Short-term rental permit rules in Elkhart County, IN — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Indiana Code 36-1-24 bars Elkhart County and its cities from banning short-term rentals in residential zones. The county Area Plan Commission has adopted no STR-specific registration; rentals run as a permitted residential use.
Indiana preempts local STR bans. IC 36-1-24 makes short-term rentals a permitted residential use that zoning may not prohibit or unreasonably restrict, though a unit may attach a special exception or variance. Elkhart County zones its unincorporated land through the Area Plan Commission but has not created a dedicated STR license or registration program, so a compliant rental runs under the underlying residential zoning district's rules. Elkhart and Goshen likewise regulate STRs through existing zoning and rental-housing standards rather than a separate STR ordinance. Hosts still owe the county innkeeper's tax and must meet building and safety codes.
There is no STR-specific county penalty. Zoning or property-maintenance violations are enforced through the Area Plan Commission and code compliance; a zoning denial is appealable under IC 36-7-4.
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