Buying a mobile home in Indiana

Indiana has no dedicated park tenancy act, so a buyer's protections come mainly from the written lease, the park's rules, and general law — though Indiana does bar local age- or size-based restrictions on homes. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone buying should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Indiana.

What the statute says

Indiana has no mobile-home-park statute requiring pre-sale disclosure, limiting how a community screens a buyer, or guaranteeing a buyer the right to take over the seller's lot. The general landlord-tenant law requires the deposit to be returned, "all as itemized by the landlord ... not more than forty-five (45) days after termination" (Ind. Code §32-31-3-12), and the landlord to keep the premises "in a safe, clean, and habitable condition" (§32-31-8-5). On local interference, §16-41-27-32 limits local licensing and regulation of communities and makes age- or size-based local regulation of homes void and unenforceable after March 14, 2022. The home is titled by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Ind. Code title 9, article 17) and built to the federal HUD code.

How it works in general

A buyer in an Indiana community is largely on their own as a matter of statute: there's no required disclosure statement, no statutory limit on how a park screens a buyer, and no guaranteed right to take over the seller's lot — so the written lease and the park rules control. Due diligence is essential: read the lease and rules for the rent, the charges, and the park's approval requirements; confirm the seller holds a clean BMV certificate of title and check for liens; and confirm whether the home is titled as personal property or has been converted to real property. Indiana does protect against local age- or size-based restrictions on homes, and the general landlord-tenant law gives the buyer the 45-day deposit-return and habitability protections once they become a tenant. Federal fair-housing law applies to how a park screens buyers.

Common scenarios

General examples Indiana buyers commonly encounter:

• A buyer wants the terms up front. No statute requires a disclosure statement — read the lease and rules.
• A local ordinance targets an older or smaller home. Age- or size-based local regulation is void (§16-41-27-32).
• A buyer checks the home. Confirm a clean BMV certificate of title and any liens (Ind. Code title 9, art. 17).

Other authorities that may apply

Indiana's lack of a dedicated park tenancy act means the written lease, the park rules, and the general landlord-tenant law (IC 32-31) govern a purchase; §16-41-27-32 limits local regulation, and the home is titled by the BMV and built to the federal HUD code. Federal lending rules and the Fair Housing Act can apply. The lease, the park rules, and the title are the core documents to review.