At a Glance (TL;DR)
- License required: Indiana mandates a real estate broker license for paid management of another owner's property.
- Governing body: The Indiana Real Estate Commission (administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) oversees licensing and discipline.
- Education: You'll need to finish a 90-hour approved broker pre-licensing course before testing.
- Exam: You must earn a scaled score of 75 on both the national and state sections.
- Cost: The main licensing expenses range from $415 to $765.
- Sponsorship: A broker license can't turn to active status until the managing broker approves the request.
- Self-management: Owners can manage their own rentals without a license.
Managing rentals for another owner can seem straightforward, but Indiana treats many paid management tasks as real estate brokerage. That means you’ll typically need the property management license Indiana requires before you collect rent, advertise vacancies, or sign leases for a client (even if sales aren’t part of your plan).
To get you up to speed, this guide explains how to become a property manager in Indiana, from the 90-hour course and licensing test to the filing fees and sponsoring broker. You’ll also learn who can work without a license, what unlicensed management can cost, how long the process may take, and how property management software can streamline your workflow once you’re licensed.
Duties of a Property Manager
Property owners may hand you day-to-day responsibility for a rental (from advertising through move-out). Your work may include:
- Marketing vacant units and setting rent based on the local market
- Collecting rent and sending owner payouts
- Drafting, executing, and enforcing lease agreements for each home you manage
- Coordinating and logging maintenance requests and paying vendors
- Screening applicants and filling vacancies
- Handling tenant communication, disputes, notices, and move-in or move-out details
- Trust accounting and owner financial reporting through regular statements
- Running inspections and following up on lease violations
- Keeping the property compliant with fair housing rules and local law
Management-focused software can bring these tasks together on your laptop or smartphone, and help you move away from spreadsheets, paper applications, and in-person rent collection.
Does Indiana require a property management license?
Indiana requires a real estate broker license when you manage property owned by someone else for pay. State law defines brokerage to include renting, leasing, and managing real estate for consideration, placing third-party management under the Real Estate Broker Licensing Act (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-1-2).
The license covers collecting rent, advertising vacancies, negotiating terms, and executing lease agreements for a client. Those fiduciary duties affect owners and tenants, which is why Indiana limits them to licensed professionals.
That said, you can almost always oversee rentals you own without a license, but paid work for another owner (not you personally) falls under licensed brokerage. The Indiana Real Estate Commission administers the rule and publishes the state’s broker licensing requirements.
Indiana Property Manager License Requirements
Indiana licenses property managers as real estate brokers, so you’ll need to meet the same eligibility rules as other entry-level broker candidates. Check these qualifications before you become a property manager in Indiana.
Age and Residency
Indiana says applicants must be at least 18 years old. A nonresident can be an Indiana managing broker under set conditions, and brokers licensed elsewhere can seek Commission approval to take the broker by endorsement exam (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-4-3).
Pre-Licensing Education
Next, you’ll need to complete a 90-hour broker pre-licensing course. Providers offer online and in-person options, and the course ends with a final test. The 90-hour figure is set by statute, and you must pass both test sections within 1 year of finishing the course (Indiana Real Estate Candidate Handbook).
Criminal History Disclosure
Real estate isn’t on Indiana’s fingerprint background check list, though the application asks about criminal history and wants court documents for each yes. Criminal convictions may disqualify applicants when an offense relates directly to competent practice or is harmful to the public (Ind. Code § 25-1-11-5).
Errors and Omissions Insurance
Indiana’s real estate license requirements don’t include E&O insurance. Even so, many brokerages carry coverage for affiliated brokers (your sponsor may include it as part of the job) since having it can help with claims related to client work.
How to Get Your Indiana Property Management License
Ready to start? Here’s how to get an Indiana real estate license, from pre-licensing coursework to active status:
1. Complete Your Pre-Licensing Coursework
You’ll need to enroll in a 90-hour broker pre-licensing course through a Commission-approved school, like:
Tuition usually runs from $300 to $650, depending on the provider, format, and included study materials.
The course will end with a final test. Once you pass, the school will issue you the completion certificate you’ll use to schedule the state licensing test.
2. Pass the Indiana Real Estate Exam
After finishing the course, schedule your licensing test through Pearson VUE. Each attempt costs $55 and includes an 80-question national section and a 50-question state section.
To pass, you’ll need to earn a scaled score of 75 on each section. The testing center will display your result after the test, and a passing score stays valid for 1 year while you finish the licensing process.
3. Submit Your License Application
Next, file your broker paperwork through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s MyLicense One portal. Include your course certificate, the original Pearson VUE score report, criminal history documents, and managing broker details (if you’ve already chosen one).
Your application will be considered abandoned if you don’t submit all of your requirements within 1 year.
4. Affiliate With an Employing Broker
Your license can’t be issued in active status until a managing broker or broker company approves the request (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency). You’ll need to work under that broker at all times, who will be responsible for supervising your licensed activity.
Want to work independently later? You’ll need to build active broker experience and meet Indiana’s separate managing broker qualifications before you can supervise your own operation.
Costs and Timeline
Becoming a property manager in Indiana costs roughly $415 to $765 (not counting optional study tools or brokerage dues):
- Pre-licensing course (90 hours): $300 to $650
- Pearson VUE licensing exam: $55 per attempt
- License application fee: $60
- E&O insurance: Not part of Indiana’s requirements
Plan on 2 to 4 months to become a property manager in Indiana. The 90-hour course will take roughly 6 weeks if you study for 15 hours each week, while a slower 8- to 10-hour schedule may stretch closer to 2 or 3 months.
Who is exempt from Indiana's license requirement?
Indiana writes a handful of exemptions into its licensing law, and most managers who qualify fall into these groups:
Owners managing their own rentals: Owners don’t need a license to manage their own property (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-3-2).
People working under a licensed broker: Indiana also exempts certain people who rent residential units while employed by or working under a licensed broker.
Small apartment owners: Another exemption covers someone who owns and manages no more than 12 apartment units on a single parcel.
LLCs and other entities: An LLC or other entity can make the owner exception less clear because the company (not you personally) holds the title. Whether you qualify may depend on the ownership setup, so review the structure or talk to a legal professional before taking on leasing or rent collection for pay.
What happens if you manage property without a license in Indiana?
Working without a broker license in Indiana carries steep costs that go past the fine itself, which include:
- Class A infraction: Paid management of another owner’s property without a license is a Class A infraction. The court will add the fee you earned to the fine, and each illegal transaction counts as a separate offense (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-6-2).
- Unenforceable agreements: You may also lose the ability to enforce a management agreement or collect unpaid fees in court because Indiana expects anyone seeking payment for brokerage work to prove they weren’t violating the license law when the claim arose.
- Referral and discipline: Unlicensed practice may be referred to the attorney general, and the agency conducts disciplinary proceedings against licensees (Ind. Code § 25-1-7-14).
- Reputational damage: Owners will almost always check your license before signing a contract with you, meaning unlicensed work can damage your reputation even when illegal operation doesn’t reach court.
Beyond the License: Starting Your Indiana Property Management Career
A license lets you become a property manager in Indiana, but organized finances will shape whether your business stays profitable. Day in and day out, you’ll have to track rent, vendor bills, security deposits, and owner payouts without letting routine bookkeeping take over your entire schedule.
As your Indiana portfolio grows, TenantCloud’s property management software can consolidate leasing, screening, maintenance, and payments into a single system.
Adding staff? Our team management tools let you control who sees maintenance tickets or financial records. Our integrated accounting also syncs with QuickBooks to help you keep owner statements and transaction records perfectly aligned.
Start a free 14-day trial with TenantCloud and set up the books before the portfolio becomes too much to handle on your own.
Indiana Property Management License FAQs
How long does it take to get a property management license?
You must pass both test sections within 1 year of finishing the 90-hour course. The timeline to become a property manager in Indiana depends on your course pace, testing schedule, and how quickly a managing broker approves your request.
Can I manage a rental property without a license?
You can manage property you own without an Indiana property management license. Managing another owner’s rental for pay, however, is regulated and could result in a Class A infraction. If you get caught, you may also lose the right to collect your fee or enforce the management agreement in court (Ind. Code § 25-34.1-6-2).
Can you complete Indiana's pre-licensing course online?
Yes. Commission-approved schools typically offer the 90-hour course online or in person. You’ll want to confirm that the provider appears on the state’s approved list before paying, since an unapproved course won’t produce the certificate you need to schedule the licensing test.
Does Indiana require E&O insurance for property managers?
No. Indiana doesn’t make E&O insurance a condition of the broker license. With that in mind, your sponsoring brokerage may still carry a policy or ask affiliated brokers to contribute toward coverage.
Can a new Indiana broker manage property independently?
No. A broker license can’t be issued in active status until a managing broker or broker company approves the request. You’ll need to work under that broker’s supervision until you qualify for managing broker status.
