Who has to register in Akron
Any owner of a rental unit inside Akron city limits has to register it. The city defines a rental unit as “a dwelling or rooming unit not occupied by the person with legal title.” If you own it and someone else lives there, it is a rental for this purpose.
The 2026 form sorts properties three ways:
| Type on the form | Example |
|---|---|
| Single-family | A rented bungalow in Firestone Park or Kenmore |
| Multi-family | A Highland Square duplex, with the number of units |
| Rooming house | A house rented by the room, with the number of sleeping rooms |
The form also asks owners to list land contract and vacant properties alongside the rentals. Akron City Council passed the registration program in 1996, and the city began enforcing it in 1997.
This page covers the City of Akron only. Suburbs set their own rules, and some, such as Barberton, require rental permits. Check with the city where the house sits.
Fee, deadline and how to pay
Registration is annual and is billed by the unit:
- $25 per unit, with a $2,500 maximum for an owner’s total units.
- Due January 31 each year.
- $25 late fee if paid after January 31.
Checks are payable to the City of Akron and mailed or brought to the Department of Neighborhood Assistance, Housing Division, 166 S. High St., 8th floor, Akron, OH 44308. The Housing Division at 330-375-2366 can send an invoice or proof of registration. The current fee schedule was amended in 2016, according to the city.
What the form asks for
The form is four pages, revised December 23, 2025. Section I asks for the owner:
- Type of owner: individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, trust or other.
- Name, address, phone and email.
- For a partnership, corporation or trust, the name and contact details of one partner, officer or trustee, and the tax ID.
Section II covers the operator or contact person. It is optional for local owners and mandatory for owners who live outside Summit County or an adjacent county. That means a landlord in Columbus or Florida needs a named local contact, such as a property manager.
The back page and supplemental sheets list each address, apartment numbers and type. The owner or operator signs under penalty of law that the form is true.
Why the city keeps the registry
Akron says the registry holds owner contact information for emergencies, so inspectors, police and fire can reach a responsible person quickly. It is also how the Housing Compliance Division finds the owner when a tenant or neighbor reports a problem. The city states that failure to register rental units is a violation of the Housing Code, punishable by legal penalties. It does not publish the amounts.
Registration is not an inspection. Akron’s Housing Compliance Division inspects in response to complaints, referrals and inspector observations, as explained in our guide to Akron housing code enforcement.
The county filing is separate
Akron landlords have a second filing. Ohio’s R.C. 5323.02 requires residential rental owners to file their name, address and phone, plus the property’s street address and parcel number, with the county auditor. In Summit County, the filing goes to the Summit County Fiscal Office. Changes must be updated within 60 days.
| Filing | Who receives it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Akron rental registration | City of Akron Housing Division | Every year by January 31 |
| R.C. 5323.02 owner information | Summit County Fiscal Office | Within 60 days of a change or of the auditor’s notice |
Mistakes that leave a unit unregistered
Most unregistered Akron rentals aren’t hidden on purpose. They slip through in a few predictable ways:
- Inherited houses rented to a relative. If the heir holds title and someone else lives there, it is a rental unit under the city’s definition, even at low rent.
- Owners who moved away. An owner who relocates outside Summit County and its neighbors now needs a named local contact on Section II.
- LLC transfers. Moving a house into an LLC changes the owner on title, so the registration should change too.
- Forgetting the renewal. Registration is annual, so last year’s payment doesn’t cover this year after January 31.
- Counting units wrong. A duplex is two units, and a rooming house lists its sleeping rooms.
A quick call to the Housing Division at 330-375-2366 will confirm what the city has on file for your parcels.
Registration when you buy or sell a rental
A sale changes who must register. The person with legal title is the owner on the form, so a buyer of an occupied rental should register it in their own name, and the seller should tell the Housing Division the unit has been sold. The city’s page does not describe a transfer procedure, so call the Housing Division to confirm how it wants the change reported.
Before closing, a seller should:
- Confirm the unit is registered and paid for the current year.
- Give the buyer the lease, deposit records and the registration confirmation.
- Update the county auditor filing within 60 days of the transfer.
An unregistered unit is an open Housing Code issue, and buyers’ title companies and inspectors may ask about it. Landlords who are selling will find the tenant side in tenant rights when a house is sold in Ohio, and the seller’s options on selling a rental property in Ohio.
If an Akron rental has fallen behind on registration or repairs and you are thinking of selling it as it is, you can send us the address.
