Akron, OH Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration deadline
- 180 days after vacancy
- Annual fee
- $300 (<10,000 sq ft) or $500
- Late fee
- $50/day, up to $1,000
- 1st-offense fine
- Up to $200 administrative
- Enforcing board
- Vacant Comm./Industrial Bldgs. Appeals Board
- Governing chapter
- Akron Code Ch. 154
Summary
Akron forces owners of vacant commercial or industrial buildings to register, pay an annual fee, and file a vacant building plan under Chapter 154. If the Vacant Commercial or Industrial Buildings Appeals Board finds the property a public nuisance, it can order repair or demolition, and unpaid administrative fines get certified to the county as a special assessment against the property.
All buildings located within the City that are vacant commercial or industrial buildings shall be registered by the owner or person in control thereof with the Director within one-hundred eighty days after the effective date of this chapter and no later than December 31 of every year thereafter... Upon the Board's findings of fact made, the Board shall issue an order commanding that the vacant commercial or industrial building be repaired or demolished... When the Board determines the vacant commercial or industrial building or property is a public nuisance, and in all cases where it cannot be repaired, or where the owner refuses or fails to repair the commercial property so that it will no longer be in violation of any of the terms of this chapter, it shall be demolished.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 154 of Akron's Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance 207-2018, targets blighted nonresidential property. 08: $300 for buildings under 10,000 square feet and $500 for larger buildings, plus a $50-per-day late fee up to $1,000. 09 choosing demolition, secured-structure maintenance, or a rehabilitation schedule capped at twelve months. C. Chapter 2506. The Board can grant thirty-to-ninety-day repair extensions on a showing of financial capability, and an owner facing demolition can post a bond to stay the order while repairs are completed. Unpaid demolition or abatement costs are certified to the Summit County Fiscal Officer and collected as a special tax assessment against the property.
Violations & Fines
Failing to register, pay fees, or comply with an approved plan carries escalating administrative fines under § 154.99(A): up to $200 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for a third or later offense, plus interest certified to the county as a special assessment. Criminal penalties add a third-degree misdemeanor with fines up to $500 and up to sixty days in jail, with mandatory minimums for repeat offenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Akron require vacant buildings to be registered?
Who decides whether a vacant building in Akron must be demolished?
What happens if I don't fix up my registered vacant building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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