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

RSVP covers any dwelling unit rented to someone other than the owner, including rental unit communities of five or more units, and applies the International Property Maintenance Code as modified by the Department's RSVP Inspection Standards. A single-family or duplex rental that passes its initial inspection gets a five-year Inspection Certificate; a unit that fails must reach compliance within 60 days of the initial inspection, with critical violations fixed in 10 days, at a first reinspection that carries no fee. Units built before 1978 that show defective paint must be repaired using lead-safe practices under 410 IAC 32 and 40 CFR 745 before a certificate issues, and smoke detectors must meet the IC 22-11-18 minimum standards set by the National Fire Protection Association.

The article exempts new construction for its first 10 years, units a licensed Indiana home inspector already certified within the prior 3 years at a sale, owner-occupied properties renting to no more than two unrelated tenants, short-term rentals, housing cooperatives, and occupancy by the owner's immediate family, unless those arrangements exist only to dodge the article. An owner who believes an exemption applies must document it to the Department by its stated deadline or risk fees and penalties. Multi-family buildings with more than two dwelling units follow International Residential Code standards for enforcement purposes, and government-owned or subsidized rental units can qualify for their own exemption if a public agency already inspects them and reports the results to the Department.