Landlord guide, Indiana (IN)
Indiana eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Indiana starts with the 10-day notice to pay rent or vacate: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6; § 32-31-1-7). Then the landlord files in the small claims docket of the circuit or superior court, or a city or town court, where the case is called action for possession (eviction); the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10 calendar days
- Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6; § 32-31-1-7
- Court
- small claims docket of the circuit or superior court, or a city or town court
- Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A)
- Time to appeal
- 30 days
- Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A)
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Indiana landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Indiana’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 10-day notice to pay rent or vacate, 10 calendar days (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6; § 32-31-1-7).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the notice of lease violation, with no fixed period in the statute (statute not confirmed).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (IC 32-31-1-1).
What the statute adds, in English
The landlord may terminate on at least 10 days' notice unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays the rent in full before the notice period ends. The statute also supplies an optional form of notice.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the small claims docket of the circuit or superior court, or a city or town court, where the case is called action for possession (eviction) (Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A)).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
The statute sets no timetable for the hearing that we could confirm; the court schedules it.
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 30 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
The statute sets no removal timetable we could confirm; the officer schedules it.
Indiana eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 10 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Not confirmed
- Time to appeal
- 30 days
- Removal
- Not confirmed
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Indiana bans self-help eviction (Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
Unless the unit is abandoned or a court orders it, a landlord may not change locks, remove doors, windows, fixtures or appliances, or cut electricity, gas, water or other essential services to force a tenant out.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Indiana eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Indiana in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Indiana notice with its 10 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so
Dardaris
The statutes
Indiana eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10-day notice to pay rent or vacate10 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itThe landlord may terminate on at least 10 days' notice unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays the rent in full before the notice period ends. The statute also supplies an optional form of notice. | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6; § 32-31-1-7 |
| Notice for a lease breach | notice of lease violationNo fixed periodNo statute sets a notice period or a right to cure for a breach other than rent, so the lease governs. A tenancy at will can be ended on one month's written notice under § 32-31-1-1. | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysThe statute says one month's written notice. | IC 32-31-1-1 |
| How a notice is served | service on the tenantif the tenant cannot be found, service on a person residing at the premises, with the contents explainedif no such person is found, affixing a copy to a conspicuous part of the premises | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-9 |
| Court and action | small claims docket of the circuit or superior court, or a city or town courtaction for possession (eviction) | Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A) |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Time to appeal | 30 days | Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A) |
| Removal | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedUnless the unit is abandoned or a court orders it, a landlord may not change locks, remove doors, windows, fixtures or appliances, or cut electricity, gas, water or other essential services to force a tenant out. | Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title32/ar31/ch1.html
- http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title32/ar31/ch5.html
- https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_32/Article_31/Chapter_1.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/courts/files/small-claims-manual.pdf
- https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_32/Article_31/Chapter_3.pdf
- https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_32/Article_31/Chapter_5.pdf
- https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_32/Article_31/Chapter_8.pdf
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Indiana
How long does an eviction take in Indiana?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 10 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Indiana landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 10-day notice to pay rent or vacate, which gives the tenant 10 calendar days (Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6; § 32-31-1-7). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Indiana?
No. Indiana bans self-help eviction (Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Indiana?
In the small claims docket of the circuit or superior court, or a city or town court, where the case is called action for possession (eviction) (Ind. Code ch. 32-30-3; Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A)).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Indiana?
With 30 days’ notice (IC 32-31-1-1). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Indiana?
Yes. The tenant has 30 days after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Georgia: 3 business days for unpaid rent
- Hawaii: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Idaho: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Illinois: 5 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Iowa: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Louisiana: 5 business days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
Keep the property. Hand over the admin.
Bring one property. Watch how a month runs. Keep the decisions that need you and hand over the rest.
14 days on Pro, nothing charged until they are up. Cancel whenever.