Municipal Codes explain the rules that area residents are obligated to follow. They can include information such as when a landlord is responsible for utilities and trash pick-up, how much floor space is required per occupant (occupancy standards), and what health and safety standards are required in your area.

Akron Environmental Health & Housing Code

Kent Environmental Health and Housing Code

Summit County Environmental Health and Housing Code

Some municipalities (cities, counties, etc.) provide health inspection services of rental properties to tenants. These services are free. Typically, if inspectors deem any conditions in a rental property to be hazardous, they will contact the landlord and give them a deadline to correct the conditions.

Contact your local city or county to see if they provide an inspection service.

These are a few agencies that provide inspections:

Akron Department of Neighborhood Assistance: Housing Division – 330.375.2366 ext-0

Summit County Public Health – 330.926.5600

Kent Building Dept (Single-family Dwellings) – 330.678.8107

Kent Building Dept (Multi-family Dwellings) – 330.678.8100 ext-2

Ravenna Inspections (Bob Finney, City Engineer) – 330.296.5666

Stark County Health Department – 330.493.9904

Foreclosure is the legal process a bank uses to repossess a home when the owner doesn’t make payments. If a landlord stops making those mortgage payments, the bank may foreclose on your landlord, and a tenant could be forced out of their home.

Should I pay rent to the new owner?
Yes. If you can identify the new owner, you should continue to pay rent to the new owner to avoid eviction.

See the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s “Renters in Foreclosure Toolkit”.

For more information or to see if you are eligible for legal assistance, contact Ohio Legal Service (1.866.529.6446).

If you need additional help locating the appropriate resources, contact Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office (1.800.282.0515)

Some counties provide this information online.

Summit County Fiscal Office
Note: When searching by address, do not include “St”, “Rd”, “Ave” etc, or “East”, “West”, etc.

Community Legal Aid
Community Legal Aid (CLA) is a non-profit corporation governed by local lawyers, members of the client community and others concerned about equal access to justice. They are devoted to providing free, high-quality civil legal services to eligible clients.

Community Legal Aid serves the following Ohio counties: Columbiana, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Wayne.

Phone: 330.983.2528
Online application form
communitylegalaid.org

Akron Bar Association
Akron Bar Association gives free legal advice over the phone every 2nd and 4th Friday of every month from 9:00am-11:00am. The also offer 30 minute consultations for $30 provide lawyer referral services.

Phone: 330.253.5038
akronbar.org

Medina County Fair Housing
Phone: 330.722.9293
medinaco.org/fair-housing

Ohio Legal Rights Services
Ohio Legal Rights Services (OLRS) is the state protection and advocacy system for Ohioans with disabilities.

Phone: 614.466.7264 or 1.800.282.9181
disabilityrightsohio.org

Portage County Bar Association
Phone: 330.296.6357
portagecountybar.org

Stark County Bar Association
Phone: 330.453.0685
starkctybar.com

Contact your city or county health department to inquire about any citations that may have been issued against a landlord. Having some of the following information with you may be helpful when you make your request:

• Landlord’s full name or company name
• Address of property
• Landlord’s phone number or mailing address

Check with your local Health Department regarding registration requirements for landlords. The Health Department should be able to inform you as to whether a landlord has registered their property with them. Having some of the following information with you may be helpful when you make your request:

• Landlord’s full name or company name
• Address of property
• Landlord’s phone number or mailing address

You can see if a landlord has registered a property as a rental by searching the Summit County Fiscal Office website. Note: When searching by address, do not include “St”, “Rd”, “Ave” etc, or “East”, “West”, etc.

Before signing a lease, tenants should make sure they have a clear understanding of their lease, including the terms and conditions of utility payment.

Tenants should determine if the rental unit has its own utility meter(s) or if there are single meters shared by all units. If you do not have your own meter, ask the landlord how you will be billed for your portion of the utilities.

For any utility account that is not in your name, you may request that the landlord have a copy of the bill mailed to you so that you may know the exact cost and the amount used. It is helpful to have this included in the lease.

State law prohibits landlords from making a profit on billing tenants for utilities.

Water
A water utility account is required to be in the landlord’s name.

Contact the City of Akron Utilities Business Office for information regarding service and billing of water, sewer, refuse collection and recycling pick-up.

Gas
If you are a new customer’s there is no set-up fee. No credit check is required.

Dominion Energy
Phone: 1.800.363.7557
dominionenergy.com

Electric
Ohio Edison/First Energy
Phone: 1.800.633.4766
firstenergycorp.com