Hammond, IN Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can condemn
- Health Officer, Fire Inspector, Building Comm., Code Enforcement
- Vacate deadline
- not less than 10 days
- After vacating
- boarded up at owner's expense
- Reoccupancy
- needs Board of Public Works approval
- State reference
- Unsafe Building Law, I.C. 36-7-9-1 et seq.
Summary
In the City of Hammond, Indiana, the Health Officer, Fire Inspector, Building Commissioner or Code Enforcement Inspector can designate and placard a dwelling as unfit for human habitation when it is dangerously damaged, unsanitary, or lacks adequate light, ventilation or sanitation. Once condemned, occupants must vacate within at least 10 days and the structure gets boarded up at the owner's expense.
(A) The designation of dwellings or dwelling units as unfit for human habitation and the procedure for the condemnation of these dwellings or dwelling units shall be carried out in compliance with the requirements of this subchapter, and those procedures set forth by state law applicable to the condemnation of unsafe buildings. (B) Any dwelling or dwelling unit which shall be found to have any of the following defects shall be condemned as unfit for human habitation and shall be so designated and placarded by the Health Officer, Fire Inspector, Building Commissioner or Code Enforcement Inspector. (1) One which is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin-infested that it creates a serious hazard to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public. ... (A) (1) Any dwelling or dwelling unit condemned as unfit for human habitation, and so designated and placarded by the Fire or Code Enforcement Inspector, shall be vacated within a reasonable length of time, of not less than 10 days, as ordered by the Inspector. After expiration of the vacating period, the space shall be boarded up and secured at the property owners expense.
Full Breakdown
105 to designate a dwelling or dwelling unit as unfit for human habitation and to placard it once condemned. 105(B) lists the defects that trigger condemnation: a dwelling that is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin-infested that it creates a serious hazard to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public; one that lacks illumination, ventilation or sanitation facilities adequate to protect health or safety; or one whose general condition or location is otherwise unsanitary or dangerous. C. , so the local placarding process runs alongside state procedure rather than replacing it.
106 then sets the timeline: once placarded, the dwelling must be vacated within a reasonable period of not less than 10 days as ordered by the inspector, after which the space is boarded up and secured at the property owner's expense, with the Police Department authorized to keep it secured from re-entry or trespass. A condemned unit stays off-limits until the Board of Public Works and Safety gives written approval and the placarding officer removes the placard, which happens once the underlying defect is eliminated. 107.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a condemned dwelling, defacing or removing its placard, or failing to vacate within the ordered period violates Sections 96.105-96.107 and carries the Chapter 96 general penalty under Section 10.99: up to $2,500 for a first offense and up to $7,500 for a repeat, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a dwelling 'unfit for human habitation' in Hammond?
How long do I have to move out of a condemned dwelling?
Can I move back into my dwelling after it's condemned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hammond
Compare Hammond to another location·View the Indiana property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.