Akron, OH Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Akron City Code § 94.04
- Single-unit duty
- Occupant exterminates their own unit
- Owner duty trigger
- Owner's failure to rat-proof building
- Multi-unit spread
- Owner responsible if 2+ units infested
- Moving belongings
- Needs Health Dept./Building sign-off first
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Neighborhood Assistance / Public Health
- Appeal window
- 7 days to request a hearing
Summary
Akron puts the job of exterminating rodents, insects, and other pests on whoever occupies the space, unless the infestation traces back to the owner's failure to keep the building rodent-proof. City Code § 94.04 shifts responsibility to the property owner outright whenever two or more units, or the building's shared areas, are infested.
A. Every occupant of a dwelling containing a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of any insect, rodent or other pest therein or on the premises, and every occupant of a dwelling unit in a dwelling containing more than one dwelling unit shall be responsible for such extermination whenever his dwelling unit is the only one infested. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, whenever infestation is caused by the failure of the owner to maintain a dwelling in an insectproof or ratproof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner. Whenever infestation exists in two or more of the dwelling units in any dwelling or in the shared or public parts of any dwelling containing two or more dwelling units, extermination thereof shall be the responsibility of the owner.
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
04, a single-family dwelling occupant is on the hook for exterminating any insect, rodent, or other pest found in the unit or on the premises. In a multi-unit building, an individual occupant only carries that duty when the infestation is confined to their own unit. Responsibility flips to the property owner in two situations: first, whenever the owner failed to keep the building insectproof or ratproof and that failure caused the infestation, and second, whenever the infestation has spread into two or more dwelling units or into shared or public areas of a multi-unit building, hallways, basements, laundry rooms, and similar common spaces.
The code also restricts moving contaminated belongings: furniture, clothing, equipment, or personal property found to be vermin- or insect-infested can't be relocated out of the unit without sign-off from the Director of Health or the Superintendent of Building Inspection and Regulation, a rule meant to stop an infestation from spreading to a new address. 31; a recipient has seven days to request an appeal hearing, and the department can act immediately without notice if it finds an emergency threatening public health. 32.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 94.04, letting an infestation continue, or moving infested belongings without health department sign-off, is a strict-liability offense under § 94.99(I) and generally a third-degree misdemeanor. Failing to correct conditions after a § 94.31 notice adds administrative charges and fines that the City can certify as a lien against the property, collected the same way as unpaid taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who's responsible for rodent control in an Akron apartment building?
Can I just throw out infested furniture on my own in Akron?
What happens if I ignore a City notice to fix a rodent problem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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