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

Greenwood's Property Maintenance Code (Sec. 6-285 et seq. of the General Ordinances) applies uniformly to all existing residential and nonresidential structures in the city, including rental housing, and sets minimum standards for sanitation, structural soundness and safety regardless of when the building was built. Under § 6-287(b), the property owner must maintain the structure and exterior premises in compliance with the code, and no owner or occupant may occupy, or allow another person to occupy, premises that are not sanitary and safe; occupants remain responsible for the portion of the dwelling unit they control.

Companion sections fill out what 'habitable' means: § 6-289 requires exterior walls, roofs, foundations, windows, doors, stairways and handrails to be structurally sound, weather-tight and free of holes or rot, with boarded windows limited to ten consecutive days, and § 6-290 makes the owner of a multi-unit structure responsible for extermination of insects, pests and rodents throughout the building and its exterior property. Community Development Services' Code Enforcement Officials administer the code and, under § 6-285(d)(3), may inspect a rental's interior only on a complaint giving reasonable grounds for a violation, or as part of a scheduled inspection program, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on any day but Sunday; if the owner or tenant refuses entry, the official can seek a search warrant with police assistance. Enforcement starts with a Notice of Violation and, at the City's discretion, a warning citation before a formal charge is filed.