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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Indiana

Indiana law bars landlord retaliatory acts such as rent increases, service cuts or eviction actions after a tenant engages in protected activity, with no presumption period in the statute.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Indiana at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
No presumption period
Indiana's retaliation chapter defines protected activity and retaliatory acts but sets no time window that presumes retaliation.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints, written complaints, lawsuits, tenant groups
Covers code complaints to a government agency, written complaints to the landlord under IC 32-31-5-6 or 32-31-8-5, suits under IC 32-31-6 or 32-31-8, tenant organizations and testimony against the landlord.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Indiana

Does Indiana law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Indiana: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Indiana?

Presumption period in Indiana: No presumption period. Indiana's retaliation chapter defines protected activity and retaliatory acts but sets no time window that presumes retaliation.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Indiana?

Protected tenant actions in Indiana: Code complaints, written complaints, lawsuits, tenant groups. Covers code complaints to a government agency, written complaints to the landlord under IC 32-31-5-6 or 32-31-8-5, suits under IC 32-31-6 or 32-31-8, tenant organizations and testimony against the landlord.

Where do the Indiana landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Ind. Code 32-31-8.5-2, Ind. Code 32-31-8.5-4, Ind. Code 32-31-8.5-5 and Ind. Code 32-31-8.5-6. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Cities and counties may not adopt or enforce their own ordinances on landlord retaliation.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.