What Iowa landlord-tenant law covers
Iowa Code chapter 562A governs most residential leases in the state, including apartment buildings of every size. It sets the rules on deposits, rent, late fees, entry, repairs and how either side can end a tenancy. Chapter 648, forcible entry and detainer, sets the court process for getting possession back. Manufactured home communities have their own chapter, 562B, which this page does not cover.
Iowa landlord-tenant rules at a glance
The table below summarizes the rules an Iowa apartment owner deals with most. Each comes from the 2026 Iowa Code.
| Rule | Iowa requirement | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| End a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days’ written notice before the rent date | Iowa Code 562A.34 |
| End a week-to-week tenancy | 10 days’ written notice | Iowa Code 562A.34 |
| Nonpayment of rent | 3 days’ written notice to pay | Iowa Code 562A.27(2) |
| Other lease violations | 7 days to fix; termination at least 7 days after notice | Iowa Code 562A.27(1) |
| Security deposit cap | Two months’ rent | Iowa Code 562A.12 |
| Deposit return | 30 days, with a written statement of deductions | Iowa Code 562A.12 |
| Late fee, rent $700 or less | $12 a day, $60 a month maximum | Iowa Code 562A.9(4) |
| Late fee, rent over $700 | $20 a day, $100 a month maximum | Iowa Code 562A.9(4) |
| Landlord entry | 24 hours’ notice, at reasonable times | Iowa Code 562A.19 |
| Rent control | Cities may not limit rent | Iowa Code 364.3(9) |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Iowa?
For a month-to-month tenant, at least 30 days’ written notice, given before the periodic rental date named in the notice. Iowa Code 562A.34 ties the notice to the rent date, so a notice served on the 10th to end a tenancy that pays on the 1st generally runs to the first rent date at least 30 days out, not to the 10th of the next month.
Week-to-week tenancies need 10 days’ written notice. For a fixed-term lease, either side gives at least 30 days’ written notice before the end of the term, or the term renews as the lease provides. A tenant who stays past the end without consent can be removed through an eviction action, and a willful holdover can owe actual damages and attorney fees.
Iowa notices for nonpayment and lease violations
Iowa gives a tenant three days to pay after a written notice of nonpayment. If the rent is not paid within those three days, the landlord may end the rental agreement under Iowa Code 562A.27(2). The notice must be in writing, and the three days start when the tenant receives it, so keep proof of how and when you delivered it.
For other material breaches, the notice must describe the problem and say the agreement will end at least seven days after the tenant receives it unless the tenant fixes it. A repeat of substantially the same breach within six months allows termination on seven days’ written notice with no second chance to cure.
Before filing an eviction for most grounds, Iowa Code 648.3 also requires a three-day written notice to quit. Many Iowa landlords serve the three-day notice to pay and then the three-day notice to quit, so plan for about a week of notices before you can file.
Security deposits in Iowa
An Iowa landlord may not take a security deposit of more than two months’ rent. The money must be held in a federally insured bank, savings and loan or credit union, separate from the landlord’s own funds. Interest earned in the first five years of a tenancy belongs to the landlord.
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives a mailing address, the landlord must return the deposit or send a written statement of the reasons for keeping any of it. Deductions are limited to unpaid rent and other amounts due, restoring the unit beyond ordinary wear and tear, and certain costs of recovering possession. Miss the 30 days and the landlord loses the right to keep any of it. Keeping a deposit in bad faith can cost punitive damages of up to twice the monthly rent plus actual damages.
Late fees in Iowa
Iowa caps late fees by statute. For rent of $700 a month or less, a lease may not charge more than $12 a day or $60 in a month. For rent over $700, the limits are $20 a day and $100 a month (Iowa Code 562A.9(4)).
A lease clause that charges more than the cap is not enforceable for the excess. Before you sell, check that your lease form matches the statute, since a buyer’s lawyer will read the leases and an outdated fee clause is an easy item to flag.
Landlord entry rules in Iowa
An Iowa landlord must give at least 24 hours’ notice of the intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times. No notice is needed in an emergency or when giving notice is impracticable (Iowa Code 562A.19). Showing units to a buyer or lender during a sale is a normal reason for entry, so give each tenant the 24 hours and keep a copy.
During a sale, schedule buyer tours in blocks, tell tenants in the notice which units will be shown and roughly when, and avoid repeat visits that are not needed. A buyer doing due diligence usually wants to see a sample of units, an inspector may want more, and tenants who know the plan are easier to keep through the closing.
The Iowa eviction process and timeline
Iowa evictions are called forcible entry and detainer actions, or FEDs, and they move fast. Under Iowa Code 648.5, the case is filed in the county where the property is, and the court sets a hearing no later than eight days after filing, or up to 15 days if the landlord asks for or agrees to a later date.
The tenant must be served at least three days before the hearing. Personal service and signed acknowledgment come first; if two attempts fail, the landlord can post the notice on the main entrance door and mail it by regular and certified mail, and mail service counts as complete four days after it is postmarked. If the landlord wins, the court orders the tenant removed, and Iowa Code 648.22 has the execution for removal issued within three days of judgment.
- Day 0: three-day notice to pay (nonpayment) or seven-day notice (other breach).
- After the notice runs: three-day notice to quit, where required.
- Filing: hearing set within 8 days (up to 15 with landlord consent).
- Judgment: execution for removal issued within 3 days.
- Adding these periods together, an uncontested nonpayment case can reach possession in about three weeks.
Does Iowa have rent control?
No. Iowa Code 364.3(9) says a city shall not adopt or enforce any ordinance limiting the amount of rent that can be charged for private residential or commercial property. No Iowa city can cap rents or limit increases, and there is no statewide cap either.
Cities also cannot force landlords to take housing choice vouchers. Iowa Code 364.3(16) bars any ordinance that prohibits an owner from refusing to rent because the applicant uses a federal voucher, and ordinances of that kind in effect on January 1, 2021 became void on January 1, 2023. Federal fair housing law still applies to every other part of tenant selection.
What happens to tenants and deposits when you sell
The leases stay in place. A buyer takes the building subject to existing leases, and the tenants keep their rights for the rest of their terms.
Deposits have a specific transfer rule. When your interest in the building ends, Iowa Code 562A.12 requires you to either transfer each deposit, less lawful deductions, to the buyer and notify the tenant of the buyer’s name and address, or return it to the tenant. Once you transfer, the buyer takes on your obligations for the deposit. If a tenant does not object within 20 days after written notice of the amount transferred, the buyer’s liability is limited to that amount, so send the notice promptly after closing.
- List every deposit and its account on a deposit schedule for the buyer.
- Credit the deposits to the buyer at closing, or return them to tenants.
- Send each tenant a written notice of the transfer and the amount.
- Hand over leases, deposit records and any pending notices.
Iowa landlord-tenant law changes in 2025 and 2026
The core rules have not changed recently. The 2026 Iowa Code shows no amendments since 2014 to the deposit statute and none in 2023 through 2025 to the notice, late fee or entry sections cited on this page, and the FED hearing rules were last amended in 2022.
The bigger 2026 change for apartment owners is on the tax side. Senate File 2472 recreates a multiresidential property tax class from the 2027 assessment year, which raises taxable value for most apartment buildings. Our page on the property tax rate in Iowa explains the schedule and what it does to a buyer’s numbers.
Selling an Iowa apartment building with tenants
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Iowa, with tenants in place. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. We handle the deposit transfer and tenant notices with you at closing, and we do not ask you to empty units before a sale.
For the tax side of a sale, see Iowa capital gains tax on real estate and the 1031 exchange in Iowa.
