Submitted by City of Carmel
In support of an ordinance approved by the Carmel City Council that establishes a mandatory registration and permitting system for all residential rental dwellings in the city, residents can begin registering their dwellings Dec. 1.
Following the passing of this measure by the Council in June, which limits the number of rentals within a development of single-family homes or townhomes to 10 percent, the city developed a permitting system and registration procedure for dwellings mandated by the ordinance.
The ordinance included a provision for Legacy Dwellings – rental properties existing prior to the enforcement date of Jan. 1, 2026. This means that dwellings registered by Dec. 31, 2025 will be issued a permit, regardless of whether they are in a subdivision with more than 10 percent rentals.
Those interested in registering a property can do so beginning Monday, Dec. 1 in advance of the Dec. 31 deadline. The link to the registration site will be promoted on social media and to leadership of Home Owners Associations (HOA) in Carmel.
In addition, those who submitted their email address to receive updates about the process will receive a reminder with a link to the registration site. To receive a reminder, this link takes you to the submission form.
While the standard registration fee is $5 per property, a tiered late fee structure will be applied starting Jan. 1, 2026, assessing a $100 late fee for registrations 30 days late and a $200 late fee for registrations 60 days late.
Want to know more? This link takes you to the FAQ on the website.
“In establishing the mandatory registration and permitting process, the Carmel City Council was looking to support homeowners who have a vested interest in the vibrancy of their community by building equity in their homes, through investing in and improving their properties,” Carmel Director of Community Services Mike Hollibaugh said.
