Under Nádasdy's command, Csányi served as steward (bailiff) of Kanizsa lordship (at least from 1549), which was one of the most important strongholds in southern Hungary, along with Szigetvár. Csányi operated and maintained an extensive spy network in the surrounding area (at Upper Balaton, including Babócsa and Sümeg), tracing the movement of Turkish troops at the border. The two stewards, Ákos Csányi and Jakab Szele supervised the reinforcement works of the castle of Kanizsa since the late 1550s. During that time the town and the castle were also in their prime since the first half of the 16th century, when Kanizsa became a centre of trade with Italy and Styria. Csányi resided in Kanizsa in 1566, when the Fall of Szigetvár occurred. Historian Irén Bilkei argued Csányi functioned as steward until 1568, when the castle became a royal property after a possession contract with Nádasdy's widow Orsolya Kanizsai. Csányi was last mentioned by contemporary sources in that year, when he appeared as an eyewitness during a lawsuit on murder charges against one of his serfs. A charter issued by the Vasvár Chapter in 1575 referred to Csányi as a deceased person. He had a daughter Orsolya, who married Gábor Sitkey, and two sons Mátyás and Gábor.