Cleveland Neighborhoods · Cleveland, OH

Houses for Rent in University Circle

University Circle is an east-side Cleveland neighborhood built around Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Music Center, and the Cleveland Clinic. Housing near the Circle itself is mostly apartments serving students and hospital staff; renters wanting a full house often look to adjacent east-side neighborhoods, and Rent Finder Cleveland can help point renters toward current availability.

Renting near University Circle

University Circle is an east-side Cleveland neighborhood that contains some of the region's largest institutions: Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), the Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Music Center, and the area around the Cleveland Clinic. Because it's built around these institutions, the immediate housing stock leans toward apartments serving students, staff, and hospital employees rather than standalone rental houses.

Renters specifically looking for a house rather than an apartment often find more options in the residential neighborhoods surrounding University Circle. Rent Finder Cleveland manages 90+ rental homes across Greater Cleveland's east and southeast side, and every one accepts Section 8 / Housing Choice Vouchers and is HUD-inspection-ready. Tell our team what you're looking for and we'll help match you with a current listing.

How much does it cost to rent near University Circle?

University Circle-area housing tends to run at or above Cleveland's citywide rent averages given its concentration of apartments and graduate/professional housing. Per RentCafe (Yardi), reporting July 2, 2026, the citywide average for professionally managed apartments — the type most common near the Circle — is $1,564/month for 787 sq. ft. (up 1.66% year-over-year), with 1-bedroom units averaging $1,451 and 2-bedroom units averaging $1,818. Zumper's July 4, 2026 citywide median, which spans a broader mix of listing types, is lower at $1,250/month overall.

By comparison, Rent Finder Cleveland's own homes across Greater Cleveland — mostly houses, duplexes, and small multi-family buildings in surrounding neighborhoods rather than the immediate Circle — typically rent from $700 to $1,800 a month, with most around $1,000.

Getting around University Circle

University Circle has some of Cleveland's best direct transit access. The RTA Red Line (heavy rail) serves the area, connecting it to Downtown Cleveland (Tower City), Cleveland Hopkins Airport, and East Cleveland/Windermere. The HealthLine, a bus rapid transit route running the length of Euclid Avenue, connects University Circle directly to Public Square Downtown and East Cleveland, largely in a dedicated center-lane busway. It also runs along the edge of neighborhoods like Hough, between Downtown and the Circle, and near Glenville to the northeast — two east-side neighborhoods where standalone rental houses are more common.

• Institutions: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Music Center, Cleveland Clinic vicinity
• Transit: RTA Red Line (heavy rail) and the HealthLine bus rapid transit route on Euclid Avenue
• Direction: East side of Cleveland
• Housing type: Predominantly apartments near the Circle itself; houses are more common in surrounding neighborhoods

Section 8 and voucher-friendly rentals near University Circle

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) applicants apply year-round through the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), which runs the countywide program via a preliminary online application and periodic mini-lottery selection. As with the rest of the city, it's worth noting that Ohio has no statewide source-of-income law, and the City of Cleveland — University Circle included — has not enacted its own ordinance requiring landlords to accept vouchers as of this writing; a handful of Cuyahoga County suburbs have adopted local protections instead.

Rent Finder Cleveland's 90+ rental homes are concentrated on Cleveland's east and southeast sides, and every home in our portfolio welcomes Section 8 vouchers and is kept HUD-inspection-ready. Read our Cleveland Section 8 guide for the full picture, or reach out and tell us what neighborhood and bedroom count you need.

Rent Finder Cleveland is an equal housing opportunity provider and does business in accordance with the Fair Housing Act. Availability, pricing, and terms are subject to change.