Given a complex manifold containing a relatively compact $Z(q)$ domain, we give sufficient geometric conditions on the domain so that its $L^2$-cohomology in degree $(p,q)$ (known to be finite dimensional) vanishes. The condition consists of the existence of a smooth weight function in a neighborhood of the closure of the domain, where the complex Hessian of the weight has a prescribed number of eigenvalues of a particular sign, along with good interaction at the boundary of the Levi form with the complex Hessian, encoded in a subbundle of common positive directions for the two Hermitian forms.

Comment: 29 pages. Comments welcome!