What is this program?

The Fishers City Council is in the process of considering an ordinance that will instate a rental registration and permitting program for long-term rentals for Fishers properties.

Why is the City proposing the program?

In 2022, the City of Fishers released a public report that found it imperative to the City’s long term vibrancy, to maintain high quality rental stock as many older homes, that are currently owner occupied, enter the rental market. Considering this trend along with the increasing numbers of out of state ownership (47% of all SF rentals) and institutional investor ownership (25% of all SF rentals), the City must be proactive to ensure quality stock within the single family rental market, while also ensuring single family homeownership opportunities exist for prospective buyers.

The study recommended the city initiate a rental registration program to maintain a real-time inventory of rental homes with key property information to ensure code compliance and welfare of tenants.

The result of this recommendation and consideration of the trends detailed above, is a two-part policy:

Registration & Permitting Requirement for all single-family, long-term rentals in Fishers.
Rental Permit Cap that limits available permits to be issued to less than 10% of long-term rentals per subdivision. Legacy rentals (rentals established prior to the effective date of the ordinance) will not be subject to the 10% cap. See more on ‘What are Legacy Rentals?’ in the FAQ below.

Timeline

1/13/25 – City Council Work Session and initial introduction

2/24/25 – City Council First Reading

3/10/25 – Public Webinar Town Hall & Q&A

4/21/25 – City Council Second Reading and Public Hearing

Process Timeline

If approved, communication and outreach will occur to homeowners and HOAs will occur through the remainder of 2025.
Following approval of the ordinance, an initial notice will be mailed to property owners of suspected long-term rental properties.
120 days prior to enforcement date, a second notice will be mailed to property owners of suspected long-term rental properties.
90 days prior to enforcement date, a notice will be sent to long-term rental property owners
60 days prior to enforcement date, a notice will be sent to long-term rental property owners
30 days prior to enforcement date, a final notice will be sent to long-term rental property owners
An estimated implementation date of January 1, 2026, will coincide with enforcement beginning and all long-term rentals being registered.

How can I learn more?

Proposed Ordinance

1/13/25 – City Council Work Session Presentation (PDF)

2/24/25 – City Council First Reading Presentation (PDF) | Video

3/10/25 – Public Webinar Town Hall Recording (YouTube) | Q&A (PDF)

Rental Registration & Permitting FAQ’s

Why can’t HOAs manage this at the subdivision level?

HOA covenant changes can be difficult to modify due to strict voting requirements. Additionally, many HOAs lack the resources to enforce these regulations.

Would this ordinance prevent my HOA from implementing more stringent regulations?

No, this serves as a baseline. HOAs may choose to implement stricter regulations.

How much will it cost to register a long-term rental property?

There will be no cost to register a long-term rental property through this program.

Does this include long-term rentals for condos and townhouses?

Yes, the rental registration and permitting will apply to any single-family home as well as condos and townhouses.

Does this ordinance apply to short-term rentals?

No. Per State Statute, owner-occupied short-term rentals may not be restricted.

What are Legacy Rentals?

Under the proposed ordinance, Legacy Rentals are rental properties existing prior to the enforcement date of January 1st, 2026. Legacy Rentals registering prior to January 1st, 2026 will be issued a permit, regardless of whether they are in a subdivision with over 10% rentals. Subdivisions over 10% rentals will not be issued any additional rental permits, until the rental percentage drops below 10% in that neighborhood. Permits of Legacy Rentals are valid until ownership changeover of the property occurs, or until a violation warranting permit revocation occurs. See more on permit revocation in the FAQ.

Can permits be revoked?

Yes. Under the proposed ordinance, permits may be revoked for violations to the Title XV of the Fishers Municipal Code, delinquency of Fishers Utilities invoices, or provisions of city ordinances that place undue burden on public safety resources (i.e. more than seven (7) calls for service to public safety). Permit revocation will be handled by the City of Fishers City Court. See permit criteria for more information.

Do permits expire?

Per state statute, rental permits may not expire until there is a changeover of ownership or there is a violation of the City’s enforceable ordinance or codes. See ‘Can permits be revoked?’ for more information.

Are there any exceptions to this ordinance?

Yes. The scenarios below are proposed exceptions to this ordinance. Properties or owners in these scenarios will not have to register or be subject to the 10% cap. If contacted by the city as a suspected rental, property owners in these situations will fill out the exemption form provided.

– Renting to Family Members or Legal Dependents
-Job Relocation
-Deployed Military
-Selling the Property will Cause Undue Burden (e.g. death, divorce in last year)
– Failure to Sell the Property after 6 Months

Does the ordinance include fines for non-compliance?

Yes. The proposed ordinance includes the following:

Failing to Register: $250 Fine

Operating above 10% cap without a permit:
First Violation: $1000 Fine
Second & Subsequent Violation: Not Less than $5,000 nor more than $7,500