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.
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.
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.
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).
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