Question 1

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No maximum. Indiana's security deposit chapter governs return and deductions but sets no cap on the amount.

Question 2

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Itemized notice of deductions and the balance are due within 45 days after the lease ends and possession is delivered.

Question 3

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Reasonable written or oral notice of intent to enter (no fixed hours in the statute), at reasonable times; no notice needed in an emergency.

Question 4

How much notice does a landlord need to give to raise the rent in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Unless a written rental agreement says otherwise, at least 30 days' written notice before modifying the rental agreement (including rent).

Question 5

Can a landlord charge a late fee in Indiana, and how much?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's landlord-tenant law (Ind. Code art. 32-31) sets no late-fee cap; the lease terms control. full-text search of IC 32-31 chapters 1-9 (incl. 2.9), 8.5 and 11; chs. 10 (eviction-action procedure and diversion) and 12 (squatter removal) were also searched.

Question 6

What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

At least 10 days' notice to terminate for unpaid rent, unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays in full before the notice expires.

Question 7

Can cities in Indiana pass rent control?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Local units may not regulate rental rates for private property (or deposits, fees, lease terms and similar matters) unless the General Assembly authorizes it.

Question 8

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month tenancy in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A tenancy at will (month-to-month) may be ended with 1 month's written notice. For periodic tenancies of 3 months or less, notice equal to the rental period is sufficient.

Question 9

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's security deposit chapter (IC 32-31-3) sets no requirement that landlords pay interest on deposits (full-text search of the chapter).

Question 10

Is a move-in or move-out inspection checklist required in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's landlord-tenant statutes (IC 32-31, including the security deposit chapter 32-31-3) require no move-in inspection or condition checklist (full-text search of IC 32-31).

Question 11

Is landlord retaliation illegal in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for protected activity: complaining to a code agency about health or safety violations, complaining in writing to the landlord about violations of IC 32-31-5-6 or 32-31-8-5, suing under IC 32-31-6 or -8, joining a tenants' organization, or testifying against the landlord. Prohibited retaliation includes raising rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction. The landlord may still decline to renew, raise rent to market, or cut services to all tenants equally. Local units may not regulate retaliation.

Question 12

Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Banned. Except by court order, a landlord may not change locks or add devices to exclude the tenant, remove doors, windows, fixtures or appliances, or cut off electricity, gas, water or other essential services (except for emergencies, good-faith repairs or necessary construction). Doesn't apply to abandoned units.

Question 13

What can a tenant do if the landlord won't make repairs in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

After notice and a reasonable time to repair, a tenant may sue to enforce the landlord's maintenance obligations, recovering actual and consequential damages, attorney's fees and injunctive relief.

Question 14

What disclosures must a landlord give tenants in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

At or before the start of the lease, the landlord must disclose in writing the names and addresses of an Indiana-resident manager and an Indiana-resident agent for service and notices.

Question 15

What can a landlord do with property a tenant leaves behind in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

The landlord has no liability for property a tenant abandoned (as a reasonable person would conclude). After winning possession in court, the landlord may get an order allowing removal of the tenant's property to a warehouse or approved storage.

Question 16

Can a tenant break a lease early for domestic violence or military service in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A protected individual (e.g. a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault with a protection or no-contact order) may end a lease with 30 days' written notice. The notice must include the order and, for DV or sexual assault, a safety plan from an accredited program, dated within 30 days and recommending relocation.

Question 17

Is there a grace period before a late fee can be charged in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's landlord-tenant statutes (IC 32-31) set no late-fee grace period or cap (full-text search of IC 32-31).

Question 18

Can the city inspect my rental property in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Cities and counties may run rental inspection programs. Since July 1, 2014, though, they generally can't inspect or charge an inspection fee for a unit managed by a professional real estate manager if it was inspected in the past 12 months by a qualifying agency, lender, insurer or licensed inspector (other conditions apply).

Question 19

What is the domestic violence early termination rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A protected individual, such as a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault with a protection or no-contact order, may end the lease by written notice given at least 30 days before the termination date. Code text: "A protected individual who is a tenant may terminate the protected individual's rights and obligations under a rental agreement by providing the landlord with a written notice of termination."

Question 20

What is the military lease termination (federal scra, all states) rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a tenant may end a residential lease after entering military service, or after getting permanent-change-of-station orders or deployment orders of at least 90 days, by delivering written notice and a copy of the orders to the landlord. For a lease with monthly rent, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of the notice. Any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Code text: "The lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) may, at the lessee's option, terminate the lease at any time after" entering military service, the date of the military orders, or the date of a stop movement order (50 U.S.C. 3955(a)(1)(A)-(C)).

Question 21

What is the property manager licensing rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

In Indiana, no one may, for consideration, lease, rent or manage real estate without a real estate broker license, unless an exemption applies (for example, an owner's own unlicensed employee for the owner's property). Statute text: "sell, buy, trade, exchange, option, lease, rent, manage, list, or appraise real estate or negotiate or offer to perform any of those acts in Indiana or with respect to real estate situated in Indiana, without a license" (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-3-2(a)).

Question 22

Do landlords need a rental license or registration in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana cities and counties may run a rental registration program, but the annual registration fee is capped at $5, and one fee covers all units in a rental unit community. Programs created before July 1, 1984 are excluded from this section. Statute text: "A political subdivision may impose on an owner or landlord of a rental unit an annual registration fee of not more than five dollars ($5)." (Ind. Code § 36-1-20-5).

Question 23

What are the Airbnb / short-term rental rules in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana limits local short-term rental rules: renting out an owner-occupied home short term is a permitted residential use, and local rules may target only listed health, safety, zoning and nuisance purposes. A local permit may be required, with a fee of no more than $150 per permit, which lasts one year. Units with STR ordinances adopted before January 1, 2018 are excluded. Statute text: "A short term rental of owner occupied short term rental property is a permitted residential use under any applicable zoning ordinance of a unit and may not be disallowed by any zoning ordinance" (Ind. Code §§ 36-1-24-8, 36-1-24-10, 36-1-24-13).

Question 24

Does a landlord have to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana requires at least one working smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of a dwelling. The owner, manager or rental agent must install required detectors and repair or replace them within 7 working days of written notice, and the occupant must test them at least every six months. Statute text: "Each owner or the manager or rental agent of the owner is responsible for: (1) the installation of a required smoke detector; and (2) the replacement and repair of a required smoke detector within seven (7) working days after the owner, manager, or rental agent is given written notification" (Ind. Code § 22-11-18-3.5).

Question 25

What is the rental / transient occupancy tax rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana charges its 7% state gross retail (sales) tax on rooms and lodging rented for less than 30 days, including houses, condos and apartments rented as transient housing. Local innkeeper's taxes may add to it. Statute text: "if those rooms, lodgings, or accommodations are rented or furnished for periods of less than thirty (30) days" (Ind. Code §§ 6-2.5-4-4(a), 6-2.5-2-2(a)).

Question 26

What federal protections does a tenant have after foreclosure in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (made permanent in 2018), whoever takes over a home through foreclosure must give a bona fide tenant at least 90 days' notice to vacate. A tenant with a bona fide lease signed before the notice of foreclosure (the date title passes) can stay until the lease ends, unless the unit is sold to a buyer who will live there as a primary residence; that buyer must still give the 90-day notice. Month-to-month and at-will tenants also get the 90 days. A tenancy is bona fide only if the tenant is not the borrower or the borrower's child, spouse or parent, the deal was at arm's length, and the rent is not far below market (unless it is subsidized). State or local laws with longer notice or more protection still apply, and any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Statute text: "the provision, by such successor in interest of a notice to vacate to any bona fide tenant at least 90 days before the effective date of such notice" (Pub. L. 111-22, SEC. 702(a)(1)).

Question 27

How much does it cost to file an eviction in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

An eviction filed as a regular civil action carries a $100 civil costs fee (IC 33-37-4-4(a)). An eviction filed on a small claims docket carries a $35 small claims costs fee plus a $10 service fee for each defendant (IC 33-37-4-6(a)(1)). Additional fees under IC 33-37-5 may apply.

Question 28

What happens to the lease when a tenant dies in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

When an Indiana landlord knows that a tenant who was the sole occupant has died, the landlord must notify the tenant's representative, give that person reasonable access to remove the tenant's belongings (and may require a signed inventory), and pay the representative the security deposit and unearned rent the tenant would have been owed. The representative is, in order of priority, a person the tenant named in writing or in the lease, an attorney in fact, a guardian, an heir, or a person appointed by the probate court. The same steps apply if a sole occupant appears incapacitated and absent. Statute text: "If a landlord knows of the death of a tenant who, at the time of death, was the sole occupant of the dwelling unit under a lease, the landlord:" (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-23(a), (c)).

Question 29

What is the guest & occupancy limits rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana law lets a landlord refuse to rent based on a reasonable occupancy standard. A standard is presumed reasonable if it allows two people per bedroom, does not count infants under 1 year, and also counts a den, library, finished basement or loft that could reasonably be used for sleeping (unless that would break state or local codes). Kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bathrooms, hallways and closets need not be counted. Statute text: "it permits two (2) individuals per bedroom" (Ind. Code § 32-31-8-7).

Question 30

Can a tenant fix something and deduct it from rent in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

The remedy Indiana's landlord-obligations chapter (IC 32-31-8, reviewed by full-text search) gives tenants is a court action, not repair-and-deduct. The tenant must first give the landlord notice and a reasonable time to repair, and must allow access for repairs. If the landlord fails or refuses, a winning tenant can recover actual and consequential damages, attorney's fees and court costs, an injunction, or other appropriate relief. The landlord must keep the unit safe, clean and habitable, follow health and housing codes, and maintain the electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating and air conditioning systems and supplied appliances. Statute text: "A tenant may bring an action in a court with jurisdiction to enforce an obligation of a landlord under this chapter." (Ind. Code §§ 32-31-8-5, 32-31-8-6).

Question 31

What is the deposit bank holding / separate account rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's security deposit chapter (IC 32-31-3, reviewed by full-text search) does not require a separate, trust or interest-bearing account for deposits. When a landlord sells the property, the seller stays liable for the deposit for 1 year after notifying the tenant of the sale unless the buyer notifies the tenant that it has taken on that liability and the seller transfers the deposit to the buyer. Statute text: "for one (1) year after giving notice of the conveyance, the landlord remains liable to the tenant for the security deposit" (Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-1.1 to 32-31-3-19 (Security Deposits); § 32-31-3-19(a)).

Question 32

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana cities, towns and counties may not regulate lease applications, a landlord's tenant screening process, or any fees a landlord charges unless the General Assembly authorizes it. Any local ordinance that does so is void and unenforceable. The rule does not cover government-subsidized reduced-rent housing. Statute text: "may not regulate, through an ordinance or otherwise, any of the following aspects of a landlord-tenant relationship" (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-20(c)).

Question 33

Can a landlord deny a tenant for criminal or credit history in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana bars cities, towns and counties from regulating the screening process a landlord uses to approve tenants for privately owned rental property (including criminal and credit checks) unless the General Assembly authorizes it, so local "fair chance" or screening ordinances are void. Federal fair housing law still applies. Statute text: "Any ordinance or regulation that violates this subsection is void and unenforceable." (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-20(c)(1)).

Question 34

What is the pet deposits/fees & service/esa animals rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A refundable pet deposit is a security deposit in Indiana, since the definition includes any money returnable to the tenant on condition of the unit's return in the required condition (IC 32-31-3-9(b)(3)), so the deposit return rules in IC 32-31-3 apply. The chapter has no separate pet deposit rule.

Question 35

Does Indiana have rent control?

Accepted Answer

Local governments may not regulate rents on privately owned property, by zoning or otherwise, unless the General Assembly authorizes it (IC 32-31-1-20(b)). This does not apply to housing funded to provide reduced rents. Indiana has no state rent control.

Question 36

What is the warranty of habitability in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

The landlord must deliver the unit safe, clean and habitable, comply with health and housing codes, keep common areas clean, and keep supplied electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, elevators and appliances in good and safe working condition (IC 32-31-8-5).

Question 37

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 or other source of income in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Local governments may not adopt or enforce an ordinance that requires landlords to participate in the Section 8 voucher program or a similar housing program (IC 36-1-3-8.5). State law does not bar source-of-income discrimination.

Question 38

What disclosures must a landlord give in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

The lease must disclose if the structure's lowest floor is at or below the 100-year flood elevation (IC 32-31-1-21), and, for leases entered or renewed after June 30, 2023, if the property is near a military installation within a state area of interest (IC 32-31-1-21.1).

Question 39

Does a landlord have to give notice before not renewing a lease in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A lease for a set term ends without notice (IC 32-31-1-8(1), (2)). A tenancy at will or month-to-month needs one month's written notice (IC 32-31-1-1), a year-to-year tenancy needs at least 3 months' notice before the year ends (§ 32-31-1-3), and other periodic tenancies of up to 3 months need notice equal to the rental period (§ 32-31-1-4).

Question 40

What happens if a tenant stays after the lease ends in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A tenant who stays after the lease ends without the landlord's consent is a tenant at sufferance and no notice is needed to end the tenancy (IC 32-31-1-8(4)). If the landlord consents to continued occupancy, the tenancy is month to month (IC 32-31-1-2).

Question 41

What is the eviction notices for other grounds (lease violation, no-fault) rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No notice is needed to end a tenancy if a tenant at will commits waste, if the tenant is a tenant at sufferance, or if the lease requires rent in advance and it is not paid (IC 32-31-1-8(3)-(5)). A landlord can also seek an emergency possession order for waste or certain criminal activity (IC 32-31-6).

Question 42

How does the eviction court process work in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

In an action for possession, the court issues an order to show cause with a hearing no earlier than 5 business days after service (IC 32-30-3-2(a)), may order possession after that hearing, and the sheriff may remove occupants no earlier than 48 hours after the order of possession is served (IC 32-30-3-10).

Question 43

What is the right to cure / redeem rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

For unpaid rent, the landlord may end the lease with at least 10 days' notice, unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays the rent in full before the notice period ends (IC 32-31-1-6).

Question 44

Can a tenant withhold rent for repairs in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute authorizing rent withholding or court rent escrow was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search.

Question 45

What is the tenant buyout disclosures rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute on tenant buyout agreements was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search.

Question 46

What is the scra / military lease termination rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute giving servicemembers a state right to end a lease was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3955) applies.

Question 47

What is the eviction record sealing rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If an eviction case is dismissed, decided for the tenant, or reversed on appeal, the court must on its own motion order the records not disclosed and sealed (IC 32-31-11-3(a)). Under subsection (b), a tenant who lost may get the records sealed after satisfying a money judgment, or after a set time if there was no money judgment.

Question 48

Does a landlord need just cause to evict in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring just cause to end a tenancy was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search.

Question 49

What is the tenant relocation assistance rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring relocation assistance was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search.

Question 50

What rights does a tenant have after foreclosure in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

No state statute protecting tenants after foreclosure was found in IC 32-31 chapters 1 through 12 (including 2.9 and 8.5). Reviewed by full-text search. The federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act may apply.

Question 51

What is the rent receipts, payment methods & cash rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Ind. Code title 32, art. 31 (official text, full-text search on 2026-10-31) has no provision on how rent may be paid (cash, check, electronic payment) or rent receipts. The lease terms control unless another law applies. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 52

Can a tenant sublet an apartment in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Indiana's landlord-tenant statutes (Ind. Code title 32, art. 31) have no rule on whether a tenant needs the landlord's consent to sublet or assign; the lease controls. Under Ind. Code § 32-31-1-12, a sublessee has the same remedy under the original lease against the chief landlord as against the immediate lessor, and under § 32-31-1-13 an alienee of a lessor or lessee has the same legal remedies as the lessor or lessee. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 53

What is the condo conversion protections rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

A full-text search of Ind. Code art. 32-25 (Condominiums), official 2026 Indiana Code text, 2026-11-12, found no statewide requirement in that article on notice to residential tenants, a tenant purchase right, or other tenant protections when a rental building is converted to condominiums. Other Indiana statutes and local ordinances were not searched. This answer is limited to the official Condominiums article (IC 32-25). It is not a finding about every Indiana title.

Question 54

What is the manufactured / mobile home parks rule in Indiana?

Accepted Answer

Under IC 16-41-27-35, a mobile home community operator must give each owner of a mobile home, manufactured home, or industrialized residential structure in the community written notice of the operator's intent to close the community not later than 180 days before the intended closure date. A violation, or an attempt to exclude an owner by contract or otherwise with the intent to evade that notice, is a deceptive act actionable by the attorney general or a consumer under IC 24-5-0.5. The 180-day notice rule does not stop the operator from evicting an owner for nonpayment of rent or any other violation of the tenancy, or from enforcing a lien, during that 180-day period. Under IC 16-41-27-30, the owner, operator, or caretaker may eject a person from the premises for nonpayment of charges or fees for accommodations, violation of law or disorderly conduct, violation of a state department rule relating to mobile home communities, or violation of a community rule that is publicly posted in the community. IC 16-41-27-29 gives the owner, operator, or caretaker a lien on a guest's property in the same manner, for the same purposes, and subject to the same restrictions as an innkeeper's or hotel keeper's lien. If the property has a properly perfected secured interest and the lienholder has notified the owner, operator, or caretaker of that lien by certified mail, the innkeeper's lien may not exceed the actual late rent owed for not more than 60 days immediately before the park notifies the lienholder by certified mail that the owner has vacated or is delinquent in rent. Chapter 16-41-27 is the health, sanitation, and safety chapter for mobile homes and mobile home communities. IC 32-31 (landlord-tenant relations) also covers a mobile home space and a manufactured home and the space it occupies; those general landlord-tenant rules are not re-summarized here. Example: if the operator plans to close the community on July 1, each home owner in the community must receive written notice of that intent no later than 180 days before July 1. The operator may still evict for unpaid rent during that period.

Indiana landlord-tenant law FAQ