Akron, Ohio STR Market Report 2026: Revenue, Rates, Rules

Thomas Garner
6 days ago
13 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Empty downtown Akron Ohio brick street, no people

Typical Akron listings earned about $13,337 last year, from 309 active rentals, according to AirROI's August 2025 through July 2026 extract. The average nightly rate was $132, occupancy ran 39.0 percent, and revenue per available night landed at $53. Both numbers moved the wrong direction year over year: revenue is down 6.1 percent even as active supply grew 39.8 percent, meaning more listings are splitting a shrinking pool of bookings. That combination is the single most useful fact in this report for anyone deciding whether to add a unit to the Akron market this year.

What $13,337 a Year Actually Buys You in Akron

A $132 average nightly rate sounds modest next to bigger Ohio markets, and it is. At 39.0 percent occupancy, that rate produces roughly $53 in revenue per available night across the calendar, which is the number that matters more than ADR alone because it accounts for the nights a listing sits empty. Supply grew nearly 40 percent over the same period revenue fell, so the math for a new host is not just "can I hit $132 a night" but "can I hit occupancy in a market that just got a lot more crowded." Hosts weighing whether Akron pencils out should read the full Akron STR startup cost breakdown before committing capital.

Break that $53 RevPAR figure down to a nightly decision and the strategy gets clearer: a host is not pricing to hit $132 every night, they are pricing to cover roughly 39 nights out of every 100 available and letting the rest carry the loss of an empty calendar day. That is the arithmetic behind why occupancy, not headline rate, decides whether a listing clears its costs. A host who chases a higher ADR without watching occupancy can end up with a prettier number on paper and a worse RevPAR in practice.

The 39.8 percent supply growth against a 6.1 percent revenue decline also says something about timing. New listings coming online now are entering a market where the existing 309 rentals are already splitting a smaller pool of bookings than they were a year ago, so a host opening in 2026 is not just competing against last year's field, they are competing against a field that grew by roughly four in ten while total dollars available shrank. That is the context worth weighing before assuming Akron's lower price point makes it an easy entry market.

Who Is Actually Running These 309 Listings

Superhost status covers 56.6 percent of Akron's active listings, which is a high share and suggests most hosts here have been doing this long enough to earn it. Professional management, by contrast, covers only 6.8 percent of the market, with Jessica Rattray's five-listing portfolio among the largest single operators. Entire-home listings make up 72.5 percent of supply, and guests typically book 28 days out for a stay averaging 6.8 nights. Nearly a quarter of the market, 74 listings or 23.9 percent, has moved to a 30-night minimum, which pulls those units out of the traditional short-stay pool entirely. Hosts deciding whether to self-manage or outsource should compare notes with DIY versus hiring help for an Akron rental.

The gap between 56.6 percent Superhost status and 6.8 percent professional management tells a host what kind of competitive set they are actually entering. Most of Akron's listings are run by individual hosts who have put in enough nights and enough reviews to earn Superhost status themselves, not by management companies operating at scale. That means a new host is not competing against polished, professionally staffed operations so much as against experienced independent owners who know their own calendars and their own guests well.

The 23.9 percent of listings now sitting at a 30-night minimum is worth separating out from the rest of the market entirely. Those 74 units are not competing for the same weekend and short-stay bookings that make up most of Akron's demand; they have effectively moved into a different rental category. A host studying occupancy or ADR benchmarks should keep that distinction in mind, since blending long-stay listings into short-stay comparisons will understate what a true weekend rental needs to earn to compete.

August, May, and October Carry the Calendar

August is Akron's strongest month, with May and October also outperforming the rest of the year. That leaves a predictable revenue hole in February and the weakest occupancy of the year in January, so a host building a pricing calendar should expect to work harder to fill winter nights than to fill August ones. The three-peak pattern tracks with outdoor season around Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the return of cooler fall weekends, not with any single festival or event. For a month-by-month breakdown of how to price around this shape, see Akron's shoulder season strategy for August, May, and October.

A host planning around this shape should treat the three peak months as the time to hold rate and the winter stretch as the time to protect occupancy instead. That means building a calendar where August, May, and October carry premium pricing while January and February lean on lower rates, minimum-stay flexibility, or off-season promotions to keep the unit from sitting empty. Waiting until the slow months arrive to react is later than the data suggests a host should start planning.

The seasonal pattern also lines up with what draws people to the Akron area in the first place. Warm-weather months bring the towpath trails and outdoor activity around Cuyahoga Valley National Park into play, and the October bump tracks with fall color season rather than any single ticketed event. A listing description that leans into that seasonal draw during the shoulder months, and pivots toward downtown Akron's indoor attractions like Stan Hywet Hall for the colder months, gives guests a reason to book even outside the three peak months.

Where Akron's Guests Come From

Most guests booking an Akron stay list Akron itself as their origin city, with Columbus a close second. That local-and-regional guest base, combined with a 28-day average lead time, points toward a market driven by weekend trips and short getaways rather than long-haul vacation planning. Understanding that guest profile matters for how a listing gets photographed and described, since a Columbus family driving up for a weekend wants different things highlighted than a cross-country vacationer would. The full guest-origin breakdown lives in who books an Akron rental.

A 28-day average lead time is short enough that a host cannot rely on early bookings to fill a calendar the way a destination market with months-long planning windows can. That means pricing and availability need to stay current close to the stay date, since a meaningful share of bookings will come in under a month out. A host who sets rates once at the start of the season and leaves them untouched is leaving the flexibility that a short lead-time market rewards on the table.

The Akron-and-Columbus guest mix also connects back to the 6.8-night average stay: this is not a market of one-night business travelers passing through, it is regional visitors settling in for the better part of a week. That combination points toward amenities and messaging built around a longer, more relaxed visit, rather than the quick-turnover conveniences a one- or two-night market would prioritize.

Registering a Short-Term Rental in Akron Under the matching section above

Akron's Title 11 the matching section above (municode 111.622) requires an annual short-term rental registration certificate before a unit can operate or be advertised anywhere, including on hosting platforms. The application carries a non-refundable $250 fee, and certificates are valid for one calendar year, renewing by January 31. Operators must also carry proof of at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance and separately register the property as a rental unit under Section 150.30. The certificate has to be displayed inside the unit and referenced in the listing itself. The Housing Division can be reached at 330-375-2366, with rental registration handled at extension 2694; zoning questions go to 330-375-2350 or zoning@akronohio.gov, and the registration portal is at rentalregistry.akronohio.gov. Full step-by-step registration details are in Akron's short-term rental rules guide.

For a host getting started, the practical order of operations follows the code: apply for the the matching section above certificate and pay the $250 non-refundable fee, separately register the property as a rental unit under Section 150.30, secure the $1,000,000 general liability policy the city requires, then display the certificate inside the unit and reference it in the listing before advertising anywhere. Skipping the Section 150.30 rental registration because the the matching section above certificate is already in hand is a common gap, since the two are separate filings under separate code sections.

Because the certificate expires and renews by January 31 each year, it is worth building the renewal into whatever calendar a host already uses for slow-season pricing changes described above. A lapsed certificate does not just risk a compliance problem, it also means the listing may not legally be advertised on hosting platforms until it is renewed, which turns a paperwork delay into lost winter bookings during the very months a host can least afford to sit empty.

Akron's 3 Percent Excise Tax and What Still Needs Confirming

Chapter 104, the matching section above of Akron's code levies a 3 percent short-term rental excise tax on gross revenues under Ordinance 302-2022. Hosts should confirm the tax's remaining 2026 status directly with the Housing Division, since ordinance details can shift year to year. Separately, any operator running the rental as a business should confirm Ohio's commercial activity tax rate with the state Department of Taxation rather than assume a figure. One data quirk worth flagging: AirROI's scrape shows 0 percent of Akron listings as "licensed," but that reflects a gap in AirROI's data collection, not an actual finding about the city's enforcement posture, and it should never be read as Akron's official registration compliance rate. Hosts weighing compliance costs against expected demand can cross-reference the visitor and tax picture in Akron tourism data for STR hosts.

A host budgeting for the year should treat the 3 percent excise tax as a cost that sits on top of, not instead of, whatever state-level tax obligations apply. The excise tax is specific to short-term rental gross revenue under Ordinance 302-2022, while the commercial activity tax question is a separate matter tied to whether the operator is running the rental as a registered business, and the two should not be assumed to be the same line item.

The AirROI licensing figure is worth flagging specifically because a host comparing markets could easily misread it. A 0 percent licensed reading looks like an enforcement gap or a market where nobody bothers registering, but it is a limitation in how AirROI collects that particular data point, not evidence about actual compliance in Akron. Hosts should treat their own registration status, not a third-party data platform's licensing field, as the source of truth for whether they are operating legally.

How Akron Compares to Cleveland, an Hour North

Cleveland is a different market entirely, and its numbers should never be blended into an Akron forecast. Cleveland listings earned about $17,631 typical annual revenue last year across 1,918 active listings, more than six times Akron's listing count. That scale difference alone explains most of the revenue gap; it is not a sign that Akron is underperforming so much as evidence that Akron is a smaller, more locally-driven market with a different guest base and a tighter supply. Hosts curious how the two cities actually stack up feature-by-feature can read Akron versus Cleveland, two different STR desks.

The practical takeaway for a host is not that Cleveland is the better market, it is that the two markets answer different questions. Cleveland's 1,918 listings mean more competition for any single booking, but also a larger, more diversified guest pool and a market less dependent on any one demand driver. Akron's smaller footprint of 309 listings means less competition for attention, but also a revenue ceiling shaped by a more concentrated, regional guest base built around events like the ones already covered in Akron's own calendar.

A host who owns or is considering a property in both markets should resist averaging the two together for planning purposes. Cleveland's $17,631 typical annual revenue and Akron's $13,337 are two separate answers to two separate underwriting questions, and treating them as a single regional number would misstate what either property alone is likely to earn.

What's Driving Demand Near Akron

Cuyahoga Valley National Park sits just outside the city and is the region's biggest visitor draw; the National Park Service counted 2,860,059 visitors in 2023, the most recent year with a confirmed figure. Downtown Akron, Stan Hywet Hall, and the Goodyear Airdock round out the landmarks guests search for when planning a trip. None of these attractions have public occupancy data attached to them, so they should be treated as demand drivers and content angles for a listing description, not as a source for revenue projections. A full rundown of what pulls visitors into the area is in the complete visitor's guide to Akron.

Hosts underwriting a Cuyahoga Valley stay should build their year around the real Akron numbers: $13,337 typical annual revenue on 309 listings, a supply base that grew nearly 40 percent while revenue fell, and a calendar that peaks in August and bottoms out in February. Cleveland and Millersburg are useful comparison points, not inputs to blend into this market's forecast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a typical Akron short-term rental earn per year?

AirROI's August 2025 through July 2026 extract puts typical Akron listings at about $13,337 in annual revenue across 309 active rentals. That works out to a $132 average nightly rate at 39.0 percent occupancy, or roughly $53 in revenue per available night. Revenue is down 6.1 percent year over year even as active listings grew 39.8 percent, so per-listing earnings are being squeezed by new supply.

Why did Akron's occupancy and revenue drop while listing count grew?

Active supply rose 39.8 percent over the past year, adding hundreds of new listings competing for a guest pool that did not grow at the same pace. That mismatch shows up directly in the numbers: revenue fell 6.1 percent year over year even though more units came online. Hosts entering the market now should expect more competition for bookings than the raw revenue figures from a year ago would suggest.

What percentage of Akron hosts use professional management?

Only 6.8 percent of Akron's 309 active listings are professionally managed, with Jessica Rattray's five-listing portfolio among the largest operations in the market. The remaining listings are run by independent hosts, and 56.6 percent of the market holds Superhost status, suggesting a fairly experienced host base despite the low professional-management share. That gap is one reason self-managed hosts in Akron have room to differentiate.

Which months should an Akron host expect the strongest bookings?

August is Akron's peak month, with May and October also outperforming the rest of the calendar. Together those three months form the backbone of a typical Akron host's annual revenue. February is the clear revenue low point, and January runs the weakest occupancy of the year, so pricing and marketing should shift toward discounts or extended-stay offers in that winter window rather than holding peak-season rates.

Where do most guests booking an Akron rental come from?

The largest share of Akron bookings comes from guests who list Akron itself as their home city, with Columbus as the second-largest origin market. Average lead time runs about 28 days and typical stays last 6.8 nights, pointing to a regional, short-trip guest base rather than long-haul vacation travelers. Listings aimed at weekend getaways from nearby Ohio cities tend to match this demand pattern best.

Do I need to register my short-term rental with the City of Akron?

Yes. Title 11 the matching section above (municode 111.622) requires an annual short-term rental registration certificate before a unit can operate or be advertised, including on Airbnb or VRBO. The application fee is $250 and non-refundable, and the certificate must be renewed by January 31 each year. Registration questions go to the Housing Division at 330-375-2366, extension 2694, or through the portal at rentalregistry.akronohio.gov.

What insurance does Akron require for short-term rental operators?

Akron requires proof of at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance as part of the short-term rental registration process under Title 11 the matching section above. This is separate from the property's underlying homeowner or landlord policy and must be documented when applying for or renewing the annual registration certificate. Operators should also register the property as a rental unit under Section 150.30, a requirement distinct from the STR certificate itself.

Does Akron tax short-term rental income, and at what rate?

Yes. Chapter 104, the matching section above of Akron's code imposes a 3 percent short-term rental excise tax on gross revenues under Ordinance 302-2022. An earlier figure of 5.5 percent circulating in older materials is incorrect and should not be used. Hosts should confirm the tax's current 2026 status directly with the Housing Division, since municipal ordinances can be amended, and separately confirm any applicable Ohio commercial activity tax with the state Department of Taxation.

How does Akron's STR market compare to Cleveland's?

Cleveland is a substantially larger market, with about $17,631 in typical annual revenue across 1,918 active listings, compared to Akron's $13,337 across 309 listings. That gap mostly reflects scale and a different guest mix rather than Akron underperforming a comparable market; Cleveland's listing count alone is more than six times Akron's. The two markets should be evaluated on separate revenue lines, not blended into one regional average.

What draws visitors to the Akron area, and does it affect rental demand?

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the region's largest visitor draw, with the National Park Service recording 2,860,059 visitors in 2023, the most recent confirmed figure. Downtown Akron, Stan Hywet Hall, and the Goodyear Airdock round out the area's main attractions. None of these have public occupancy data tied to them, so they're best used as content and marketing angles for a listing rather than as a substitute for the actual revenue and occupancy figures in this report.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

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