South Bend requires every non-owner-occupied rental to register annually by September 1 for a $5 fee, and to pass a Rental Safety Verification Program inspection. Failure to register draws a $300 penalty per unit; renting an uninspected unit runs $250 per week.
Two local programs govern South Bend rentals. The Landlord Registration Program (Chapter 6, Article 10, Ordinance 10427-16, effective 2016) requires every owner of a rental they do not occupy to register with the Department of Code Enforcement and renew each September 1 for a $5 fee. The Rental Safety Verification Program (RSVP), Chapter 6, Article 14, adopted 2019 and amended 2023, requires units to pass an inspection against the International Property Maintenance Code; a single-family home or duplex that passes earns a five-year Inspection Certificate. Critical violations must be fixed within 10 days, others within 60. Owner-occupied homes renting to two or fewer unrelated tenants, short-term rentals, and new construction under ten years old are exempt.
Failing to register is a $300 civil penalty per rental unit; an incomplete form $100; a false statement $500. Renting an uninspected or uncertified unit runs $250 per week; an expired certificate, $300 per week.
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