Free Indiana Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Indiana Residential Lease Agreement

A Indiana residential lease (also called a Indiana rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. An Indiana residential lease agreement is governed by Indiana Code Title 32, Article 31 (Landlord-Tenant Relations), including the security-deposit rules in IC 32-31-3 and the landlord and tenant duties in IC 32-31-7 and 32-31-8. Indiana sets no cap on deposits or late fees, but it strictly enforces a 45-day deposit accounting, requires 10 days’ notice before terminating for unpaid rent, and bars local rent control.

Indiana landlord–tenant law at a glance

Indiana residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	No statutory cap
Deposit return	45 days after the lease ends and possession is delivered, with an itemized noticeIC 32-31-3-12
Late fees	No statutory cap; set by the lease
Rent-increase notice	30 days’ written notice before modifying the lease, unless the written lease provides otherwiseIC 32-31-5-4
Landlord entry	Reasonable written or oral notice, at reasonable timesIC 32-31-5-6
Month-to-month termination	Notice equal to one rental period (one month)IC 32-31-1-4
Nonpayment notice	10 days, unless the parties agreed otherwiseIC 32-31-1-6
Rent control	Local units may not regulate rentIC 32-31-1-20

Security deposits in Indiana

Indiana puts no limit on how much a landlord can collect as a security deposit. The statute’s teeth are in the accounting at the end of the tenancy.

Allowed deductions — Accrued rent (including rent due for the tenant’s premature termination), actual damage to the unit beyond ordinary wear and tear, and unpaid utility or sewer charges the lease made the tenant’s responsibility (IC 32-31-3-12, -13).
45-day notice — The deductions must be itemized — with the estimated repair cost for each damaged item — in a written notice delivered to the tenant not more than 45 days after the lease ends and the tenant delivers possession, together with a check or money order for the balance (IC 32-31-3-12, -14).
Forwarding address — The landlord isn’t liable under these rules until the tenant supplies a mailing address in writing (IC 32-31-3-12).
Missed deadline — Failing to send the damage notice on time counts as the landlord agreeing that no damages are due, and the full deposit must be returned immediately (IC 32-31-3-15).
Penalty — A landlord who doesn’t comply is liable for the amount withheld plus the tenant’s reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs (IC 32-31-3-16).

Rent, late fees & rent increases

Late fees — Indiana has no statutory late-fee cap or mandatory grace period. The fee must be in the lease, and an excessive fee risks being struck by a court as an unenforceable penalty rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord’s loss.
Rent increases — Unless a written rental agreement provides otherwise, a landlord must give the tenant at least 30 days’ written notice before modifying the rental agreement — which includes raising the rent (IC 32-31-5-4). Rent under a fixed-term lease can’t change mid-term unless the lease allows it.
Rent control — Cities, towns and counties may not regulate rental rates on private property — and may not regulate screening, deposits, applications, lease terms, disclosures or landlord fees either — unless the General Assembly authorizes it (IC 32-31-1-20).

Landlord entry & access

An Indiana landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice before entering and may enter only at reasonable times; notice isn’t required in an emergency that threatens the safety of occupants or the property, or once the unit has been abandoned (IC 32-31-5-6). The statute fixes no hour count, so 24 hours is a common, defensible lease standard. The tenant, in turn, can’t unreasonably withhold consent for inspections, repairs or showings.

Ending an Indiana tenancy

A general tenancy occupied with the landlord’s consent is treated as month-to-month (IC 32-31-1-2), and a periodic tenancy of three months or less ends on notice equal to the interval between rent periods — one month for a monthly tenancy (IC 32-31-1-4).

Notice to end an Indiana tenancy
Month-to-month (either party)	One rental periodIC 32-31-1-4
Tenancy at will	1 month, in writingIC 32-31-1-1
Year-to-year	3 months before the year endsIC 32-31-1-3
Nonpayment of rent	10 daysIC 32-31-1-6

Nonpayment — If rent isn’t paid when due, the landlord may terminate with at least 10 days’ notice, unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays in full before the notice runs out (IC 32-31-1-6).
Survivors — A tenant protected by a civil protection order or criminal no-contact order may end the lease on 30 days’ written notice with a copy of the order — and, for a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, a safety plan from an accredited program, dated within the prior 30 days, that recommends relocation — owing only rent prorated to the termination date (IC 32-31-9-12).
Military — Servicemembers with qualifying orders may terminate under the federal SCRA (50 U.S.C. §3955).

Required disclosures in Indiana

Indiana has no state-specific radon, mold, bedbug or deposit-account disclosure for ordinary residential leases.

Manager and agent — At or before the start of the lease, the names and addresses of an Indiana resident authorized to manage the unit and an Indiana resident authorized to accept service of process, notices and demands. If this isn’t disclosed, the person who failed to disclose it becomes the landlord’s agent for service of process and notices and for performing the landlord’s obligations, and the tenant may recover the reasonable cost of finding the names and addresses (IC 32-31-3-18(c)–(d)).
Lead-based paint — Federal lead warning and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

Habitability & repairs

An Indiana landlord must deliver the unit safe, clean and habitable, comply with health and housing codes, make reasonable efforts to keep common areas clean and in proper condition, and keep electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, elevators and appliances supplied as an inducement to the lease in good and safe working order, if they were provided when the lease was signed (IC 32-31-8-5).

Indiana doesn’t provide a statutory rent-withholding or repair-and-deduct remedy. Instead, after written notice and a reasonable time to repair, the tenant can sue for actual and consequential damages, attorney’s fees, court costs and an injunction (IC 32-31-8-6).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

Habitability — Any waiver of the landlord–tenant duties in IC 32-31-8, including the landlord’s habitability duties, by contract or otherwise, is void (IC 32-31-8-4).
No lockouts or shutoffs — Without a court order, a landlord can’t change the locks, remove doors, windows, fixtures or appliances, or interrupt electricity, gas, water or other essential services to exclude a tenant, except for emergencies, good-faith repairs or necessary construction (IC 32-31-5-6).
No retaliation — A landlord can’t retaliate against a tenant for protected activity such as complaining to a government agency — though non-renewal at the end of a term and increases to market rent remain allowed (IC 32-31-8.5).
Deposit accounting — The 45-day itemized notice and the full-refund consequence for missing it apply regardless of the lease (IC 32-31-3-12 to -16).

Indiana lease agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Indiana?

Indiana has no statutory cap, so the deposit is whatever the lease sets. The law controls the return instead: an itemized notice of deductions within 45 days of move-out, or the landlord must refund the full deposit (IC 32-31-3).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Indiana?

45 days after the lease ends and the tenant delivers possession, once the tenant has given a forwarding address in writing. Missing the deadline means no damages can be claimed, and the landlord owes the deposit plus attorney’s fees and costs (IC 32-31-3-12, -15, -16).

Is there a cap on late fees in Indiana?

No. Indiana has no statutory late-fee cap or required grace period. The fee should be written into the lease and kept reasonable — courts can refuse to enforce a fee that operates as a penalty.

How much notice does an Indiana landlord need to enter?

Reasonable written or oral notice, with entry only at reasonable times, except in an emergency (IC 32-31-5-6). The statute doesn’t set a number of hours; 24 hours is a common lease standard.

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Indiana?

Notice equal to one rental period — one month for a monthly tenancy (IC 32-31-1-4). A tenancy at will requires one month’s written notice (IC 32-31-1-1).

How much notice is required to evict for nonpayment in Indiana?

At least 10 days’ notice, unless the parties agreed otherwise; paying in full before the notice expires stops the termination (IC 32-31-1-6).

Does an Indiana lease need to be notarized?

No. A residential lease is enforceable once both parties sign. Indiana does require the landlord to disclose, in writing, who manages the property and who accepts legal notices (IC 32-31-3-18).

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