Akron, OH Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Akron, OH, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Application fee
- $250 nonrefundable
- Renewal deadline
- January 31 annually
- Liability insurance
- $1,000,000 minimum
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Neighborhood Assistance
- Appeal deadline
- 10 days, $15 deposit
- Unregistered penalty
- up to $4,500 per year
Summary
Akron requires every short-term rental operator to register with the city before renting out a unit for stays under 30 days. Operating or advertising an unregistered short-term rental is declared a public safety hazard and a nuisance under Akron City Code, and registration must be renewed annually by January 31 with a $250 fee.
No person shall operate or advertise any short-term rental unit within the City of Akron without first having applied for and received a registration certificate pursuant to this article. The registration certificate of a short-term rental unit must be displayed prominently at the entrance inside of each short-term rental unit and must be included on any advertisement, solicitation, or other posting for the short-term rental on a hosting platform. Any property being used as a short-term rental unit without a registration certificate is a public safety hazard and a nuisance.
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
622. The certificate must be posted prominently inside the unit's entrance and included on every advertisement placed through a hosting platform such as Airbnb or Vrbo. 30, and a signed acknowledgment of the city's anti-discrimination chapter. A $250 nonrefundable application fee accompanies the paperwork. Registrations run for one calendar year and must be renewed by January 31. The city can deny an application for incomplete paperwork, unpaid taxes or utilities, an existing suspension or revocation, three or more prior noncompliance orders in five years, or a prostitution-related conviction tied to the property.
A registration can also be revoked if the rental poses a public-health or safety risk, or if the owner or operator was convicted of violating the article in the prior five years. Anyone cited for a violation may appeal to the Board of Housing Appeals within ten days, with a $15 nonrefundable filing deposit.
Violations & Fines
Renting or advertising without a valid certificate draws escalating administrative fines: up to $100 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third and later offense, plus $100 per week of unregistered operation capped at $4,500 per year. Unpaid penalties are certified to the Summit County Auditor as a special assessment against the property. Violators also face prosecution as a third-degree misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine and sixty days in jail, with mandatory minimum fines of $50 to $500 depending on prior convictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Akron require a permit for Airbnb rentals?
How much does an Akron short-term rental registration cost?
What happens if I operate an unregistered short-term rental in Akron?
Who has to be listed as the responsible person on the application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
How Akron compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Akron to another location·View the Ohio short-term rentals overview
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