Indianapolis cannot restrict short-term rentals to primary residences because Indiana state law preempts that requirement. Investor-owned STRs operate under the same registration as resident-owned rentals.
Indiana Code 36-1-24 was enacted in 2018 specifically to block cities from limiting short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Indianapolis previously considered a primary-residence rule, but state preemption foreclosed that approach. As a result, investor-owned single-family STRs and dedicated whole-home rentals are allowed in residential zones citywide as a permitted use. Hosts must register annually, collect lodging tax through their platform or directly, and follow generally applicable noise and building rules. Some condominium and HOA documents privately limit STRs and remain enforceable as contractual restrictions.
There is no city sanction for not living at the property. Penalties only attach to operating without registration, tax delinquency, or repeated nuisance complaints documented through code enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Revised Code section 391-302(c)(3) prohibits yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing in any public street or place that makes unreason...
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Revised Code section 391-302(c)(6) bans operating any vehicle, engine, or motor with straight pipes, muffler cutouts, bypasses, or exhaust that ...
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis uses a plainly-audible standard combined with a 115 dB amplifier cap under Rev. Code Ch. 391, Article III rather than zone-based dBA limits.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis does not impose specific leaf blower hours, but Revised Code Sec. 391-302 prohibits operating any blower or power fan in a way that makes unreas...
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Revised Code section 391-302(c)(2) prohibits radios, loudspeakers, sound amplifiers, and musical instruments that make unreasonable noise, and t...
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis has no blanket overnight street-parking ban for ordinary passenger vehicles, but Code Sec. 621-117 caps parking on any street at six hours witho...
See how Indianapolis's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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