What do Indiana landlord tenant laws say about repairs, entry and deposits?

Indiana landlord tenant days and years, with sources

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What repairs is a landlord responsible for in Indiana?

IC 32-31-8-5 lists the landlord's duties under a rental agreement; the first one reads: “A landlord shall do the following: (1) Deliver the rental premises to a tenant in compliance with the rental agreement, and in a safe, clean, and habitable condition.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-5) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

Under 32-31-8-5(2) the landlord shall also comply with all health and housing codes applicable to the rental premises.

Under 32-31-8-5(3) the landlord shall make all reasonable efforts to keep common areas of a rental premises in a clean and proper condition.

Under 32-31-8-5(4) the landlord shall provide and maintain electrical, plumbing, sanitary, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in good and safe working condition, if provided on the premises at the time the rental agreement is entered into.

For heat, 32-31-8-5(4)(D) adds: “A heating system must be sufficient to adequately supply heat at all times.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-5)

For a code, common-area or heating repair in an Indiana rental, a manager can post the job on InstaBids with photos and compare written bids.

How long does a landlord have to make repairs in Indiana?

IC 32-31-8-6(b) names no day count: a tenant may not bring an action under chapter 8 until the landlord has been given a reasonable amount of time to make repairs after the tenant's notice. The text reads: “A tenant may not bring an action under this chapter unless the following conditions are met: (1) The tenant gives the landlord notice of the landlord's noncompliance with a provision of this chapter. (2) The landlord has been given a reasonable amount of time to make repairs or provide a remedy of the condition described in the tenant's notice. The tenant may not prevent the landlord from having access to the rental premises to make repairs or provide a remedy to the condition described in the tenant's notice. (3) The landlord fails or refuses to repair or remedy the condition described in the tenant's notice.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-6) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

Once a tenant's written repair notice arrives, a manager can post that repair on InstaBids and compare written bids on one scope.

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

IC 32-31-5-6(g) sets reasonable written or oral notice, not an hour count: “A landlord: (1) shall not abuse the right of entry or use a right of entry to harass a tenant; (2) shall give a tenant reasonable written or oral notice of the landlord's intent to enter the dwelling unit; and (3) may enter a tenant's dwelling unit only at reasonable times.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-5-6) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

The emergency entry rule is 32-31-5-6(f): “A landlord may enter the dwelling unit: (1) without notice to the tenant in the case of an emergency that threatens the safety of the occupants or the landlord's property; and (2) without the consent of the tenant: (A) under a court order; or (B) if the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the dwelling unit.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-5-6)

Under 32-31-5-6(e) a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to the tenant's landlord to enter the dwelling unit to inspect it or to make necessary or agreed to repairs.

Before setting an entry time for work in an occupied Indiana unit, a manager can post the job on InstaBids and compare written bids.

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

IC 32-31-3-12(a) sets 45 days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession: “Upon termination of a rental agreement, a landlord shall return to the tenant the security deposit minus any amount applied to: (1) the payment of accrued rent; (2) the amount of damages that the landlord has suffered or will reasonably suffer by reason of the tenant's noncompliance with law or the rental agreement; and (3) unpaid utility or sewer charges that the tenant is obligated to pay under the rental agreement; all as itemized by the landlord with the amount due in a written notice that is delivered to the tenant not more than forty-five (45) days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-3-12) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

IC 32-31-3-12(a) conditions liability on a mailing address supplied in writing: “The landlord is not liable under this chapter until the tenant supplies the landlord in writing with a mailing address to which to deliver the notice and amount prescribed by this subsection.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-3-12)

Under 32-31-3-14 a landlord shall mail to a tenant an itemized list of damages claimed not more than 45 days after the termination of occupancy, setting forth the estimated cost of repair for each damaged item (32-31-3-14(1)).

Under 32-31-3-13(1) a security deposit may be used to reimburse the landlord for actual damages that are not the result of ordinary wear and tear.

Under 32-31-3-15, failure by a landlord to provide notice of damages means the landlord must remit to the tenant immediately the full security deposit.

When a landlord sells, 32-31-3-19(a) says that, unless otherwise agreed, after a good faith sale the landlord remains liable to the tenant for the security deposit for 1 year after giving notice of the conveyance, unless the purchaser acknowledges the liability by notice to the tenant and the seller transfers the security deposit to the purchaser.

For move-out repairs listed against a deposit, a manager can post the turnover work on InstaBids and compare written bids.

Who pays for pest control in a rental in Indiana?

IC 32-31 (Landlord-Tenant Relations) does not use the words pest, insect or rodent and names no payer. The landlord's code duty is 32-31-8-5(2): “Comply with all health and housing codes applicable to the rental premises.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-5) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

On the tenant side, 32-31-7-5 says a tenant shall keep the areas of the rental premises occupied or used by the tenant reasonably clean (32-31-7-5(2)).

For pest work in an Indiana rental, a manager can post the job on InstaBids and compare written bids from pest contractors.

When can a tenant withhold rent over repairs in Indiana?

IC 32-31 does not use the words withhold rent; IC 32-31-8-6(a) names a court action as the tenant's way to enforce chapter 8: “A tenant may bring an action in a court with jurisdiction to enforce an obligation of a landlord under this chapter.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-6) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition).

IC 32-31-8-6(b) says a tenant may not bring an action unless the tenant gives notice, the landlord has been given a reasonable amount of time to make repairs or provide a remedy, and the landlord fails or refuses to repair or remedy the condition; the tenant may not prevent access for that work.

On deposits, 32-31-3-12(a) says: “Unless otherwise agreed, a tenant is not entitled to apply a security deposit to rent.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-3-12)

When a tenant's repair complaint is still open, a manager can post that repair on InstaBids and compare written bids before choosing.

Who does Indiana landlord tenant law cover?

IC 32-31-2.9-3 reads: “The residential landlord-tenant statutes apply to rental agreements for dwelling units located in Indiana.” (Indiana Code IC 32-31-2.9-3) Read 2026-10-30 on the Indiana General Assembly's Indiana Code site (iga.in.gov, 2026 edition). Its residential landlord-tenant statutes are chapters 3 to 11 of IC 32-31 (32-31-2.9-2).

Under 32-31-2.9-4 those statutes do not apply to seven arrangements, unless the arrangement was created to avoid them: residence at an institution, occupancy by a contract-of-sale purchaser, fraternal or social organization housing, transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or other lodging, an employee whose right to occupancy is conditional upon employment, occupancy by an owner of a condominium unit or a holder of a proprietary lease in a cooperative, and property used primarily for agricultural purposes.

Under 32-31-8-1 the duties of 32-31-8-5, such as the duty to comply with all health and housing codes, apply only to dwelling units let under a rental agreement entered into after June 30, 2002, and not to dwelling units let with an option to purchase under an agreement entered into before July 1, 2008.

The entry rules of IC 32-31-5 apply only to a rental agreement entered into or renewed after June 30, 1999 (32-31-5-1(a)), and 32-31-5-6(a) says the section with the reasonable written or oral notice rule does not apply if the dwelling unit has been abandoned.

For deposits, 32-31-3-1.1 says rental agreements entered into before July 1, 1989 remain valid as though chapter 3 had not been enacted; for later agreements a landlord shall return the security deposit under 32-31-3-12(a) within 45 days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession.

Managers of Indiana rentals under the residential landlord-tenant statutes can post a unit repair on InstaBids and compare written bids.

Indiana Code rules a property manager works to

What to put in a written repair scope for an Indiana rental

• The condition in plain words, with photos, named against the 32-31-8-5(4) systems the landlord shall provide and maintain in good and safe working condition, if provided on the premises at the time the rental agreement is entered into: electrical, plumbing, sanitary, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning.
• The notice date and access record for IC 32-31-8-6(b): a tenant may not bring an action unless notice is given, the landlord has been given a reasonable amount of time to make repairs or provide a remedy, and the landlord fails or refuses to repair or remedy the condition; the tenant may not prevent access for that work.
• The access plan: the reasonable written or oral notice of intent to enter that 32-31-5-6(g) has the landlord give, at reasonable times.
• For heat: the 32-31-8-5(4)(D) line that a heating system must be sufficient to adequately supply heat at all times.
• For move-out repairs: the termination of occupancy date, and the itemized list of damages with the estimated cost of repair for each damaged item that a landlord shall mail within 45 days under 32-31-3-14.

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Calling Indiana contractors one by one, or one written scope?

With one written scope that names the condition against the 32-31-8-5(4) systems the landlord shall provide and maintain in good and safe working condition, if provided on the premises at the time the rental agreement is entered into, you describe it once, contractors bid in writing on that scope, and you choose who gets your number.

Property managers can post a rental job on InstaBids today.

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Related answers for Indiana rental repairs

Sources

• Indiana Code IC 32-31-8-6, read 2026-10-30: iga.in.gov