CINCINNATI — One of Cincinnati’s most controversial landlords is shaking up its business practices as it struggles to reduce a $2.5 billion debt load that’s seven times larger than its annual revenue.

VineBrook Homes has sold more than 500 Cincinnati-area homes in the last three years, about 15% of its local portfolio, while replacing its property management division with a new third-party vendor focused on “portfolio optimization, revenue and expense oversight.”

Its Cincinnati rents, already the highest among 24 cities where VineBrook competes, increased 10% to $1,378 since January 2023. And its new property management approach with Evergreen Residential eliminated 500 jobs nationwide, including about 60 people who worked in the Cincinnati area.

Despite all the changes, VineBrook remai

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