this state" means the State of Ohio. "Street" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel. "Structure" means anything constructed to serve any purpose. "Supplied" means paid for, furnished, or provided by or under the control of, the owner or operator. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1247-2012, § 5, 7-30-2012)

Columbus City Codes § 703.21 Letter T.

703.21 - Letter T. "Tenant" as applied to premises, includes any person holding a written or oral lease, or who actually occupies the whole or any part of such premises, alone or with others. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.22 Letter U.

703.22 - Letter U. "Unsanitary condition" and "insanitary condition" mean any environmental condition that may produce an unhealthy or unsafe condition. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.23 Letter V.

703.23 - Letter V. "Vacant building" means: (A) A dwelling or dwelling unit which is not being occupied as a home, residence, or sleeping place for one (1) or more persons under a lease, rental agreement or permission of the owner; or (B) Any building or structure that is not being used for any purpose; or (C) Dwelling or dwelling unit that has been ordered vacant or becomes vacant by virtue of being declared unfit for habitation by a property maintenance inspector. "Ventilation" means the supply and removal of air to and from a space by natural or mechanical means. "Vermin" includes but is not limited to insects, lice, spiders, mites, ticks, and rodents, which threaten human health and safety. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.24 Letter W.

703.24 - Letter W. "Weeds" shall mean those plant species including, but not limited to, thistles, burdock, jimson weed, ragweed, mullein, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, pokeberry, or Noxious Weeds, and grass, brush, vines or other plants which may create, directly or indirectly, a health hazard or unsanitary condition. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part); Ord. No. 1720-2009, § 1, 1-25-2010; Ord. No. 0977-2017, § 1, 5-1-2017; Ord. No. 1613-2025, § 1, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 703.26 Letter Y.

703.26 - Letter Y. "Yard waste" means garden residues, leaves, grass clippings, shrubbery and tree prunings, tree trimmings and other plant waste generated as a result of gardening, landscaping or any similar activity. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 703.28 Supplemental definitions.

703.28 - Supplemental definitions. For the purpose of this Health, Sanitation and Safety Code, certain terms, phrases, words, and their derivatives shall be construed as set out in this chapter. Words used in the present tense include the future. Words used in the singular include the plural and the plural the singular. Words used in the masculine gender include the feminine and the neuter. "Shall" is mandatory. (Ord. 858-01 §§ 1 (part), 3 (part).)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT7HESASACO_CH703DEFetched: 10/27/2026

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