Short-term rental permit rules in Fishers, IN — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Fishers regulates short-term rentals through its Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Section 5.4.6 (Overnight Lodging), not the Chapter 163 home-rental program. An owner-occupied STR is a permitted residential use with no permit, while a non-owner-occupied STR requires Special Exception approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Fishers' rental rules split in two. Chapter 163 of the Code of Ordinances (the Home Rental Registration and Permitting Program, effective January 1, 2026) covers LONG-TERM single-family rentals and, by the City's own statement, does not regulate short-term rentals. Short-term rentals are instead governed by UDO Section 5.4.6 (Overnight Lodging). Under that section, an owner-occupied short-term rental is treated as a permitted residential use without a permit, mirroring Indiana Code 36-1-24-8, which makes an owner-occupied STR a permitted residential use in any district allowing residential use. A short-term rental that is NOT owner-occupied requires a Special Exception, approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals — an approach the state expressly authorizes for non-owner-occupied STRs under IC 36-1-24-9(b). Note: 2026 Indiana legislation (House Enrolled Act 1210, effective July 1, 2026) further limits local rental regulation; the City's pre-2026 home-rental ordinance must be brought into compliance, so verify current procedures with Fishers Planning & Zoning before applying.
Operating a non-owner-occupied short-term rental without the required Special Exception is a zoning violation enforceable by the City. UDO 5.4.6 authorizes revocation of an STR approval after three (3) or more citations within a calendar year. Indiana Code 36-1-24-10 limits local STR enforcement to public health/safety, noise, nuisance, welfare and property-maintenance matters, enforced the same way as for comparable non-STR properties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Fishers actively encourages native planting: its UDO landscaping standards (§ 6.7.1) aim to 'encourage native planting that protect biodiversity,' draw plant...
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Fishers Code Chapter 52 lets the Mayor declare a water warning or water emergency for the Citizens Water / Indiana American system. Under § 52.05, restrictio...
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Fishers Code §§ 95.20-95.25 require owners to cut weeds and rank vegetation over eight inches tall, plus any noxious plants listed in IC 15-16-7-2. The Depar...
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