Bloomington, IN Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

Bloomington Municipal Code § 16.02.020 defines a 'complaint inspection' as an inspection the Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Department conducts before an occupancy permit expires, triggered by a written request alleging a violation of Title 16, the residential rental unit and lodging establishment inspection program. Section 16.03.040(c) sets out exactly who can file that request: any resident of the city, any governmental agency or employee, the unit's tenant, the tenant's legal representative, the owner, or the owner's agent, provided the request states that a violation exists. The director can also order an off-cycle inspection without any outside complaint if the director independently has probable cause to believe the unit violates Title 16.

Once a complaint comes in, § 16.03.040(d) limits the inspection to the specific defects the complainant described, unless the director has probable cause to believe the unit or premises is in such disrepair, or in such broad violation, that a full cycle inspection of the entire unit and premises is warranted instead. The owner must be given notice and, under § 16.03.040(f), must in turn notify the tenant of the scheduled inspection. An owner or the unit's tenant must remain present with the HAND inspector at all times the inspector is inside, and if entry is refused, § 16.03.040(g) requires HAND to obtain a warrant before entering rather than inspecting without one. A tenant who requests a complaint inspection is also protected from retaliation: § 16.10.020(g) makes it a separate Title 16 violation for an owner to bring or threaten an eviction action against a tenant for requesting an inspection.