An Iowa lease agreement is a binding document between a landlord who rents the property and the tenant who covers the monthly rent and complies with the terms and conditions.
The contract must be written according to Iowa’s landlord-tenant laws and typically includes details such as both parties’ identifying information, premises description, pet and smoking prohibitions, specific health and safety disclosures, and rent and security deposit specifics.
Rental Lease Laws Overview
- Rent Control: No.
- Limit on Late Fees: Yes.
- Late Fees in Rental Agreement: Yes.
- Grace Period: No.
- License Required for Landlord: No.
By Type (6)
Standard Lease Agreement
Creates a tenancy arrangement between a landlord and a tenant for renting residential property.
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement
Use to allow residents to choose to inhabit a property on a flexible, month-to-month basis, without being tied to a long-term commitment.
Commercial Lease Agreement
Establishes the terms and conditions for the rental of commercial property.
Sublease Agreement
Grant the subtenant the authority to rent either the entire or a portion of the leased property for a specified period.
Rent-to-Own Lease Agreement
Grants tenants the exclusive option to purchase the property before the lease concludes.
Required Lease Disclosures
Iowa imposes specific requirements for owners and renters entering a lease agreement. For instance, Iowa landlords must provide tenants with the following disclosures [1] :
- Shared Utilities Notice. All utilities and costs must be explained before the start of the lease [2] .
- Identification. Landlords and other parties managing the property must provide additional identification in the contract [2] .
- Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Information System. If the property appears in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, the tenant must be informed.
- Disclosure of Lead-Based Hazards for any building constructed before 1978 under federal law [3] .
- Security Deposit Notice. All security deposits must be held in a separate bank account, held in a federally insured bank, credit union, or savings and loan.
Security Deposit
- Maximum Amount: Up to two months’ rent [4]
- Receipts: Not explicitly required
- Interest Payments: Landlords are not mandated to keep security deposits in accounts that earn interest. Should they opt to, any interest generated in the first five years is the landlord’s [4] .
- Bank Account: Security deposits shall not be commingled with the landlord’s funds [4]
- Returning Requirements: Within 30 days of termination, along with an itemized list of all damage deductions [4]
- Withholding Rules: Itemized list of all damage deductions required for any withholding from the security deposit [4]
Rent Payments
- Rent Control: Iowa does not have rent control laws, allowing landlords to set rent prices freely. However, rent changes during an active lease are generally not permitted unless the lease agreement explicitly allows for such adjustments.
- Late Fees: Late fees for rent under $700 per month can’t exceed $12 per day or $60 per month. For rent over $700, late fees can’t exceed $20 per day or $100 per month. This ensures that late fees remain reasonable and proportionate to the rent amount [5] .
- Grace Period: There is no state-mandated grace period for rent payments in Iowa.
- Withholding Rent: If a landlord doesn’t provide essential services like hot water or heat, Iowa tenants can notify the landlord, then deduct costs, recover damages, or get a rent reimbursement for the noncompliance period [6] .
Landlord Right of Entry
- Notice Requirements: Landlords must give tenants 24 hours’ notice before entering the premises and must only enter during “reasonable hours.” In emergencies, landlords are allowed to enter the property without first giving notice [7] .
- Keys, Locks, and Security: Unless the lease agreement states otherwise, tenants might be permitted to alter the locks.
Property Repairs
- Landlord Responsibilities: Landlords are required to comply with repair requirements and maintain safe, habitable conditions [8] .
- Tenant Repairs: Tenants must repair damages due to their negligence [9] .
- Abandonment: If a tenant is absent for more than 14 days, the landlord can enter the property as necessary. If the tenant abandons the property, the landlord must try to re-rent it at a fair price, ending the rental agreement when a new tenancy begins or upon recognizing the abandonment. [10]
Terminating a Lease
- Month-to-Month Tenancy: Either landlord or tenant must give a 30-day written notice to terminate the tenancy [11] .
- Unclaimed Property: State law mandates that if someone has abandoned property valued over $50, the holder must contact the owner and take steps to prevent it being considered abandoned [12] .
Sample
The Iowa lease agreement template below can be downloaded in PDF or Word format.
