Bartholomew County, IN Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Who investigates
- County Code Enforcement Dept. / Fire Prevention Bureau
- Notice period to cure
- 5 calendar days
- Trigger
- written tenant notice of missing/defective detector
- Scope
- smoke detectors only, not general rental conditions
- Max fine
- up to $2,500 per offense (§ 10.99)
Summary
A renter in unincorporated Bartholomew County who moves into a unit without the required smoke detector cannot be occupied and can file written notice with County Code Enforcement or the Fire Prevention Bureau, which must investigate and give the owner five calendar days to fix it before a citation issues. The process under § 91.57 is limited to smoke-detector complaints, not general rental-condition inspections.
§ 91.57 LACK OF OPERATING SMOKE DETECTOR; COMPLAINT; INVESTIGATION BY CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT OR FIRE OFFICIAL. (A) If a rental dwelling unit or mobile home rental is not equipped with the required smoke detector at the time a new occupant moves into the unit, occupancy shall not be allowed. If the required smoke detectors do not exist, the tenant should give written notice to the County Code Enforcement Department or the Fire Prevention Bureau of the county starting the deficiency. Upon receipt of a complaint filed, the County Code Enforcement Department or the Fire Prevention Bureau shall investigate the alleged violations. If the County Code Enforcement Department or the Fire Prevention Bureau finds that the owner or owner's authorized agent has failed to install a properly operating smoke detector in the unit under investigation, the owner or owner's authorized agent shall be given written notice of the deficiency and shall have five calendar days to bring the unit into compliance.
Full Breakdown
57(A) states that if a rental dwelling unit or mobile home rental lacks the required smoke detector when a new occupant moves in, occupancy is not allowed, and the tenant should give written notice of the deficiency to the County Code Enforcement Department or the Fire Prevention Bureau. Once a complaint is filed, that department or bureau must investigate the alleged violation. If it finds the owner or the owner's authorized agent failed to install a properly operating detector, the owner gets written notice of the deficiency and five calendar days to bring the unit into compliance; if the owner still fails to comply, a citation may issue.
54 but the tenant let the detector go bad. This complaint channel is specific to smoke detectors; the code does not establish a broader general-condition rental inspection program for unincorporated Bartholomew County.
Violations & Fines
A citation issued after the five-calendar-day cure period runs is enforced under § 91.99, which for the smoke-detector subchapter defaults to § 10.99's general penalty of up to $2,500 per offense, with each day of continuing noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if my rental in unincorporated Bartholomew County has no smoke detector?
Can code enforcement inspect a rental without a tenant complaint?
Can the tenant be cited instead of the landlord?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartholomew County
Compare Bartholomew County to another location·View the Indiana rental inspections overview
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