Mobile home storm rules in Indiana
Indiana encourages a mobile home community to remind residents each year to replace the batteries in their weather radios and smoke detectors, relies on the federal HUD code for a home's construction and anchoring, and applies the general landlord-tenant habitability duty — but it has no statute requiring a park to provide a storm shelter.
Published June 3, 2026
Indiana addresses storm and disaster safety through a weather-radio and smoke-detector reminder provision (Ind. Code §16-41-27-16.6), the federal HUD construction code, and the general landlord-tenant habitability duty (Ind. Code §32-31-8-5). The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific situation should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Indiana.
What the statute says
Indiana's mobile home community chapter includes a weather-safety provision: under Ind. Code §16-41-27-16.6(a), "each year during National Fire Prevention Week, the operator of a mobile home community is encouraged to provide a written reminder to the owners of all manufactured homes and industrialized residential structures ... to replace the batteries in all weather radios and smoke detectors," and §16-41-27-16.6(b) shields the operator from liability for a device's functionality when it provides such a reminder or assistance. The home's construction and anchoring follow the federal HUD code (24 C.F.R. Part 3280). Habitability comes from §32-31-8-5, which requires the landlord to keep the premises "in a safe, clean, and habitable condition," comply with health and housing codes, and maintain the supplied electrical, plumbing, sanitary, and HVAC systems. Indiana has no statute requiring a park to provide a storm shelter.
How it works in general
Indiana's distinctive storm-related rule is informational: a community is encouraged to remind residents each year, during Fire Prevention Week, to replace the batteries in their weather radios and smoke detectors — a recognition that weather radios matter in a manufactured home. For the home itself, Indiana relies on the federal HUD code's wind-zone construction and anchoring standards. For the lot and common areas, the general habitability duty applies — the landlord has to keep the premises safe and habitable and the supplied systems working, which matters most when a storm strains a park's utilities. Indiana doesn't require a park to provide a storm shelter, so disaster preparation and assistance run through state and federal emergency management.
Common scenarios
General examples Indiana park residents commonly encounter:
- A resident prepares for storm season. The community is encouraged to remind residents to check weather-radio and smoke-detector batteries (§16-41-27-16.6).
- Questions arise about how a home is anchored. The federal HUD code governs construction and wind-zone requirements (24 C.F.R. Part 3280).
- A storm strains the park's supplied systems. The landlord must keep them in safe working order (§32-31-8-5).
Other authorities that may apply
The mobile home community chapter (Ind. Code §16-41-27-16.6) addresses weather radios and smoke detectors; the general landlord-tenant law (§32-31-8-5) sets the habitability duty; and the federal HUD code governs home construction and anchoring. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security and FEMA administer disaster assistance, and a homeowner's insurance policy — not statute — usually governs storm-damage claims.
Frequently asked questions
- Does an Indiana mobile home community address weather safety?
- Yes, by encouragement. Under Ind. Code §16-41-27-16.6(a), 'each year during National Fire Prevention Week, the operator of a mobile home community is encouraged to provide a written reminder' to home owners to 'replace the batteries in all weather radios and smoke detectors' in their homes. Providing such a reminder or assistance does not make the operator liable for the device's functionality (§16-41-27-16.6(b)). This is general information, not advice about a specific situation — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Indiana.
- What construction and anchoring standards govern an Indiana manufactured home?
- The federal HUD code. A manufactured home is built and anchored to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (24 C.F.R. Part 3280). Indiana has no statute requiring a park to provide a storm shelter, so disaster preparation and assistance run through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.
- Who keeps an Indiana rental safe and habitable?
- The landlord. Under Ind. Code §32-31-8-5, a landlord must deliver and maintain the premises 'in a safe, clean, and habitable condition,' comply with health and housing codes, keep common areas in proper condition, and maintain supplied electrical, plumbing, sanitary, and HVAC systems — duties that matter most when a storm strains a park's systems.