Indianapolis runs the Tenant Assistance and Right to Counsel (TARC) program providing free legal help to renters facing harassment, retaliation, or wrongful eviction. State law forbids retaliatory eviction for tenants who report code violations.
Indiana Code 32-31-7 sets baseline habitability and prohibits retaliatory eviction within ninety days of a tenant's good-faith code complaint. Indianapolis adds the Tenant Assistance and Right to Counsel program, funded by the city and Marion County, which connects tenants with free attorneys and mediation services. TARC handles harassment such as illegal lockouts, utility shutoffs, threats, and retaliatory rent hikes. Tenants can also report habitability problems to the Marion County Public Health Department. Although Indianapolis cannot enact a standalone anti-harassment ordinance the way coastal cities do, TARC fills much of the practical gap.
Retaliatory eviction within ninety days of a habitability complaint is a defense against any eviction action. Illegal lockouts can result in damages, attorney fees, and restoration of possession.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis does not have a just cause eviction ordinance. Indiana landlord-tenant law (IC 32-31) permits landlords to decline lease renewal or terminate mo...
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis requires rental property owners to register with the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services under the Rental Registration Program. All...
See how Indianapolis's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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