Stay Compliant with Elkhart’s New Rental Inspection Program

The City of Elkhart has launched a rental inspection program, which is designed to protect the health and safety of people who are currently living in rental housing. This program requires landlords to register their rental properties each year and submit the property to an inspection every three years.

While this is a great program for tenants and the community, it’s painstaking work for property owners. When you partner with Root Management, we handle the registrations, inspections, and repairs for you!

Consultation is free. Optional pre-inspection walkthrough: $99 (with punch list).

turnover and vacancies – vacant property

Root Management helps Elkhart property owners stay compliant without the stress.

The Program

What Is It?

The City of Elkhart has launched a new Rental Inspection Program requiring all landlords to register their rental properties and complete a compliance inspection every three years.

The Goal

Elkhart is aligning with many other cities in Indiana to help ensure that all rental housing meets basic health and safety standards that protect both tenants and owners in the short and long term.

The Deadline

By July 1, 2026, all landlords must register each rental unit with the City of Elkhart, complete an inspection once every three years, and correct any violations within a specific timeframe.

How Root Helps

Failure to comply can result in fines, we ensure you stay compliant and stress-free.
As your property manager, Root will:

Register your property with the City of Elkhart

Coordinate inspections and paperwork

Fix violations quickly through trusted vendors

Communicate with tenants on your behalf

Maintain compliance moving forward

We handle every step, so you never have to deal with city forms or missed deadlines.

Elkhart Renter Inspection Program FAQs

All rental properties within the City of Elkhart must be registered under the new Rental Inspection Program — including single-family homes, duplexes, and multifamily units. Mobile homes are not included in the program. Owner-occupied properties are exempt.

Each rental unit is required to be inspected once every three years to maintain an active Certificate of Compliance.

Yes. The City allows landlords to use an approved independent inspector at no cost, as long as the inspector is licensed and follows the city’s checklist.

If violations are found, you’ll receive written notice with 10–60 days to correct them before fines apply. Once repairs are completed, a mandatory re-inspection will confirm compliance.

The standard inspection fee is $60 per unit. However, property owners who register early can receive 50% off the inspection fee.

All rental properties must be registered and compliant by July 1, 2026 to avoid penalties.

For more information, you can check out the City of Elkhart’s Program Benefits and Questionnaire document, as well as the Official Inspection Checklist.

Don’t Wait Until the Deadline – Get Started Today

Enjoy program compliance and stress-free property management!