Merrillville, IN · Lake County

Merrillville Property Management

Leasing, rent collection, maintenance and town registration for Merrillville homes, townhomes and small apartment buildings, from a team managing Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana rentals since 1995.

  • 30%

    of Merrillville households
    rent their home

  • $1,449

    median 2-bedroom rent,
    October 2026

  • 1995

    managing Chicagoland &
    NW Indiana rentals since

  • 8%

    starting management fee,
    charged only when rent is collected

Residential

HOA/Association

Merrillville property management, built around Indiana law

Merrillville has a sizable rental market: about three in ten households rent. Renting here means Indiana law, not Illinois law, with different deposit deadlines, different notice periods and a town that requires every rental unit to be registered each year. ALPS Property Management has managed Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana rentals since 1995, and we run Merrillville properties to Indiana's rules from the first showing to the final deposit statement.

The Merrillville rental market, October 2026

Rents are well below the Illinois suburbs. In October 2026, Zumper put the median at about $1,199 for a one-bedroom, $1,449 for a two-bedroom and $1,704 for a three-bedroom, up about 8% overall from a year earlier. The Census median gross rent across all Merrillville rentals is $1,282.

Demand comes from location and jobs. The town sits where I-65 meets US 30, about 33 miles southeast of the Loop and on Central Time like Chicago. NIPSCO is headquartered here, Methodist Hospitals runs its Southlake Campus on Broadway, and the Broadway Metro Express bus connects to South Shore Line trains in Gary. Families look at the Merrillville Community School Corporation.

Properties we manage in Merrillville

  • Single-family homes, including houses owners moved out of and kept as rentals
  • Townhomes, duplexes and condos
  • Small apartment buildings
  • Larger apartment buildings and commercial space (see multi-family and commercial property management)
  • Homeowner and condo associations (see HOA management)

Merrillville and Indiana rules we handle

  • Town rental registration: Merrillville requires owners to register each rental unit with the Town every year, due by October 1, and the Town can inspect a unit when it receives a complaint. We keep registrations current and address issues early to help prevent complaints.
  • Indiana security deposits: no state cap, but deductions are limited to unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear and similar charges. An itemized list goes to the tenant within 45 days of move-out, once the tenant gives a forwarding address.
  • Notices: Indiana allows a 10-day notice for unpaid rent, one month's written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy and three months for a year-to-year tenancy.
  • Habitability and safety: Indiana landlords must deliver a safe, clean and habitable home, keep heat, plumbing and electrical systems working and fix a reported smoke detector within seven working days of written notice.
  • Property upkeep: weeds over 8 inches must be cut within three days of a Town notice, garbage carts go out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before pickup and come in by 10 p.m. on pickup day, and cars must be off the street after two inches of snow.

Indiana also limits how far towns can go: local rules cannot regulate deposits or landlord fees, and professionally managed units with a qualifying third-party inspection can be exempt from routine inspections and inspection fees. We confirm the current Town requirements before each new lease.

Residential

HOA/Association

What we handle

How we run your
Merrillville rental

Everything a Merrillville rental needs, from Town registration to Indiana-compliant deposit statements, handled by one team on a published fee.

01

Rental marketing & leasing

Pricing against comparable leases nearby, professional photos and wide listing syndication, with Indiana-compliant leases.

02

Resident screening

Credit, income, rental history and background checks, applied the same way to every applicant under fair housing rules.

03

Rent collection

Online payments, automatic reminders and firm follow-up, with the rent we collect deposited to you by the 10th of the month.

04

Maintenance & inspections

24/7 request intake, vetted Northwest Indiana vendors and photo-documented move-in and move-out inspections.

05

Accounting & owner reporting

Monthly owner statements, year-end 1099s and property tax oversight in an online owner portal.

06

Evictions

Indiana 10-day notices, Lake County court filings and hearings handled if a tenant stops paying, backed by our $1,000 eviction guarantee.

Pricing

What property management
costs in Merrillville

ALPS charges a management fee starting at 8% of the rent we collect, and nothing in a month when rent is not collected. A new lease carries a leasing fee of 50% of one month's rent, and a renewal is $250.

On a $1,500-a-month two-bedroom, close to the town median, that works out to $120 a month in management fees and $750 when a new resident signs.

Our agreement runs month to month with no termination fee, and our written guarantees cover tenant placement, evictions, pet damage and on-time rent deposits.

Google reviews

What owners
and residents say

4.9

Average of 137 reviews · read on Google

“The team at ALPS Property Managements has been fantastic! Highly responsive and on top of their game so I don’t have to be. They have been diligent and thorough and a reliable team that gets it done. Excellent communicators and just a great team to work with!”

LJ Busekrus

“ALPS Property Management has been managing my condo for the last 7 years, and it is one of the best property management companies i have ever worked with. All the employees of ALPS are extremely professional, they respond to any query or request very quickly, i will highly recommend ALPS for any of your property management needs.”

Min Zou

“Great company and a great team! They do an excellent job in their property management. They are always easy to get a hold of and very reliable. Would recommend!”

Cody Starostka

Where Merrillville renters live

Merrillville rental neighborhoods
at a glance

From 1950s ranches to newer subdivisions, we price each property on nearby leases and know what each kind of home needs. Beyond Merrillville, we manage rentals across Indiana.

Turkey Creek

Ranch, split-level and foursquare homes mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, plus townhome communities.

Central Merrillville

Split-level, duplex and ranch homes plus condos and townhomes, close to Hidden Lake Park and Southlake Mall.

North Merrillville

Split-level homes, brick ranches and newer custom builds near Hidden Lake Park and Oak Ridge Prairie.

East Merrillville

Split-levels, ranches and Cape Cods, with 1960s and 1970s homes and townhouses toward the south.

West Merrillville

1940s bungalows and Cape Cods alongside newer split-level and ranch subdivisions near Rolling Hills Park.

Lottaville

A historic settlement area of foursquare, Colonial Revival and ranch homes, mostly from the 1970s.

Common questions

Merrillville property management
FAQs

How much does property management cost in Merrillville?

ALPS charges a management fee starting at 8% of the rent we collect, and nothing in a month when rent is not collected. New leases carry a leasing fee of 50% of one month's rent, and renewals are $250. On a $1,500 rental that is $120 a month.

Do I need to register my Merrillville rental?

Yes. Merrillville's code requires owners to register each rental unit with the Town every year, by October 1. We handle the registration and keep it current.

Will the Town inspect my rental?

Merrillville can inspect a rental when it has reason to believe the unit violates the rental housing code, including after a tenant or neighbor complaint. Under Indiana law, professionally managed units with a qualifying third-party inspection can be exempt from routine inspections and from inspection fees.

What will my Merrillville home rent for?

In October 2026, Zumper put the median at about $1,449 for a two-bedroom and $1,704 for a three-bedroom, but condition and location move the number. We will price yours on homes leased nearby, free and the same day.

How do security deposits work in Indiana?

Indiana has no cap on deposits. After move-out, the landlord has 45 days to send an itemized list of deductions and the balance, once the tenant provides a forwarding address in writing. Ordinary wear and tear cannot be deducted.

Is Merrillville on Chicago time?

Yes. Lake County, Indiana is on Central Time, the same as Chicago, so showings, maintenance calls and office hours line up with our Illinois properties.

How much notice do I need to end a lease?

In Indiana, a month-to-month tenancy needs one month's written notice and a year-to-year tenancy needs at least three months before the year ends. A fixed-term lease ends on its end date unless the lease says otherwise.

What happens if a tenant stops paying rent?

Indiana allows a 10-day notice to pay or leave. Indiana bans lockouts and utility shutoffs without a court order, so if it reaches eviction, we handle the Lake County filing and hearings. Every management agreement includes our $1,000 eviction guarantee.

Areas we serve

Property managers across
Northern Illinois & Indiana

Our managers work across Northern Illinois and Indiana every day, so your house or building is priced on real local comps rather than a regional average.

Additional service areas

Tell us about your
Merrillville rental

We will tell you what it should rent for, free and the same day, and tell you honestly whether you would be better off selling.

Or call 815.469.3800