Indiana renter rights: the basics for first-time renters
Indiana's landlord-tenant law is in Indiana Code Title 32, Article 31. Indiana doesn't publish a statewide government tenant handbook, so this page is based directly on the Indiana Code, as published by the Indiana General Assembly.
Quick facts
| Security deposit max | No statewide limit |
|---|---|
| Deposit returned within | 45 days after the lease ends and you give up possession, with an itemized list of deductions (give a written forwarding address) |
| Late fee cap | No statewide cap — check your lease |
| Rent increases | No statewide cap — check your lease and local rules |
| Month-to-month: notice to end | One month's written notice |
| Landlord entry | Reasonable written or oral notice, at reasonable times (emergencies excepted) |
| Unpaid rent notice | At least 10 days' notice (unless the lease says otherwise) |
| Repair-and-deduct | No general statewide right — check local rules |
Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.
Security deposits
- Amount: Indiana law doesn't limit deposits. One month's rent is common.
- Allowed deductions: unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and unpaid utility or sewer charges you were responsible for. Not normal wear and tear.
- Return: within 45 days after the lease ends and you hand back possession, the landlord must return the deposit or send an itemized list of damages and their estimated cost along with any balance. Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing, because the deadline depends on it.
- Penalty: a landlord who fails to send the itemized notice can owe you the full deposit plus reasonable attorney's fees.
Rent increases and late fees
Indiana has no statewide cap on rent increases or late fees, so your lease controls. Read the late-fee and rent-change clauses before you sign. A landlord can't raise rent during a fixed-term lease unless the lease allows it.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
A month-to-month tenancy (or tenancy at will) can be ended with one month's written notice. Give yours in writing and keep a copy. Your lease may require a specific notice before move-out.
When the landlord can come in
Except in an emergency, the landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice before entering and may enter only at reasonable times. A landlord can't interfere with your access to the unit or cut off essential services like heat, water, or electricity.
Repairs and living conditions
Indiana landlords must deliver the unit in a safe, clean, and habitable condition, comply with health and housing codes, keep common areas clean, and keep supplied systems (electrical, plumbing, heating, and appliances) in good working order.
- Give the landlord written notice of the problem and a reasonable time to fix it.
- If the landlord doesn't, you can sue for damages, attorney's fees, and court orders requiring repairs.
- Indiana has no clear law letting tenants withhold rent, so don't stop paying without legal advice.
Write it all down from day one. The 12-page First Apartment Move-In Kit has a first-week timeline, lease and building facts, a utilities board, room-by-room unpacking, and a first-month money sheet — so your lease facts, notice dates, and move-in notes live in one place. $9.99 on Etsy. Undated.
Get the kit — $9.99 on EtsyEviction basics
If rent isn't paid when due, the landlord can end the tenancy with at least 10 days' notice unless the lease says otherwise, and paying in full during the notice period stops it. The landlord must then file in court. A landlord can't lock you out, remove your things, or cut off essential utilities to force you out without a court order. If you're served, go to every hearing.
Retaliation and discrimination
Housing discrimination is illegal under the federal Fair Housing Act and Indiana's civil rights law. File complaints with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. Retaliation for reporting code violations can be raised as a defense in eviction court. Talk to legal aid if you think an eviction is retaliatory.
City and county rules
Some Indiana cities have their own housing codes and registration rules, so check with your city's code enforcement office.
Move-in checklist for Indiana renters
- ☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
- ☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
- ☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
- ☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
- ☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
- ☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
- ☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
- ☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar
Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.
Where to get help in Indiana
- Indiana Civil Rights Commission — housing discrimination complaints.
- Indiana Courts — Self-Service Legal Center: Housing — court forms and eviction information.
- Renting in Indiana handbook (2nd ed., nonprofit SCIHO handbook hosted by Monroe County) — a detailed plain-language handbook (not a state agency publication).
- Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
- File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.
Official sources
These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.
- Indiana Code 32-31-1 (tenancy; 32-31-1-1 notice, 32-31-1-6 unpaid rent)
- Indiana Code 32-31-3 (security deposits; 32-31-3-12 to 32-31-3-16)
- Indiana Code 32-31-5 (rental agreements; 32-31-5-6 access and essential services)
- Indiana Code 32-31-8 (landlord obligations; 32-31-8-5, 32-31-8-6)
Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.