Akron, OH Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum heat
- 68°F when outside is below 60°F
- Water heater minimum
- 110°F at every fixture
- Minimum floor space
- 150 sq ft plus 100 per occupant
- Enforcing office
- Housing Inspector, Dept. of Neighborhood Assistance
- First violation fine
- Up to $200 administrative penalty
- Appeals body
- Seven-member Housing Appeals Board
Summary
Akron's Environmental Health Housing Code, §§ 150.07 through 150.12, sets the minimum equipment and condition standards every dwelling unit must meet: a working kitchen sink, a bathroom with hot and cold water, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and heat capable of holding 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The Housing Inspector in the Department of Neighborhood Assistance enforces the code and can order repairs, condemn units, or seek demolition.
G.Water Heating. Each dwelling unit shall be supplied with water-heating facilities, in safe working condition, and capable of heating water to such a temperature as to supply water to every connected kitchen sink, lavatory basin, bathtub, or shower at a temperature of not less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. ... E.Heating Facilities.1.Every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining an average temperature of sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit in all habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and water closet compartments when the outdoor temperature is below sixty degrees Fahrenheit.2.The owner or operator in charge of a dwelling, who rents or leases any dwelling unit therein under an agreement, express or implied, to supply or furnish heat to the occupants thereof, shall supply heat adequate to maintain an inside temperature of not less than sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit for each hour of the entire twenty-four-hour period of each day in all habitable rooms, bathrooms, water closet compartments, and kitchens, whenever the outside temperature falls below sixty degrees Fahrenheit.
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
07 bars anyone from owning, operating, occupying, or letting out a dwelling that fails to meet the chapter's requirements. 08 lists minimum fixtures: a kitchen sink, a private bathroom with a flush water closet and lavatory, a bathtub or shower connected to hot and cold water, water heated to at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit, rubbish and garbage storage, and smoke alarms outside every sleeping area on every story, including basements. 09 sets light, ventilation, and heat minimums: habitable rooms need window area equal to at least eight percent of floor area, four percent of it operable, and every dwelling unit must have heating facilities that can hold an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit in habitable rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms whenever the outdoor temperature drops below 60 degrees.
and 65 degrees overnight. 11 sets minimum floor space, at least 150 square feet for the first occupant and 100 more for each additional occupant, plus a 7-foot-6-inch ceiling height for at least half of every habitable room. 12 splits maintenance duty: owners keep common areas and vacant units sanitary, while occupants maintain the space they control and dispose of their own garbage. 04.
Violations & Fines
A Housing Code violation draws an administrative penalty under § 150.03, up to $200 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for a third or later offense, on top of criminal charges under § 150.99: a third-degree misdemeanor with mandatory minimum fines starting at $50 for a first conviction and climbing to a $500 fine plus 10 days in jail for a third prior conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature must an Akron landlord keep a rental at?
Does Akron require smoke alarms in rental housing?
Who inspects rental housing conditions in Akron?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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