Living in or near a rental property in disrepair? Here's what you can do

Doug Livingston, Akron Beacon Journal
·4 min read
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The paint and plaster around the window at the top of this Akron tenant’s staircase is chipped off and busted up.
The paint and plaster around the window at the top of this Akron tenant’s staircase is chipped off and busted up.

Help is available if you are a tenant or a neighbor of a rental house where the owner has refused to address anything from tall grass, trash or missing gutters to broken windows, water leaks and more.

Neighbors can call the police at 911 for criminal activity or 311 so a housing inspector can document unsafe or unsanitary conditions. Renters should never stop paying rent, which is grounds for an eviction, unless the landlord has been served with a list of repairs and fails to address them. Only then, after the tenant goes to court, can rent be put in an escrow account and withheld from the landlord until the situation improves.

Below are three ways tenants and neighbors can hold property owners in their neighborhoods accountable for the upkeep of rental and other units.

How can I get a house inspected or file a housing complaint?

The Akron Department of Neighborhood Assistance takes housing complaints over the phone, in person or online.

The form can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/sbs5dncy. Once filled out, email the form to HousingCodeComplaints@akronohio.gov or return it to the Department of Neighborhood Assistance, 166 S. High St., 8th Floor, Akron, OH 44308.

Residents also are encouraged to report violations by calling 311 or 330-375-2366.

Inspectors will investigate and, if violations are confirmed, give property owners time to address the issues. If that deadline is not met, the Housing Compliance Division will coordinate with the Law Department on potential legal action, including fines and mandatory inspections.

For more information, including links to housing resources for landlords and tenants, visit the website for the Department of Neighborhood Assistance at tinyurl.com/4nwt27kf.

How do I escrow my rent?

Do not withhold rent until a judge approves it. Only tenants who are current on their rent payments can begin the process of escrowing their rent with a court, which can include lowering the monthly rent payment due to poor living conditions.

In Akron, the process is detailed on the Akron Municipal Court's website at tinyurl.com/4wmm79yz. The following is a shortened version of the necessary steps:

  • Sign and date a list of needed repairs and give it to your landlord. If in person, bring a witness. If by mail, make it certified so you have proof of delivery. Keep copies to file later with the court. Tell your landlord that you intend to escrow your rent if major issues like lack of heat in the winter, no running water or no hot water or electricity aren't resolved in five days or all other repairs in 30 days.

  • Request a housing inspector (see above) or call Summit County Public Health at 330-926-5600 to get someone to investigate and document the situation. Inspections are free.

  • Continue to pay rent. If the problems still aren't resolved after five or 30 days, depending on the situation, go to the Civil Clerk's Office at the Akron Municipal Court, 217 S. High St., before the next month's rent is due. Bring the full amount of the next month’s rent, a copy of the dated and signed notice to your landlord and certified mail receipts. Fill out an Application to Deposit Rent.

Once rent is escrowed, it may only be released to the landlord or tenant for repairs. Funds may not be released to pay property taxes. If the landlord does not make all repairs in a reasonable time, a judge may award the tenant the balance of the escrow account, at which point the tenant may find another place to live.

How can I complain about an unsafe property or activity in the neighborhood?

When it comes to housing complaints in Akron, residents generally have two options: Go to the city’s 311 call center or go to the police.

Both have different avenues to get property owners to comply with the rules, either through education or by hitting their wallets.

Criminal activity should be directed at police, while housing code issues should go to 311. Residents should only call 911 in emergencies.

The city of Akron receives about 4,000 complaints of tall grass and 1,500 housing complaints annually.

Calls to 911 or routed to police after being received by 311 are then assigned by police commanders to Neighborhood Response Teams who investigate. If confirmed, the city may cite the property and its owners for a violation of the city's nuisance ordinance.

There are 17 criminal violations in the ordinance that range from loud music and assaults to criminal damaging and weapons violations. If there are three or more of those violations in a six-month period, a property can be declared a nuisance.

More: What can you do about a nuisance house in your Akron neighborhood?

Reach reporter Doug Livingston at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What to do in Akron if your landlord won't make repairs