Short-Term Rental Laws in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne — Indiana's second-largest city — operates a relatively permissive STR framework consistent with HEA 1035 preemption. STRs permitted broadly across residential and commercial zones with registration + Innkeeper's Tax + life-safety standards. The downtown core and Historic Districts (West Central, Williams-Woodland, Forest Park) have design-review overlays for exterior work but STR use itself is broadly permitted. No nights cap or primary-residence requirement at this writing.

Zoning: STRs permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 residential and C-1, C-2, C-3 commercial zones with registration. Properties in the West Central Historic District + Williams-Woodland + Forest Park Historic Districts have HPC design-review overlays on exterior modifications. The downtown Riverfront overlay (Promenade Park area) is a special policy zone with separate design-review and signage requirements. Confirm parcel zoning + overlay status via the Fort Wayne Planning Department.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

Fort Wayne Planning + Policy + Allen County Treasurer jointly administer. Annual registration. Application requires designated local 24/7 contact, proof of property insurance, life-safety self-certification, parking plan. Allen County collects 8% Innkeeper's Tax monthly. Enforcement primarily complaint-driven; code-enforcement cross-checks platform listings against the registry for unregistered operators. Operating unregistered: administrative penalty + back-tax assessment.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Fort Wayne is approximately 15.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Indiana State sales tax 7% + Allen County Innkeeper's Tax 8% — combined ~15% on transient lodging; confirm at Allen County Treasurer

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.