Fort Wayne, Indiana Short-Term Rental Market
Fort Wayne short-term rentals averaged $118 ADR, 71.3% occupancy and $2,346 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Fort Wayne, Indiana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 71%. average monthly revenue is $2,346. average daily rate is $118. the top operator in Fort Wayne is Jtrade Properties with 59 listings. market score is 100/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
As of September 2026, the Fort Wayne, Indiana short-term rental market averaged an ADR of $118, occupancy of 71.3% and revenue of $2,346 per listing for the month. Each of those readings is higher than a year earlier: occupancy is up 10.1%, ADR is up 10.9% and revenue is up 17.3% year over year. Fort Wayne has about 275,203 residents and drew roughly 9.2 million visitors in 2023, who spent over $1.1 billion on lodging, dining and activities. Demand comes from regional leisure travel, youth and collegiate sports tournaments, conventions, genealogy research at the city’s large heritage collection, and attractions such as the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and Parkview Field. The Fort Wayne area STR market tracks 783 listings. Entire places make up 693 of them (88.5%), private rooms account for 89 and shared rooms for 1. By bedroom count, 289 listings are one-bedroom, 227 are two-bedroom, 179 are three-bedroom, 57 are four-bedroom and 28 are five-bedroom, so smaller units dominate supply. On distribution, 520 listings are on Airbnb only, 36 are on Vrbo only and 227 appear on both platforms. The year-to-date picture for 2026 is stronger than any recent full year. Through nine months, occupancy averages 74.9%, ADR averages $116 and monthly revenue averages $2,378, compared with 68.7%, $105 and $2,065 for full-year 2025. The StaySTRA market score for Fort Wayne is 99.89 overall, with revenue growth at 100, seasonality at 99.07, investability at 98.86, rental demand at 85.85 and regulation at 66.14. The lower regulation score reflects the permit and zoning requirements covered below.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 60% |
| Feb | 62% |
| Mar | 64% |
| Apr | 67% |
| May | 69% |
| Jun | 74% |
| Jul | 76% |
| Aug | 70% |
| Sep | 67% |
| Oct | 66% |
| Nov | 65% |
| Dec | 64% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Fort Wayne are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Fort Wayne
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jtrade Properties | 59 | 977 | ★ 4.59 |
| 2 | Fortified Homes LLC | 12 | 234 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Landing, Inc. | 10 | 23 | ★ 2.89 |
| 4 | Evolve | 9 | 169 | ★ 4.20 |
| 5 | Fortified | 7 | 189 | ★ 4.85 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Fort Wayne?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Fort Wayne are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 66.4% |
| vrbo | 4.6% |
| both | 29% |
Home Value Trends (Fort Wayne)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Fort Wayne are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Fort Wayne — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Fort Wayne permits short-term rentals, but hosts must register and hold a short-term rental permit or business license issued by the City through the Building Commission before listing. Reported fees are about $150 for the initial permit, with permits commonly described as valid for two years and not transferable to a new owner. Renewals are reported at around $75, plus an inspection fee of roughly $75 and an annual registry fee. Owner-occupied primary residences have the lightest path. Indiana state law, including HB 1035, protects owner-occupied homes from local bans and caps initial permit fees. The market does not require owner occupancy or primary residence status for a permit. Non-owner-occupied rentals face stricter zoning. They are allowed in commercial and mixed-use districts with a license, but in residential districts reported limits include about one STR per 400-foot radius and approval signatures from a supermajority (roughly 75%) of adjacent property owners. Buyers should verify the exact zoning classification before purchasing. On taxes, hosts collect Indiana’s 7% state sales tax plus Allen County’s 8% innkeeper’s tax on stays under 30 days, a combined rate of about 15%. The county raised the innkeeper’s tax from 7% to 8% in August 2019. No annual cap on rental nights is published. Enforcement is rated moderate and is complaint-driven, typically over noise, parking or nuisance. Operating without a required permit can result in a Class C infraction, with penalties reported at up to $500 per violation.
Market Comparison
Fort Wayne is an occupancy-driven market. September 2026 occupancy is 71.3% and the ADR is $118, which reflects a lower-cost Midwest market without a resort or major-destination premium. The tradeoff is that lower nightly rates come with lower entry costs. A typical home value of $250,668 is attainable for many investors, and the 8.1% gross yield is the product of strong occupancy and moderate rates. Growth also stands out. Year-over-year revenue of 17.3% and occupancy growth of 10.1% show a market that is gaining ground. Among operators, Jtrade Properties is the largest with 59 listings, a 4.6 rating and 977 reviews. Fortified Homes LLC follows with 12 listings and a 4.8 rating. Landing, Inc. has 10 listings, Evolve has 9 and Fortified has 7. With the largest operator holding about 7.5% of tracked listings, no single company dominates, and independent owners remain competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Wayne, Indiana
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