Iowa Lease Agreement

Required Landlord Disclosures (4)

The only federally required landlord disclosure requires the disclosure of known information about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978. The Iowa legislature decided the rest of the required disclosures below.

1. Landlord Identification: Iowa law requires landlords to provide tenants with their contact information, including addresses and phone numbers, so tenants can reach them if need be (Iowa Code § 562A.13).
2. Shared Utilities: Landlords must disclose if tenants will be responsible for paying utilities that service more than one dwelling unit (Iowa Code § 562A.13).
3. “Superfund” Sites: State law requires that landlords disclose to tenants whether a property is listed in the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Information System (Iowa Code § 562A.13).

Landlords who fail to provide these disclosures risk facing legal consequences and/or monetary penalties, the latter of which could seriously deplete their wallets.

Security Deposit Regulations

Maximum Security Deposit Amount: Iowa landlords can legally charge up to 2 months’ rent for the security deposit (Iowa Code § 562A.12).

Receipt of Deposit: Landlords in Iowa are not required to provide a receipt for the tenant’s security deposit.

Interest: Landlords may deposit deposits in an interest-bearing account, and any interest earned during the first 5 years of tenancy is the landlord’s (Iowa Code §562A.12).

Deduction Tracking: Iowa landlords should prepare a written statement detailing the rationale for withholding any portion of a rental deposit (Iowa Code § 562A.12).

Returning a Tenant’s Security Deposit: Landlords must return the security deposit, minus any legitimate deductions, within 30 days after the lease ends (Iowa Code § 562A.12).

Landlord’s Access to Property

Advance Notice: Unless there is an emergency, Iowa landlords must give tenants at least 24 hours’ notice before entering the rental property (Iowa Code § 562A.19).

Immediate Access: Landlords may enter the property without notice in emergencies threatening the safety of the property itself (Iowa Code § 562A.19).

Landlord Harassment: Tenants have the right to quiet enjoyment of their rental property. If a landlord makes extensive, unnecessary, and repeated entries that interfere with a tenant’s quiet enjoyment, it could be considered harassment (Iowa Code § 562A.15).

Rent Payment Laws

Grace Period: Iowa does not mandate a specific grace period for late rent payments, but the lease agreement may define one (Iowa Code § 562A.9).

Late Rent Fees: Iowa landlords can charge late fees, but the amounts are limited by state law. For rent of $700 or less, landlords can charge late fees of $12.00 per day. For rent more than $700, late fees of $20.00 per day can be charged. (Iowa Code § 562A.9)

Tenant’s Right to Withhold Rent: In Iowa, tenants can withhold rent if the landlord does not make essential repairs, but only after they give proper notice (Iowa Code § 562A.27).

Breach of Rental Agreement

Missed Rent Payment: If rent is unpaid when due, landlords may issue a 3-day notice to pay before terminating the rental agreement (Iowa Code § 562A.27).

Lease Violation: If the tenant violates any lease terms, the landlord can give the tenant a written notice to remedy the violation or face eviction within a law-defined timeframe (Iowa Code § 562A.27).

Self-Help Evictions: Self-help evictions are illegal in Iowa (Iowa Code § 562A.33). Examples of a self-help eviction include changing the locks or shutting off utilities.

Lease Abandonment: If a tenant abandons the property, landlords shall try to rent it at a reasonable rate (Iowa Code § 562A.29).

Ending a Lease

Month-to-Month: Either party may terminate a month-to-month lease with a written 30-day notice (Iowa Code § 562A.34).

Fixed-Term: Tenants may break a fixed-term lease if the landlord fails to uphold their obligation to provide essential services such as water or heat; however, tenants must first provide appropriate notice to the landlord before proceeding with lease termination (Iowa Code § 562A.27).

Property Abandonment: Iowa landlords must follow procedures outlined in state law to handle any property left behind by a tenant after vacating the unit (Iowa Code § 556).

Renewing a Lease

Required Renewals: Iowa landlords are not required to renew a tenant’s lease unless explicitly stated in the original contract (Iowa Code § 562A.9).

Required Notice: Landlords must provide 30 days’ written notice if they do not plan to renew a month-to-month lease, but there is no required notice for fixed-term lease non-renewals (Iowa Code § 562A.34).

Rent Control & Stabilization

Iowa does not have statewide rent control or stabilization laws. This means landlords can raise rent without restriction but must comply with any notice requirements outlined in the lease agreement.