Moving into a new rental involves dozens of tasks happening at once. Utility setup is the one that causes the most problems when it's overlooked — because unlike forgetting to forward your mail, walking into a dark, cold apartment on move-in day is immediately disruptive.
This guide is specific to the Greater Cleveland area, including Akron, Garfield Heights, and Cleveland proper. It covers every utility you'll need to set up, who the providers are, how to contact them, how much to expect for deposits, and when to start the process.
Utility providers in the Cleveland area typically need 3–5 business days to establish new service. During busy periods (beginning of the month when many people move), processing can take longer.
The goal: Have all utilities active the day you move in. Work backwards from your move-in date and contact providers at least a week before.
If you're moving in on the 1st of the month, start the process on the 22nd–24th of the previous month. Don't wait until move-in week.
Before you call anyone, read your lease.
Utility responsibility varies by property. Some Cleveland rentals include certain utilities in the rent (common for water/sewer in multi-unit buildings). Others require tenants to set up and pay for everything.
Typical setups by property type:
| Property Type | Usually Included in Rent | Usually Tenant's Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family house | Nothing | Electric, gas, water, internet, trash |
| Multi-unit building | Water/sewer, sometimes trash | Electric, gas, internet |
| Apartment in converted home | Water/sewer | Electric, gas, internet |
When in doubt, ask your landlord or property manager before your first call to a utility company.
Provider: Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI), a FirstEnergy company, serves Cleveland, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, and most of Cuyahoga County.
Akron: Ohio Edison (also FirstEnergy) serves most of Summit County including Akron.
How to start service:
Call: 1-800-633-4766 (FirstEnergy residential service)
Online: firstenergycorp.com → Start/Stop/Transfer Service
You'll need:
Deposits: FirstEnergy may require a deposit for new customers with no established history, or those with previous outstanding balances. Typical deposits range from $100–$200 for residential service. Deposits are refunded with interest after 12 consecutive on-time payments.
Average monthly costs (Cleveland, 2026 estimates):
Budget Alert: Cleveland summers get hot, and air conditioners drive electric bills up significantly — often doubling your baseline — in July and August. Budget accordingly.
Provider: Dominion Energy Ohio serves the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and most of Northeast Ohio including Garfield Heights and parts of Akron.
Note: Some properties use electric heat only (no gas service). Verify with your landlord before calling.
How to start service:
Call: 1-800-362-7557
Online: dominionenergy.com → Manage Account → Start Service
You'll need:
Deposits: Dominion may require a deposit for new customers. Typical amounts: $50–$150 for residential service. Waived with strong credit history or if you can provide a letter of credit from a previous utility account.
Average monthly costs (Greater Cleveland, 2026 estimates):
| Month Range | Typical Monthly Gas Bill |
|---|---|
| June – August | $20–$40 |
| September / October | $50–$90 |
| November – March | $100–$200 (higher in older, less-insulated homes) |
| April / May | $50–$90 |
The Cleveland Winter Reality: Gas costs in January and February in Northeast Ohio can be substantially higher than these estimates for older homes with inefficient furnaces or poor insulation. Before signing a lease, ask your landlord what the average winter gas bill was for the unit in the past year. An honest landlord will tell you.
Water/sewer billing varies by city and property type. This is the most common utility to be included in rent — but not always.
Provider: Cleveland Division of Water
Phone: (216) 664-3130
Online: clevelandwater.com
Water accounts in Cleveland are typically held in the property owner's (landlord's) name. In single-family homes, the tenant may be responsible — confirm with your landlord.
If you need to establish service: You'll typically need to visit in person at 1201 Lakeside Avenue or call to set up an account.
Deposit: May be required for new residential accounts. Typically $40–$80.
Water service in Garfield Heights is provided by the Garfield Heights Division of Water or in some cases through Cleveland Water depending on location. Contact your landlord to determine who bills water for your specific address.
Garfield Heights City Services: (216) 475-1200
Water in Akron is billed by the City of Akron Utilities Division.
Phone: (330) 375-2554
Online: akronohio.gov/water
Water accounts in Akron are often billed to tenants of single-family homes. Multi-unit buildings typically have landlord-paid water.
Trash pickup is a city service in most Cleveland-area municipalities. You typically don't need to set up an account — but you do need to know your schedule and the rules.
Cleveland provides weekly curbside trash and recycling pickup.
Find your pickup day: clevelandohio.gov/node/1163 (address lookup tool)
Bulk trash pickup: Free curbside pickup for large items — schedule online or call 216-664-2282
Recycling: Cleveland's blue recycling bins accept paper, cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, and metal cans. Check the city's recycling guide for accepted materials.
Trash carts: Cleveland uses city-issued 96-gallon or 64-gallon carts. Your rental should have one. If it doesn't, contact Public Works at (216) 664-2282.
Garfield Heights provides curbside trash pickup on a set weekly schedule. Contact Garfield Heights City Hall at (216) 475-1200 to confirm your pickup day.
Recycling: Cuyahoga County provides recycling drop-off options at various locations. Check cuyahogacounty.gov/recyclingdropoff for the nearest site.
Akron uses a blue-lid recycling cart system alongside standard trash pickup. Your pickup day is address-dependent.
Akron Public Works: (330) 375-2470
Online: akronohio.gov/solidwaste
You're responsible for setting up your own internet. There's no account to transfer — you'll create a new account with your chosen provider.
Major providers in the Cleveland area:
Spectrum (Charter Communications)
Most widely available across Cleveland, Akron, Garfield Heights, and suburbs.
Call: 1-833-267-6094
Online: spectrum.com
Installation: Schedule 5–10 days out
Plans: Starting around $49.99/month; gigabit speeds around $89.99/month
AT&T Internet (Fiber where available)
Expanding in Cleveland and select areas. Fiber is significantly faster and more reliable than cable where available.
Call: 1-855-220-5211
Online: att.com/internet
Check availability first — not all addresses have fiber access yet.
T-Mobile Home Internet
5G-based home internet, no installation appointment needed. Works well in most Cleveland-area locations.
Online: t-mobile.com/home-internet
Monthly rate: Flat $50/month with AutoPay, no contracts
Low-income options:
If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or other qualifying benefits, you may be eligible for:
Use this checklist to confirm everything is set up before move-in day:
One week before move-in:
Move-in day:
First week:
Most utility accounts for the electric and gas services you're responsible for will be in your name. This matters:
Why it helps you: You build a utility payment history. When you move to your next rental, utility companies use this history to waive or reduce deposits. It also shows future landlords you're responsible.
When accounts are in the landlord's name: Some landlords keep utilities in their name and bill you separately (common with multi-unit buildings where utilities aren't individually metered). This is legal but means you're not building that payment history. Also — make sure you understand how billing works and confirm you're not being charged more than actual utility costs.
Warning sign: A landlord who insists utilities stay in their name for a single-family home, or who can't clearly explain how utilities are billed, is worth asking more questions.
Sometimes a previous tenant hasn't terminated service, or the landlord kept service running. Don't assume it'll stay on under the previous account — it may get shut off without notice.
Contact the utility company, confirm the address, and establish a new account in your name starting on your move-in date. This transfers billing to you and ensures continuity of service.
| Utility | Provider | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric (Cleveland/Cuyahoga) | FirstEnergy / CEI | 1-800-633-4766 | firstenergycorp.com |
| Electric (Akron/Summit) | Ohio Edison | 1-800-633-4766 | firstenergycorp.com |
| Gas | Dominion Energy Ohio | 1-800-362-7557 | dominionenergy.com |
| Water (Cleveland) | Cleveland Division of Water | (216) 664-3130 | clevelandwater.com |
| Water (Akron) | City of Akron Utilities | (330) 375-2554 | akronohio.gov/water |
| Trash (Cleveland) | Cleveland Public Works | (216) 664-2282 | clevelandohio.gov |
| Trash (Garfield Heights) | Garfield Heights City Hall | (216) 475-1200 | garfieldhts.org |
| Trash (Akron) | Akron Public Works | (330) 375-2470 | akronohio.gov |
| Internet (Cable) | Spectrum | 1-833-267-6094 | spectrum.com |
| Internet (Fiber) | AT&T | 1-855-220-5211 | att.com/internet |
| Internet (5G) | T-Mobile Home | — | t-mobile.com/home-internet |
We provide new tenants with a utility setup guide specific to their property at move-in. We confirm which utilities are the tenant's responsibility, provide the relevant account numbers or service addresses where needed, and help coordinate the transition.
If you have questions about utilities for a specific property, call us at (216) 480-4166 or visit our contact page.
Browse our current available homes at /rentals. More tenant resources at our tenant resource center — including our complete Cleveland moving checklist and what to know before signing a lease in Cleveland.
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