Short-term rental permit rules in Indianapolis, IN — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Indianapolis adopted Chapter 852 of the Revised Code (the Short-Term Rental Permit Program, effective 2025) requiring every short-term rental owner to obtain a permit from the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. State law (IC 36-1-24-13) caps the fee at $150 for the initial permit, and renewals are free unless the permit was previously revoked for cause.
Under Indiana's short-term rental statute, IC 36-1-24-11, 'A unit may require an owner to obtain a permit for each property by adopting an ordinance that sets forth only the requirements of this chapter for obtaining a permit,' and a unit 'may require only one (1) permit for each single family home, two-family or multifamily dwelling, condominium, cooperative, or time share that an owner rents in whole or in part.' Indianapolis exercised that authority through Chapter 852 of the Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County (the Indianapolis Short-Term Rental Permit Program), administered by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) through the Citizen Access Portal. The fee structure is capped by state law: IC 36-1-24-13 provides that 'a unit may charge a permit fee, not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150), for' an initial permit. Indianapolis charges the maximum $150 one-time fee per property; annual renewals carry no fee so long as the permit has not been revoked. IC 36-1-24-12 requires the unit to issue a permit within thirty (30) days of a complete application that meets the ordinance requirements. Hotels, motels, and stays exceeding 30 consecutive days are not short-term rentals and do not require an STR permit.
Operating without a required permit is a code-enforcement violation handled through the Indianapolis ordinance violations bureau; the city may issue citations and, after three or more citations in a calendar year, revoke the property's permit for up to one year (IC 36-1-24-14).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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