Iowa landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 14 Iowa rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, late fees, rent regulation, fair housing, tenant protections, repairs, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Iowa at a glance

RuleIowa
Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Iowa?Interest earned in the first five years belongs to the landlord; thereafter to the tenant.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Iowa?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Iowa?2 months of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Iowa?3 days to pay
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Iowa?24 hours
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Iowa?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a late rent fee in Iowa?$12 a day, $60 a month (rent up to $700); $20 a day, $100 a month above
Is there rent control in Iowa?Prohibited by state law
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Iowa?Not protected; local protections barred
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Iowa?Presumed within 1 year
Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Iowa?Essential services only
Do contractors charge sales tax in Iowa?Consumer of materials
Is appliance repair taxable in Iowa?Taxable, with the parts
Is contractor labor taxable in Iowa?Taxable — residential and commercial

Security deposits in Iowa

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa requires a landlord to pay the tenant interest on a security deposit. Interest earned in the first five years belongs to the landlord; thereafter to the tenant. The deposit itself must be returned within 30 days of the end of the tenancy. This is Iowa Code § 562A.12.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Iowa?

In Iowa, a landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. Iowa also requires interest to be paid on the deposit: Interest earned in the first five years belongs to the landlord; thereafter to the tenant. This is Iowa Code § 562A.12.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Iowa?

In Iowa, a security deposit is capped at 2 months of rent. Two months' rent. This is Iowa Code § 562A.12.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Iowa

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Iowa?

In Iowa, before starting a nonpayment case a landlord must serve a written notice giving the tenant 3 days to pay the rent due. This is Iowa Code §§ 562A.34, 562A.19, 562A.27.

Thirty days' notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: 24 hours, except in an emergency or where it is impracticable. Nonpayment: a written three-day notice of nonpayment and of the intention to terminate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Iowa?

In Iowa, a landlord must give 24 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is Iowa Code §§ 562A.34, 562A.19, 562A.27.

Thirty days' notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: 24 hours, except in an emergency or where it is impracticable. Nonpayment: a written three-day notice of nonpayment and of the intention to terminate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Iowa?

In Iowa, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is Iowa Code §§ 562A.34, 562A.19, 562A.27.

Thirty days' notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: 24 hours, except in an emergency or where it is impracticable. Nonpayment: a written three-day notice of nonpayment and of the intention to terminate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Late fees in Iowa

How much can a landlord charge for a late rent fee in Iowa?

In Iowa, a late fee may not exceed $12 a day or $60 in a month where the rent is $700 a month or less, and $20 a day or $100 in a month where the rent is more than $700. This is Iowa Code § 562A.9(4).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Iowa

Is there rent control in Iowa?

No. Iowa has no statewide rent control, and its cities and counties cannot simply adopt their own: a city or county may not adopt or enforce any ordinance imposing a limit on the amount of rent that can be charged for leasing private residential or commercial property. This is Iowa Code §§ 364.3(9), 331.304(10).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Iowa

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa has no statewide law requiring landlords to accept housing vouchers, and its cities and counties cannot require it either: a city or county may not adopt or enforce an ordinance that prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent to a person because the person uses a federal Housing Choice Voucher. Federal law leaves the voucher program voluntary for most landlords, but a property financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits may not refuse a tenant because they hold a voucher. This is Iowa Code §§ 364.3(16), 331.304(13).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Iowa

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Iowa?

No. In Iowa, a landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction after a tenant complains to a code agency or the landlord or joins a tenants’ union, and a good-faith complaint within one year before the landlord’s action creates a presumption of retaliation. The presumption does not arise if the complaint came after notice of a rent increase or cut in services. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Iowa Code § 562A.36.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Repairs in Iowa

Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Iowa?

Only for essential services. In Iowa, if a landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply running water, hot water, heat or other essential services, the tenant may give written notice and buy reasonable amounts of them during the outage and deduct the cost from the rent. This section covers essential services, not repairs in general. Each step has to be followed as the statute sets it out, including the written notice and the waiting period, or the deduction can be treated as unpaid rent. This is Iowa Code § 562A.23.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Iowa

Do contractors charge sales tax in Iowa?

In Iowa a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Iowa also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: Iowa Code §423.2(6); Iowa Admin. Code r. 701-219 (enumerated services include carpentry, electrical and electronic repair, plumbing, painting and roof/siding/window installation and repair).

Iowa taxes the enumerated SERVICE, so repair labor is taxable while new construction is not. The enumerated list is specific — a trade not on it is not taxable by analogy.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is appliance repair taxable in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa taxes the LABOR on repairs to tangible personal property — an appliance, a boiler or a unit that never becomes part of the building — as well as the parts. This is a different question from work on the real property itself: the same technician on the same visit can be doing taxable work on an appliance and differently treated work on the structure, and the invoice has to tell them apart. Source: Iowa Code §423.2(6); Iowa Admin. Code r. 701-219 (enumerated services include carpentry, electrical and electronic repair, plumbing, painting and roof/siding/window installation and repair).

Iowa taxes the enumerated SERVICE, so repair labor is taxable while new construction is not. The enumerated list is specific — a trade not on it is not taxable by analogy.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is contractor labor taxable in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa taxes the LABOR on repair and maintenance work to real property, on both residential and commercial jobs. Repair and maintenance is not the same thing as a capital improvement, which is exempt to the customer in Iowa — the classification of the job is what decides the tax, not the wording on the invoice. Source: Iowa Code §423.2(6); Iowa Admin. Code r. 701-219 (enumerated services include carpentry, electrical and electronic repair, plumbing, painting and roof/siding/window installation and repair).

Iowa taxes the enumerated SERVICE, so repair labor is taxable while new construction is not. The enumerated list is specific — a trade not on it is not taxable by analogy.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • Iowa Code § 562A.12
  • Iowa Code § 562A.23
  • Iowa Code § 562A.36
  • Iowa Code § 562A.9(4)
  • Iowa Code §423.2(6); Iowa Admin. Code r. 701-219 (enumerated services include carpentry, electrical and electronic repair, plumbing, painting and roof/siding/window installation and repair).
  • Iowa Code §§ 364.3(16), 331.304(13)
  • Iowa Code §§ 364.3(9), 331.304(10)
  • Iowa Code §§ 562A.34, 562A.19, 562A.27

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Late fees. Seayora charges only the late fee written into the lease, after the grace period the lease sets, and adds no late fee of its own. This page states the statutory ceiling and waiting period so the terms of a lease can be checked against them before it is signed.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Fair housing. This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Repairs. Every deadline on this page runs from the tenant’s notice. A repair request filed in Seayora keeps the date it was made and every update after it, on the website and both phone apps, so owner and tenant are working from the same date.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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