The City's Proposed Rental Registration & Inspection Program
The City of Mishawaka publicly noticed a meeting of the Common Council's Sub-Standard Housing Committee for June 22, 2026, to consider Proposed Ordinance No. 2026-18, "Establishing a Rental Registration & Inspection Program."
That is what we can confirm. We have not seen a final adopted text, so we are not going to guess at fees, inspection intervals, or which properties would be covered. If it is adopted in some form, landlords should expect at minimum to register rental units with the city and to have them inspected.
For a well-kept unit, that is paperwork. For a unit with years of deferred maintenance, it is a deadline. Before making plans around it, check the ordinance's current status and final wording with the City Clerk or the Common Council.
Tenant Utility Bills and Your Lien Exposure
Tenants in Mishawaka usually open their own Mishawaka Utilities account; the city's service page lists a lease agreement as acceptable documentation. That feels like it takes the landlord out of the picture. For wastewater, it does not entirely.
Indiana Code 36-9-23-32 allows unpaid municipal sewer fees to become a lien on the property itself. For property occupied by someone other than the owner, the statute says the lien attaches only if the utility notifies the owner within 20 days after the fees become 60 days delinquent. In other words: if you receive a delinquency notice about a tenant's account, it is not junk mail. It is the start of a claim against your property.
When a tenant leaves owing money, that balance can follow the house rather than the tenant. Keep your mailing address current with the utility, and read anything it sends you.
New Apartments on the Riverwalk
Mishawaka's downtown is adding housing. In March 2023 the Redevelopment Commission approved a $63 million Mill Phase II development with 215 residential units, commercial space, and a parking garage. In April 2026 the Plan Commission recommended selective demolition for the $41.5 million 100 Center redevelopment along the river, which plans apartments, condominiums and storefronts and has a $5.6 million READI grant behind it, WNDU reported.
We are not going to predict what that does to rents on your particular street. It is simply part of the picture if you are weighing a large capital outlay on an older single-family rental or duplex: newer rental stock is being added in the city, and renters will have more to compare your unit against.
Selling With Tenants in Place
The Indiana landlord-tenant rules on leases, notice and deposits at sale are covered on our South Bend rental property page and our landlord's guide; they apply the same way in Mishawaka.
The short version of how it works with us:
- Leases transfer at closing. Tenants stay, and you are no longer the landlord from that day.
- No need to wait out a lease, serve notice, or turn the unit over first.
- Tenants behind on rent, month-to-month arrangements, and units with open code items are all fine.
- One visit to see the property, arranged around your tenant.
- Several Mishawaka units can go in one transaction.
Tell your tenants early and plainly. In our experience the worry for a tenant is not a change of landlord; it is the fear of being told to leave. A short letter saying the lease continues, where to pay rent from the closing date, and who to call for repairs removes almost all of the friction — and makes the one walkthrough much easier to schedule.
Our general terms for selling a house in Mishawaka are the same for rentals: as-is, no commission, and a closing date you choose.
Keep, Fix, or Sell?
| Keep and upgrade | Sell to us | |
|---|---|---|
| Possible registration/inspection rules | Yours to meet if adopted | Not your concern after closing |
| Deferred maintenance | Your capital | Bought as-is |
| Tenant utility delinquencies | Can become a lien on your property | Settled at closing |
| Timeline | Ongoing | 7–14 days, or your date |
If your units are in good shape and cash-flowing, keeping them may be the right call. If the proposed program is the last straw on a tired portfolio, get a number first and decide after.
Resources for Mishawaka Landlords
Mishawaka Rental Contacts
- City of Mishawaka News & Public Noticesmishawaka.in.govCouncil and committee notices, including Proposed Ordinance No. 2026-18.
- City of Mishawaka Code Enforcementmishawaka.in.govSubstandard housing, open notices, and rental compliance with the Fire Department. (574) 258-1612.
- Mishawaka Utilitiesmishawaka.in.govKeep your owner mailing address current so delinquency notices reach you: (574) 258-1630.
- City of Mishawaka Municipal Codelibrary.municode.comCurrent ordinances; check here for adopted rental rules.