Akron Voters Cut Renter Move-In Fees

Renters in Akron will no longer pay application fees and can split security deposits into installments, pending council rules and a threatened lawsuit.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Apartments

Live Poll

Should Akron ban application fees and let renters pay deposits over time?

Akron voters approved Issues 11 and 12 on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, two charter amendments that change housing rules for renters. Issue 11 eliminates application fees and lets renters pay security deposits in installments of three or six months, while Issue 12 treats criminal history as a protected class in housing.

Why it matters

For Akron renters, the measures could lower the upfront cost of moving, since application fees are removed and deposits can be spread over several months. Issue 12 would also prevent landlords from turning away applicants solely because of a past criminal record. Opponents, including real estate associations, the Greater Akron Chamber, and Mayor Shammas Malik, have said they plan to sue to stop the measures from taking effect.

Issue 11 passed 58-42 percent and Issue 12 passed 51-49 percent with all but one precinct reporting. A renter interviewed in Highland Square cited about $1,200 a month as the price of a decent apartment.

The players

Greater Akron Chamber

A regional business advocacy group whose president and CEO, Steve Millard, opposed the housing measures.

Shammas Malik

The mayor of Akron, who opposed Issues 11 and 12.

Freedom BLOC

The group whose signature drive placed Issues 11 and 12 on the Akron ballot.

The details

Issues 11 and 12 are charter amendments, which change Akron's governing document rather than a standard ordinance. The measures reached the ballot after Freedom BLOC collected the required signatures. Because they are charter amendments, City Council must now write legislation to put them into practice, and Steve Millard, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber, hopes council will bring stakeholders together to get the best possible language in that legislation.

Akron voters approved Issues 11 and 12 on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
City Council will write implementing legislation after the approval.

The Home Front

Akron's approach joins a growing set of local efforts to lower the upfront costs of renting, a pattern in which cities target application fees and deposits rather than monthly rent. The measures also extend housing protections to people with criminal records, placing Akron among cities that treat that history as a housing-access issue.

If you are a renter in Akron, check whether your next application or lease will include an application fee and whether a security deposit can be paid in installments once the measures take effect. If you have a criminal record, know that Issue 12 would bar housing discrimination based on that history, but watch for council's implementing rules before assuming the protection applies to your situation.

The takeaway

The core household insight is that Issues 11 and 12 could change the upfront cost and screening rules of renting in Akron, but their effect depends on the legislation City Council writes and on the outcome of the announced lawsuit. Keep a copy of your rental application and any deposit agreement, since those documents will show what fees and terms applied when you moved in.

What happens next

City Council will write the legislation that puts Issues 11 and 12 into practice, and opponents have said they plan to sue to stop the measures from taking effect.