Marion County had nearly 19,000 eviction filings for part of 2025. A new report explains why

Landlords filed nearly 19,000 eviction cases in Marion County in the first nine months of 2025, according to a new report, compared with over 25,000 eviction cases the previous year.

The report — by the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana — examines evictions in Indianapolis and how renters are impacted. 

Amy Nelson, executive director of the center, said the scale of the problem in Indiana is significant.

"We are just evicting so many people. It is in no way equal to other states or similar-sized cities in any capacity," she said.

The report points to recent rankings from the Eviction Lab at Princeton University. Indiana ranks third for filings out of 10 states tracked by the lab. Indianapolis has the sixth highest filing rate out of 27 cities tracked by the lab.

There were 14.2 eviction filings in Indianapolis for every 100 renter households in 2025, according to the lab.

In the FHCCI’s report, Warren Township had the highest filing rate of the nine townships in Marion County. The top Indianapolis neighborhoods were International Marketplace, Delaware Trails and Southdale.

The report also details an increase in evictions filed in superior court — as opposed to township courts. This is because landlords perceive township courts to be less favorable to them, according to the report.

Indiana is one of only four states without a statute allowing tenants to withhold rent or make repairs and deduct the cost from what they owe. Landlords are required to give tenants only 10 days' notice before filing for eviction for nonpayment of rent.

Nelson said laws passed by the state legislature gave Indiana a reputation as a landlord-friendly state.

“Over the past 10 years, our Indiana General Assembly is just passing a number of laws that have all been friendly to the industry,” she said. 

The FHCCI will release a second report on evictions later this year focused on property owners, management companies and the role they play in the eviction process.

Contact WFYI data journalist Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org