Cleveland Suburbs · Cleveland, OH

Apartments for rent in Garfield Heights, OH

Garfield Heights is a Cuyahoga County suburb southeast/south of downtown Cleveland. Apartment rents in the broader Cleveland market typically run from about $1,060 for a studio to $1,350 for a three-bedroom (Zumper, July 2026), though Garfield Heights-specific listings vary. The suburb has no local Section 8 source-of-income ordinance as of 2026.

Renting an apartment in Garfield Heights

Garfield Heights is one of Cuyahoga County's 59 municipalities, positioned southeast/south of downtown Cleveland. It sits alongside neighboring Maple Heights in that same southeast Cuyahoga County corridor, and like most of the county's suburbs it is served by the region's public bus and rail network.

Renters comparing this suburb against the city itself are effectively weighing a Cuyahoga County suburb against Cleveland proper — a distinction that matters for local ordinances, utility providers, and voucher rules, all covered below, since municipal rules can differ block by block once you cross a city line.

Rent Finder Cleveland's own rental portfolio is currently concentrated in Cleveland's east and southeast side neighborhoods — including Slavic Village, Collinwood, Glenville, and Buckeye-Shaker — rather than in Garfield Heights itself. If you're apartment hunting in this suburb, tell our leasing team what you're looking for and we'll let you know about relevant options as they come up, including nearby Cleveland listings that might fit your commute.

How much does an apartment cost near Garfield Heights?

Across the broader Cleveland rental market, apartment rents span a wide range depending on building age, size, and whether a unit is professionally managed. Per Zumper's median-asking-rent report dated July 4, 2026, the Cleveland-area median runs from $1,060 for a studio to $1,350 for a three-bedroom. RentCafe's July 2, 2026 report on professionally managed apartment communities shows notably higher averages, since it indexes newer, larger buildings with more amenities.

Garfield Heights listings themselves will vary from these metro-wide figures — always confirm current asking rent directly with a specific building or landlord. Cleveland overall remains considerably more affordable than the national picture: Zumper puts the metro roughly 35.9% below the U.S. median of $1,950 a month, a gap that generally extends into the surrounding Cuyahoga County suburbs as well.

Getting around from Garfield Heights

Greater Cleveland RTA (GCRTA) operates the region's public bus network across Cleveland and its Cuyahoga County suburbs, with Tower City in downtown Cleveland serving as the central rail hub for the Red, Blue, Green, and Waterfront lines. Renters commuting from southeast Cuyahoga County suburbs like Garfield Heights toward Downtown, the Cleveland Clinic, or University Circle typically rely on a combination of RTA bus routes and the highway network rather than a direct rail line.

Because Garfield Heights sits on the higher-elevation eastern side of the county, winters there tend to bring more lake-effect snow accumulation than Cleveland's western lakefront neighborhoods, consistent with the region's broader east-side snow belt pattern; the heaviest lake-effect snow in the region falls in the higher-elevation areas south and east of Lake Erie roughly from November through January.

Healthcare is the region's largest employment sector: Cleveland Clinic is the top employer in Northeast Ohio and University Hospitals ranks second in Cuyahoga County, so renters with jobs at either system should factor a southeast-side commute into their apartment search.

Section 8 vouchers and apartments in Garfield Heights

Ohio has no statewide law requiring landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) as a payment source, and Garfield Heights does not currently have a local ordinance protecting voucher holders from source-of-income denial. Acceptance of a voucher in Garfield Heights is therefore up to the individual landlord.

A smaller number of nearby Cuyahoga County suburbs — including Cleveland Heights, South Euclid, University Heights, and Warrensville Heights — have adopted local ordinances banning this kind of denial, according to Signal Cleveland's 2024 reporting. Renters using a voucher should ask each landlord directly and can apply for a Housing Choice Voucher year-round through the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the public housing authority for Cuyahoga County.

Every home Rent Finder Cleveland manages accepts Section 8 vouchers and is HUD-inspection-ready, though our current listings are concentrated in Cleveland proper rather than Garfield Heights. See our Cleveland Section 8 guide for program details, or browse Cleveland houses for rent in the neighborhoods where we currently have inventory.

CMHA's Housing Choice Voucher income limits, effective April 3, 2025, top out at $34,800 for a one-person household and $49,700 for a four-person household in this metro; the agency updates these limits annually, so renters should confirm the current figures directly with CMHA before applying.

What to know before signing a lease near Garfield Heights

Wherever in Ohio you rent, state law sets baseline tenant protections. Under Ohio Revised Code 5321.16, a landlord must return a security deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized statement of any deductions, and deposits exceeding $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater) accrue 5% annual interest if a tenant stays six months or more. Ohio law generally does not include statewide rent control.

If you'd rather widen your search to areas where Rent Finder Cleveland currently manages Section 8-friendly rental homes, explore our Cleveland apartment listings or book a free showing to see what's available now.

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.