Fishers City reports most rental properties registered; enforcement notices issued for a small share

Fishers City staff updated the council on the home rental registration program and said outreach and software have largely succeeded in registering existing rental properties.

Megan Plumbar, director of Community and Economic Development, said staff identified over 3,000 suspected rental properties and that, as of Jan. 1, “about 137” properties remained unregistered — a figure she characterized as “less than 5%” of the city’s rentals. Staff began enforcement with a friendly notice issued Jan. 1 to suspected noncompliant addresses and noted that a dynamic public map allows homeowners’ associations and residents to view registered rental properties and request records under public-records rules.

Plumbar credited staff members Jordan and Lucas and the community services team with handling inbound calls and processing registrations. She said staff continue to coordinate with the county on homestead exemptions and changes of use and have set up a process to evaluate claims that a property is grandfathered if an owner contends it was previously registered.

Council members asked whether landlords had raised unexpected problems; Plumbar said not to date, though she anticipated additional inquiries once fines or formal violations begin. The council did not take new enforcement policy action at the meeting; staff indicated they would continue registration outreach and follow the established enforcement steps.