Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana has no statewide law requiring landlords to accept housing vouchers, and its cities and counties cannot require it either: a city, town or county may not adopt or enforce an ordinance that requires, or would have the effect of requiring, a landlord to take part in the Section 8 program or a similar housing program. Federal law leaves the voucher program voluntary for most landlords, but a property financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits may not refuse a tenant because they hold a voucher. This is Ind. Code § 36-1-3-8.5.
| What | Indiana |
|---|---|
| Renting to a voucher holder | Not protected; local protections barred |
| What the state law does | Bars cities and counties from protecting vouchers |
Source
Ind. Code § 36-1-3-8.5
Read the statute in the Indiana Code (Indiana General Assembly): iga.in.gov.
The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.
Guides on this rule
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: A Landlord’s Guide to Vouchers — How the Housing Choice Voucher program works for landlords: the HAP contract, inspections and the 2027 NSPIRE change, rent reasonableness, and who pays what.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
- The Fair Housing Act: A Landlord’s Plain-English Guide — The seven protected classes, what the Fair Housing Act prohibits, the small-landlord exemptions, advertising rules, deadlines and penalties, with citations.
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The same question in other states
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