Monroe County - City of Bloomington
South Central Indiana Airbnb and short term rental laws.
Renting the home you live in: Allowed
Renting a home you don’t live in: Allowed
Bloomington has no short term rental permit. Every rental in the city must register with the city housing office, HAND. The rental code does not mention nightly rentals.
PERMIT
There is no short term rental permit. The city runs a rental registration and inspection program through its housing office, HAND.
How to apply
There is no short term rental application. The city says every rental in city limits, except IU owned homes, must register with HAND and pass an inspection.
Fee
There is no short term rental fee. A HAND inspection for a registered rental costs $105 for a single family home and $150 for a condo. You get 25% off if the first inspection finds no problems. Each later re inspection is $77, and a no show is $50.
Renewal
Rental occupancy permits last 3, 4, or 5 years. Lodging places, which include vacation cabin rentals, have no permit cycle and are inspected only after a complaint.
Where rentals are allowed
The zoning code defines a short term rental as renting a whole home for less than 30 days. The use table has no separate rules for it. A bed and breakfast needs conditional approval in R1, R2, R3, R4, and RM and is allowed outright in five mixed use districts.
Guest limits
There is no short term rental guest limit. For a registered rental, the occupancy permit sets the limit. HAND says single family zones usually allow one family or three unrelated adults.
Caps
There is no cap on short term rentals. A bed and breakfast can have three guest units in R1, R2, R3, R4, and RM, and eight elsewhere. In those home zones it must be a single family home, and stays are capped at 30 days in a row.
Safety and inspections
A registered rental gets a HAND inspection before each permit and must meet Indiana building, fire, electrical, plumbing, and other codes. Lodging places are inspected after a complaint. Turning off a smoke or carbon monoxide detector is a violation.
Parking, trash, and noise
There is no short term rental noise, trash, or parking rule. Rental homes must follow the city health code and have a covered outdoor trash can. A bed and breakfast needs 1 parking space per guest bedroom.
Local contact
There is no short term rental contact rule. Owners of a registered rental who live outside Indiana must name an agent in Indiana.
Penalties
A rental code violation can cost up to $2,500, and each day counts as a new violation. HAND lists a fine of up to $100 a day for a rental that is not registered.
Last changed
May 20, 2026
Apply
Official rules
More information
- BMC 20.07: Short term rental definition
- BMC 20.03.030(d)(8): Bed and breakfast standards
- BMC 16.03.030(e): Rental permit length
- BMC 16.05.020: Lodging complaint inspections
- BMC 16.04.080: Covered trash can
- BMC 16.03.020(b)(5): Indiana agent for owners
- BMC 16.10.030: Civil penalties