Squatters' Rights in Indiana
Indiana rules on squatters & abandoned property for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Expedited police removal (since July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is someone occupying another's property who does not have, and has never had, a rental agreement, the owner's permission, or another property interest; IC 32-31-12-1 to -8 (P.L.191-2025)
The rules in Indiana
| Squatters / unauthorized occupants | Expedited police removal (since July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is someone occupying another's property who does not have, and has never had, a rental agreement, the owner's permission, or another property interest; former tenants and invitees are excluded. The owner signs an affidavit (stating false statements are subject to perjury penalties) and gives it to a law enforcement agency, which must dispatch officers to remove the squatter within 48 hours (later only for public-safety reasons, then as soon as practicable). Officers must remove the person unless they find credible evidence the person has or had a rental agreement/permission or is an invitee; they may also arrest on probable cause. Officers are immune from civil liability. A person removed because the affiant knowingly made a materially false statement may sue the affiant. The owner may still use a possession or emergency possession action instead. Law enforcement agencies may create a form affidavit (IC 32-31-12-3(c)). |
|---|---|
| Belongings left behind | A landlord is not liable for loss of personal property the tenant abandoned (property is abandoned if a reasonable person would conclude the tenant vacated and surrendered it; a lease cannot define abandonment differently). After winning possession in court, the landlord may ask the court for an order allowing removal of the tenant's property. If the tenant does not remove it by the date in the order, the landlord may move it to a warehouseman or court-approved storage facility after personally serving the tenant at the last known address with notice of the order and the storage location. Exempt property (medically necessary items, tools of trade, a week's seasonal clothing, blankets, items for a child's care and schooling) must be released free on demand. The storer holds a lien for storage and related costs; if not claimed within 45 days after notice, the property may be sold. If a sole tenant dies or is incapacitated, the landlord must let the 'tenant's representative' remove belongings (IC 32-31-1-23). Source: IC 32-31-4-1 to -5 |
Related questions
Indiana vs. neighboring states
| State | Squatters / unauthorized occupants | Belongings left behind |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | Expedited police removal (since July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is someone occupying another's property who does not have, and has never had, a rental agreement, the owner's permission, or another property interest; former tenants and invitees are excluded. The owner signs an affidavit (stating false statements are subject to perjury penalties) and gives it to a law enforcement agency, which must dispatch officers to remove the squatter within 48 hours (later only for public-safety reasons, then as soon as practicable). Officers must remove the person unless they find credible evidence the person has or had a rental agreement/permission or is an invitee; they may also arrest on probable cause. Officers are immune from civil liability. A person removed because the affiant knowingly made a materially false statement may sue the affiant. The owner may still use a possession or emergency possession action instead. IC 32-31-12-1 to -8 (P.L.191-2025) | A landlord is not liable for loss of personal property the tenant abandoned (property is abandoned if a reasonable person would conclude the tenant vacated and surrendered it; a lease cannot define abandonment differently). After winning possession in court, the landlord may ask the court for an order allowing removal of the tenant's property. If the tenant does not remove it by the date in the order, the landlord may move it to a warehouseman or court-approved storage facility after personally serving the tenant at the last known address with notice of the order and the storage location. Exempt property (medically necessary items, tools of trade, a week's seasonal clothing, blankets, items for a child's care and schooling) must be released free on demand. The storer holds a lien for storage and related costs; if not claimed within 45 days after notice, the property may be sold. IC 32-31-4-1 to -5 |
| Illinois | No special affidavit or fast-track removal statute. The owner uses the regular eviction (forcible entry and detainer) case, which covers peaceable entry with possession unlawfully withheld and entry into vacant or unoccupied property without right or title. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the eviction article expressly says it does not stop police from enforcing criminal trespass (720 ILCS 5/21-3) or removing persons or property when there is a criminal trespass. 735 ILCS 5/9-102(a)(2)-(3), (e) (as amended by P.A. 104-29, eff. 1-1-26); 720 ILCS 5/21-3 | No statute — Illinois has no general statewide procedure (notice, storage period, sale) for belongings a residential tenant leaves behind. The eviction article (735 ILCS 5/Art. IX, Part 1) and the Landlord and Tenant Act (765 ILCS 705) contain no such section; the lease and local ordinances (e.g., Chicago) govern. 735 ILCS 5/Art. IX, Part 1; 765 ILCS 705 (checked) |
| Kentucky | Police removal by petition (since June 27, 2025). An owner or authorized agent may ask a law enforcement officer to immediately remove people unlawfully occupying real property if: the occupant is not and never was a tenant and never had a written or oral agreement with the owner to occupy; the property was not open to the public when they entered; the owner told them to leave; they are not the owner's immediate family; and no litigation about the property is pending between them. The owner presents a sworn 'Petition to Remove Persons Unlawfully Occupying Real Property' (statutory form, initialed statements, with government ID or proof of agency). After verifying the petitioner's identity, the officer must without unnecessary delay serve a notice to immediately vacate (hand delivery or posting) and put the owner in possession; the officer may arrest for trespass or other cause. Sheriff/constable fee: $20. The officer may stay to keep the peace while the owner changes locks and moves the occupants' belongings to or near the property line. A wrongfully removed person may sue within 60 days for restored possession, costs, and attorney's fees. The procedure cannot be used against current or former tenants. KRS 383.290 (2025 Ky. Acts ch. 63, eff. 6-27-25) | No statute — no Kentucky statute sets a notice/storage/sale procedure for a residential tenant's belongings left after move-out or eviction. KRS 383.670 (URLTA, only where locally adopted) covers re-renting an abandoned unit but not personal property; the forcible detainer sections (KRS 383.200-.285) are silent on belongings. KRS 383.670; KRS Chapter 383 (section list checked) |
| Michigan | Two routes. (1) Court: summary proceedings are available against a person who entered by force, holds possession by force after a peaceable entry, or 'comes into possession of premises by trespass without color of title or other possessory interest.' After a judgment for possession, the court may issue the writ of restitution immediately if trespass without color of title is pleaded and proved with notice; normally there is a 10-day wait. (2) Self-help: if the occupant came in by forcible entry, holds by force, or is a trespasser without color of title, the owner or agent may enter the premises. The peaceable-entry requirement does not apply, but assault and battery (MCL 750.81-750.90g) remain prohibited. MCL 600.5714(1)(f); MCL 600.5744(3)(d), (5); MCL 600.5711(3) | No storage or notice statute for belongings left behind. At eviction, the writ directs the officer to remove all occupants and personal property and either leave the property in an area open to the public or in the public right-of-way, or deliver it to the sheriff if the sheriff allows. The officer serving the writ decides whether the premises and property are abandoned. MCL 600.5744(1)-(2) |
| Ohio | Ohio has no special squatter-removal procedure. The owner files a forcible entry and detainer (eviction) action in court against an occupier who holds the property without color of title. That requires the 3-day notice to leave under § 1923.04. Separately, entering or staying on another's land without privilege is criminal trespass under § 2911.21, a fourth-degree misdemeanor for most violations, which police may enforce. Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.02(A)(5); § 1923.04; § 2911.21 | No statute for ordinary residential tenancies. Ohio Rev. Code chapters 5321 and 1923 set no notice, storage, or sale procedure for a tenant's belongings left in an apartment or house. Detailed rules exist only for manufactured homes, mobile homes, RVs, and personal property in manufactured home parks. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321; §§ 1923.12-1923.14 (manufactured home parks only) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Indiana rental law
- Indiana Security Deposit Law
- Indiana Eviction Laws
- Indiana Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Indiana
- Indiana Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Indiana Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Indiana
- Indiana Rental Fee Rules
- Indiana Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Indiana Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Indiana Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Indiana Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Indiana Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Indiana landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Indiana
Compare squatters & abandoned property in all 50 states and DC →
Squatters' Rights in Indiana FAQ
How do you remove a squatter in Indiana?
Expedited police removal (since July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is someone occupying another's property who does not have, and has never had, a rental agreement, the owner's permission, or another property interest; former tenants and invitees are excluded. The owner signs an affidavit (stating false statements are subject to perjury penalties) and gives it to a law enforcement agency, which must dispatch officers to remove the squatter within 48 hours (later only for public-safety reasons, then as soon as practicable). Officers must remove the person unless they find credible evidence the person has or had a rental agreement/permission or is an invitee; they may also arrest on probable cause. Officers are immune from civil liability. A person removed because the affiant knowingly made a materially false statement may sue the affiant. The owner may still use a possession or emergency possession action instead. (IC 32-31-12-1 to -8 (P.L.191-2025))
What can a landlord do with a tenant's abandoned property in Indiana?
A landlord is not liable for loss of personal property the tenant abandoned (property is abandoned if a reasonable person would conclude the tenant vacated and surrendered it; a lease cannot define abandonment differently). After winning possession in court, the landlord may ask the court for an order allowing removal of the tenant's property. If the tenant does not remove it by the date in the order, the landlord may move it to a warehouseman or court-approved storage facility after personally serving the tenant at the last known address with notice of the order and the storage location. Exempt property (medically necessary items, tools of trade, a week's seasonal clothing, blankets, items for a child's care and schooling) must be released free on demand. The storer holds a lien for storage and related costs; if not claimed within 45 days after notice, the property may be sold. (IC 32-31-4-1 to -5)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.