Finding a home or apartment for rent in Indiana can be difficult. Throughout the country, and in Indiana, there is a housing shortage and renters have struggled to find affordable housing. Along with these challenges, unexpected and confusing fees show up. What resources are available for new and long-standing renters in Indiana? And what protections exist for tenants?

Here is some helpful information to have on hand before you sign a new lease and what to know about your rights as a tenant in Indiana.

Once you have done your research and found a possible rental unit or units, find the owner and research possible complaints and investigations. We created a guide to help you get started on that.

Fees

When you are ready to get an application in, be prepared to start paying fees. Make a habit of getting a receipt each time you hand over money. The receipt should include the date, how much you paid and for what, and who is taking the payment.

An application fee is standard and can be burdensome for a budget. This is a fee for processing your application, including a possible credit check and background check. Landlords set the amount for this fee and it is non-refundable in Indiana. The landlord could ask you to pay for a background check separately. If the landlord will be holding the home for you, you may be charged a holding fee.

Make sure to ask for other charges you’ll need to pay after approval, when you move in and any that are ongoing. These can include:

– Administrative and processing fees.

– Move-in fees.

– HOA fees for homes or condos.

– Parking fees.

– Portal fees.

– Pet fees.

– Utility fees.

– Notice fees.

– Maintenance fees.

– Pest control fees.

– Trash fees.

A recent report from the National Consumer Law Center analyzes the impact of “junk fees” and said corporate and larger landlords are known to push more fees onto renters.

There are no tenant fee regulations in Indiana for landlords, except that all fees should be listed in the lease or told to you if you have a verbal lease. Pay special attention to small print and any separate pages you sign that make changes or add information to the original lease agreement, these are called addendums. Month to month leases offer less protection, especially when verbal, as charges can change with notice. If you are dealing with surprise or fraudulent fees, you can seek legal advice, as you may have legal defense under consumer protection laws.