Akron, OH Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty holder
- Abutting property owner or occupant
- Appeal window
- 7 days after notice
- Appeal authority
- Director of Neighborhood Assistance
- City repair charge
- Cost of work plus $200 admin fee
- Criminal penalty
- Minor misdemeanor, §98.99(A)
Summary
Akron law puts sidewalk upkeep on the abutting property owner: § 98.01(A)(1) says no owner or occupant may fail to keep sidewalks and aprons in repair and free of nuisance. Under §98.011, the city can order repairs, and owners get just seven days to appeal that notice.
1. No owner or occupant of abutting lands shall fail to keep the sidewalks and aprons in repair and free from snow, ice, or any nuisance. ... The owner receiving a notice and order to repair, maintain and/or clear a sidewalk shall have seven days after personal service, mailing or posting, whichever occurs first, to appeal. The appeal must be in writing, specifically state objections and be filed with the Director of Neighborhood Assistance or his or her designee.
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
01(A)(1) places the repair duty squarely on the property owner or occupant: no owner or occupant of abutting land may fail to keep the sidewalks and aprons in repair and free from snow, ice, or any nuisance. 011. 011(A), the Director of Neighborhood Assistance, the Director of Health, or their designees must give written notice to the property owner (or, if the owner is not in possession, to the lessee or occupant) describing the violation and ordering repair, maintenance, or clearing within a reasonable, specified time.
That notice must be served personally, or if personal service fails, by posting at the property and mailing to both the dwelling address and the address the County Auditor uses for the property's tax bill. 011(B) gives the owner exactly seven days after service, mailing, or posting, whichever happens first, to file a written appeal stating specific objections with the Director of Neighborhood Assistance; the Director then holds a hearing, and that decision is final. 99.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a §98.01(A)(1) repair duty triggers §98.011's notice-and-appeal process rather than an immediate charge: only after the seven-day appeal window and the compliance deadline pass does the city step in. At that point the owner owes the full cost of the city's repair work plus a $200 administrative charge per notice, and a separate criminal violation is punishable as a minor misdemeanor under §98.99(A).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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