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Bloomington, IN Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing chapter: Bloomington Municipal Code Chapter 16.04
Owner duty: maintain unit and premises per Chapter 16.04
Tenant duty: keep occupied space clean, sanitary, safe
Adopted-code violation fine: $100 under § 16.10.030
Enforcement route: HAND cycle inspections tied to occupancy permits
Appeal body: Board of Housing and Quality Appeals

Summary

In the City of Bloomington, every residential rental unit must meet the exterior, interior and structural maintenance standards in Bloomington Municipal Code Chapter 16.04, part of the Residential Rental Unit and Lodging Establishment Inspection Program. Owners keep the structure sound, pest-free and code-compliant, tenants keep the space they occupy clean and sanitary, and HAND enforces both duties through cycle inspections tied to the rental occupancy permit.

The provisions of this chapter shall govern the minimum conditions and the responsibilities of persons for the maintenance of residential rental units and their premises. ... (a)All exterior portions of a residential rental unit shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition. The tenant of a residential rental unit shall keep that part of the exterior unit and premises, which such tenant occupies or controls, in a clean, safe and sanitary condition. ... (a)All portions of the exterior of a residential rental unit and its accessory structures shall be maintained in a structurally sound manner, be in good repair and be maintained in accordance with this title. ... (a)All portions of the interior of a residential rental unit and its accessory structures shall be maintained in a structurally sound manner, be in good repair and be maintained in accordance with this title.(b)All portions of the interior of a residential rental unit and its accessory structures shall be maintained in a manner that does not pose a threat to the public health, safety or welfare.

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Full Breakdown

04 governs the minimum conditions and the responsibilities of persons for the maintenance of residential rental units and their premises. 030 splits that duty: the owner must maintain the unit and premises in compliance with the chapter, and the tenant must keep the space they occupy or control clean, sanitary and safe. 040 requires exterior areas to stay clean, safe and sanitary, premises graded to prevent erosion and standing water, sidewalks and driveways kept free of hazards, and bans storing indoor furniture or inoperable, disassembled or stripped vehicles outside. 060 imposes the same structural-soundness and health-and-safety standard on the interior, plus keeping shared areas of rooming houses and multi-unit buildings clean. 030. 050.

Violations & Fines

Failing a Chapter 16.04 habitability standard, or any adopted building, fire, plumbing or electrical code folded in by § 16.04.020, carries a $100 fine under § 16.10.030's schedule, and a unit stays without an occupancy permit until it passes reinspection. Owners can appeal to the Board of Housing and Quality Appeals under § 16.10.050, or contest a fine in Monroe County Circuit Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a habitability violation in a Bloomington rental?

Chapter 16.04 covers exterior upkeep like grading, sidewalks and vehicle storage under § 16.04.040, sound exterior surfaces free of rot, rust and peeling paint under § 16.04.050, and a structurally sound, health-safe interior under § 16.04.060. It also imports the state's adopted building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fire codes, so a lapse in any of those counts as a chapter violation too.

Who is responsible for pest control in a Bloomington rental?

Under § 16.04.090, the owner handles extermination before a unit is let and stays responsible in multi-unit buildings and rooming houses. In a single-family rental, the tenant becomes responsible for pest control after thirty days of occupancy, unless the infestation stems from a defect in the property, in which case responsibility shifts back to the owner.

Can HAND withhold my rental's occupancy permit over a maintenance violation?

Yes. Section 16.10.040 states that if a rental unit found in violation is not reinspected and corrected within the notice period, the city will not issue it an occupancy permit. HAND can also revoke or withhold the permit as an enforcement remedy under § 16.10.040(g), on top of the fines in § 16.10.030.

Sources & Official References

[1]Bloomington Municipal Code, Chapter 16.04 Property Maintenance (Municode)

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