Indiana’s rules come from Indiana Code Title 32. A few things define renting here: IHCDA runs the balance-of-state voucher program in 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties, nonpayment starts with a 10-day notice, and there is no source-of-income protection — a 2015 law even bars cities from requiring landlords to accept vouchers. Indiana also has some of the nation’s highest eviction-filing rates, but a 2025 law now seals many eviction records. This page covers where to apply, the tenant-law framework, and where to get help.
- 211 Indiana — dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help · in211.org
- IHCDA (statewide vouchers & LIHEAP): (317) 232-7777 · in.gov/ihcda
- Indiana Legal Services: 1-844-243-8570 · indianalegalservices.org
- Indiana Civil Rights Commission (fair housing): (317) 232-2600 · 1-800-628-2909
- Indianapolis Housing Agency: (317) 261-7200
- HUD fair housing: 1-800-669-9777
Major Indiana public housing authorities
Unlike some neighbors, Indiana has a true statewide voucher agency. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) administers the Housing Choice Voucher program (HUD code IN901) in 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties — everywhere except Indianapolis/Marion County — through local subcontractors; its voucher office is (317) 232-7788. The largest city authorities are:
- Indianapolis Housing Agency — PHA IN017, (317) 261-7200; the HCV list has been closed while public-housing and project-based lists open periodically
- Fort Wayne Housing Authority — PHA IN003, (260) 267-9300
- Housing Authority of the City of Evansville — PHA IN016, (812) 428-8500
- Housing Authority of South Bend — PHA IN015, (574) 235-9346
Use HUD’s PHA directory and read how to find your PHA. For tax-credit apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database.
Source of income: not protected, and preempted
Indiana has no source-of-income protection, and it goes further than most states: Indiana Code § 36-1-3-8.5 (from a 2015 law) bars any county, city, or town from adopting an ordinance that requires landlords to participate in Section 8 — enacted after Indianapolis moved toward local voucher protections. A separate 2020 law (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-20) preempts local regulation of rents and other landlord-tenant terms. So a landlord may legally decline your voucher anywhere in Indiana. See our source-of-income protections guide.
Emergency rent & utility help in Indiana
- Energy Assistance Program (EAP / LIHEAP) — administered by IHCDA through local Community Action Agencies; apply at ihcda.rhsconnect.com; the season runs roughly October through April; see utility assistance programs
- Community Action Agencies — coordinated by the Indiana Community Action Association; township trustees also provide emergency “poor relief”
- Dial 211 for the current list of rent and deposit funds, plus emergency rental assistance
Indiana tenant law: key protections at a glance
Quick reference: Indiana
- Voucher administrator: IHCDA statewide (IN901, 91 of 92 counties) plus the Indianapolis Housing Agency and other city authorities
- Source-of-income protection: none — and local ordinances are preempted (Ind. Code § 36-1-3-8.5)
- Rent control: preempted (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-20)
- Nonpayment notice: 10 days to pay or quit (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6)
- Month-to-month termination: 30 days (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1)
- Security deposit: no cap; returned within 45 days with itemization (Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12)
- Self-help eviction: illegal — statutory damages of $500–$2,500 plus attorney fees (Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6)
- Eviction records: many are now sealed under a 2025 law
Security deposits
Indiana sets no cap on the deposit. The landlord must return it and/or a written itemized statement of deductions within 45 days after the tenancy ends and you provide a mailing address in writing (Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12); failing to comply lets you recover the deposit plus attorney fees. Read how to recover your security deposit.
Eviction & the 2025 record-sealing law
For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 10-day notice to pay or vacate, and paying in full within 10 days defeats it (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6). After that the landlord files, a hearing is usually set a few weeks out, and a writ gives a short window to vacate — commonly four to eight weeks total. Indiana has had some of the highest eviction-filing rates in the country (Indianapolis alone saw over 25,000 filings in 2024), but a 2025 law (SEA 142, effective July 1, 2025) now automatically seals dismissed cases and tenant wins, lets paid judgments be sealed on petition with no waiting period, and seals other cases after seven years. Self-help lockouts are illegal (Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6). Get help from Indiana Legal Services (1-844-243-8570) and read how to avoid eviction.
Nearby states
Comparing states or planning a move? Indiana’s neighbors handle notice, deposits, and vouchers differently:
- Kentucky tenant rights — protections depend on whether your city adopted URLTA
- West Virginia tenant rights — no notice required for nonpayment
- Ohio tenant rights
- Illinois tenant rights — source-of-income protection in Cook County and Chicago
- Michigan tenant rights
Where to get help in Indiana
Tenant help & legal aid: Indiana Legal Services (statewide central intake 1-844-243-8570) handles eviction and housing cases; free answers are at indiana.freelegalanswers.org.
Discrimination complaints: the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (317-232-2600 or 1-800-628-2909) enforces fair-housing law; the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (317-644-0673) also assists.
Vouchers & local PHAs: apply to IHCDA (statewide) or the Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, or South Bend authority.
211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help statewide.
Next Steps
Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps Indiana programs to your situation in about two minutes.
If you get a 10-day notice, paying within those 10 days stops a nonpayment eviction — call Indiana Legal Services (1-844-243-8570) and read eviction prevention.