Iowa Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
Iowa rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. Knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in full or partial nudity, without consent, where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual gratification, is invasion of privacy (an aggravated misdemeanor). Iowa Code §§ 709.21; 808B.2; 562A.19
The rules in Iowa
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. Knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in full or partial nudity, without consent, where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual gratification, is invasion of privacy (an aggravated misdemeanor). Intercepting oral communications is unlawful unless the person is a party or one party consents. The landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entry (except emergencies or impracticability), enter at reasonable times, and not use access to harass. Recording audio inside a tenant's unit when the landlord is not a party to the conversation is likely unlawful interception. Entry statute: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562A.19.pdf |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute — the lease and reasonable landlord rules govern guests, occupancy, and roommates. Tenants may not knowingly permit anyone to damage the premises and must not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment. Occupancy limits come from local codes and fair-housing standards. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.17(6), (7) |
| Service & support animals (state law) | Iowa law lets a person with a disability request to keep an assistance or service animal as a reasonable accommodation; the landlord must respond within a reasonable time and in writing. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the landlord may request supporting information, which may be a licensed provider's written finding stating, among other things, whether a provider-patient relationship (in person or telehealth) has existed for at least 30 days, the expiration date, license number, and whether a separate fee was paid for the finding. Online registrations, ID cards, patches, or certificates are not sufficient. Landlords may not request diagnosis, severity, or medical records; may require proof of licensure and vaccination; and may deny for undue hardship, fundamental alteration, direct threat, or substantial property damage. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is a simple misdemeanor. Sections 216.8B and 216.8C (2019) were amended in 2024 (ch. 1092) and 2025 (ch. 30). The provider's finding must be made within 12 months of the start of the lease and is valid for 12 months or the lease term, whichever is greater. Finding requirements: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/216.8C.pdf |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
Iowa vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | No landlord-specific statute. Knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in full or partial nudity, without consent, where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual gratification, is invasion of privacy (an aggravated misdemeanor). Intercepting oral communications is unlawful unless the person is a party or one party consents. The landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entry (except emergencies or impracticability), enter at reasonable times, and not use access to harass. Iowa Code §§ 709.21; 808B.2; 562A.19 | No statute — the lease and reasonable landlord rules govern guests, occupancy, and roommates. Tenants may not knowingly permit anyone to damage the premises and must not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment. Iowa Code § 562A.17(6), (7) | Iowa law lets a person with a disability request to keep an assistance or service animal as a reasonable accommodation; the landlord must respond within a reasonable time and in writing. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the landlord may request supporting information, which may be a licensed provider's written finding stating, among other things, whether a provider-patient relationship (in person or telehealth) has existed for at least 30 days, the expiration date, license number, and whether a separate fee was paid for the finding. Online registrations, ID cards, patches, or certificates are not sufficient. Landlords may not request diagnosis, severity, or medical records; may require proof of licensure and vaccination; and may deny for undue hardship, fundamental alteration, direct threat, or substantial property damage. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is a simple misdemeanor. Iowa Code §§ 216.8B; 216.8C; 216C.11(3) |
| Illinois | No landlord-specific statute, but Illinois law expressly protects renters: it is a crime to knowingly video record or live-stream another person in that person's residence without consent — and 'residence' expressly includes a rental dwelling (but not stairwells, corridors, laundry facilities, or other areas open to the public). Placing such a device is a Class A misdemeanor; recording is a Class 4 felony. Audio recording of private conversations without the consent of all parties is eavesdropping. 720 ILCS 5/26-4(a-5), (a-6), (a-20), (d), (e); 720 ILCS 5/14-2 | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy, and roommates statewide; landlords may make reasonable rules and regulations. Illinois Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws, p. 1 | Illinois' Assistance Animal Integrity Act (eff. 2020) covers emotional support and service animals that qualify as a reasonable accommodation. A housing provider may require reliable documentation only if the disability or need is not readily apparent or known; documentation must be in writing, from someone with whom the person has a therapeutic relationship, and describe the disability-related need. Online certificate sellers that do no meaningful assessment do not qualify. Providers may offer a standard form but may not deny a request for not using it, may ask for documentation for each animal when more than one is requested, and may deny or rescind for undue burden, direct threat, substantial property damage, or uncontrolled behavior after an individualized assessment. Providers are immune from liability for injuries caused by a permitted assistance animal. 310 ILCS 120/5, 120/10, 120/15 |
| Minnesota | No landlord-specific statute. It is a gross misdemeanor to enter another's property and secretly install or use a device to observe, photograph or record through the window or other opening of someone's home, with intent to intrude on a household member's privacy. It is also a gross misdemeanor to secretly use such a device in places like hotel sleeping rooms and other places where people reasonably expect privacy while exposed. Recording conversations is legal if the recorder is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). Minn. Stat. § 609.746, subd. 1; § 626A.02, subd. 2(d) | No statute on guests versus tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. By statute, a landlord generally cannot evict or end a lease because of a tenant's, household member's or guest's conduct OFF the premises and curtilage, unless it is a crime of violence against another tenant, a guest, the landlord or staff, or results in a conviction for such a crime. Minn. Stat. § 504B.171, subd. 2a; ch. 504B (checked) | A landlord may require documentation from a licensed professional (doctor, PA, nurse, psychologist, mental health professional, social worker or counselor, including out-of-state licensees with an existing treatment relationship) confirming the disability and the need for a service or support animal. This is not allowed when the need is obvious or already known. Online certification businesses don't qualify. Landlords can't demand medical records. No extra fee, charge or deposit may be charged for a service or support animal, though the tenant is liable for damage. A landlord with a pet fee policy must disclose this ban in the lease. Tenants may not knowingly misrepresent a disability or provide fraudulent documentation; if they do, the landlord may deny the application or animal request. Minn. Stat. § 504B.113 |
| Missouri | No landlord-specific statute. It is the crime of invasion of privacy to knowingly photograph, film or otherwise create an image of someone, without consent, while they are fully or partly nude in a place where they would reasonably expect privacy. It is also a crime to create images under or through someone's clothing. This is a class A misdemeanor, and a class E felony if the image is distributed, more than one person is captured, or it is a repeat offense. Recording conversations is lawful if the recorder is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). RSMo 565.252; RSMo 542.402.2 | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy limits and roommates. Missouri's landlord-tenant chapters don't define guests versus tenants or give roommate rights. Separate expedited eviction procedures allow immediate removal of parties other than the tenant in certain cases involving criminal activity. RSMo ch. 441 and 535 (checked); RSMo 441.710-441.880 | It is a class C misdemeanor (class B for repeat offenses), with civil liability for actual damages, to knowingly misrepresent an animal as an assistance animal to get Fair Housing Act or Rehabilitation Act accommodations. This includes emotional support animals. Misrepresentation includes creating or providing false documents, fitting a vest or sign on an animal that isn't an assistance animal, or lying to a health care provider to get documentation. All assistance-animal documentation must come from a qualified professional as permitted under federal law. Separately, service dogs may not be subject to an extra charge in places like lodging, though the owner is liable for damage. State fair housing law bans disability discrimination. RSMo 209.204.3; RSMo 209.150.3; RSMo 213.040 |
| Nebraska | No landlord-specific camera statute. It is a crime to knowingly intrude on a person without consent in a place of solitude or seclusion, or to photograph, film, or record a person's intimate area without knowledge and consent. Landlord entry generally requires 24 hours' written notice stating the purpose and time window, and may not be used to harass. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-311.08, 76-1423 | No statute — lease governs. The tenant may not knowingly permit any person to damage the premises and must use the premises reasonably. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1421 | A person with a disability who has a service animal is entitled to full and equal access to housing; the landlord may not charge extra compensation or an additional deposit for the animal, but the tenant is liable for damage it causes. No state statute addresses emotional support animal documentation or penalizes misrepresentation in housing. Separately, a pet deposit (for pets) may not exceed one-fourth of one month's rent. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 20-131.01 to 20-131.04; § 76-1416(1) |
| South Dakota | No landlord-specific statute, but installing in any private place, without the consent of the persons entitled to privacy there, any device for observing, photographing, recording, amplifying or broadcasting sounds or events — or using such an installation — is a Class 1 misdemeanor; so is trespassing to subject anyone to surveillance in a private place. Photographing or recording a person without clothing without consent, with intent to self-gratify, harass or invade privacy, is also a crime. Recording a conversation with an eavesdropping device without the consent of a party is a Class 5 felony (one-party consent). SDCL 22-21-1, 22-21-3, 22-21-4, 23A-35A-20 | No statute on guests vs. tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights for residential rentals — the lease governs. The landlord's repair duty does not cover disrepair caused by the negligent, willful or malicious conduct of the tenant or a person under the tenant's direction or control. SDCL 43-32-8; ch. 43-32 checked | South Dakota's landlord-tenant statute defines 'service animal' broadly to include emotional support, therapy and assistance animals. When a tenant asserts a disability requiring such an animal as an accommodation, the landlord may require reliable supporting documentation confirming the disability and its relationship to the need, from a licensed health care provider who does not operate in South Dakota solely to certify service or assistance animals. No documentation may be required if the disability or need is readily apparent or already known. If a tenant knowingly makes a false claim or provides fraudulent documentation, the landlord may evict and collect a damage fee of up to $1,000. SDCL 43-32-33 to 43-32-36 |
| Wisconsin | No landlord-specific statute. It is a crime (Class A misdemeanor; felony if the victim is a minor) to knowingly install a surveillance device in a private place, or use one to observe there, with intent to observe a nude or partially nude person without consent; a 'private place' is anywhere a person may reasonably expect to be safe from being observed without knowledge and consent, and 'surveillance device' includes a peephole. It is also a crime to enter a common area of a multiunit dwelling and look into a unit for sexual gratification. Wisconsin is a one-party consent state for audio interception. Wis. Stat. 942.08; 968.31(2)(c) | No statute — ch. 704 and ATCP 134 set no statewide occupancy limit and do not define when a guest becomes a tenant; the rental agreement governs, subject to local occupancy codes and fair-housing law (family status is protected under Wis. Stat. 106.50). Wis. Stat. ch. 704; Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 134 (checked) | State fair housing law covers both trained assistance animals and emotional support animals (ESAs: animals that provide emotional support, comfort or companionship but are not trained to perform tasks). A landlord may not refuse to rent, evict, charge extra compensation, or harass because of a disability-related animal. For an ESA, the landlord may request reliable documentation of the disability and the disability-related need for the animal from a licensed health professional; for a trained animal it may request documentation as provided by statute. The tenant is liable for sanitation and damage caused by the animal. The animal may be refused if documentation is not provided, if it would impose an undue burden, or if the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial damage that cannot be reduced by another accommodation. Misrepresenting a disability or the need for an ESA to obtain housing carries a forfeiture of at least $500 (also for a health professional who misrepresents a patient's need). Wis. Stat. 106.50(1m)(im), (2r)(bg), (2r)(br) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Iowa Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in Iowa?
No landlord-specific statute. Knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in full or partial nudity, without consent, where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual gratification, is invasion of privacy (an aggravated misdemeanor). Intercepting oral communications is unlawful unless the person is a party or one party consents. The landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entry (except emergencies or impracticability), enter at reasonable times, and not use access to harass. (Iowa Code §§ 709.21; 808B.2; 562A.19)
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in Iowa?
No statute — the lease and reasonable landlord rules govern guests, occupancy, and roommates. Tenants may not knowingly permit anyone to damage the premises and must not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment. (Iowa Code § 562A.17(6), (7))
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in Iowa?
Iowa law lets a person with a disability request to keep an assistance or service animal as a reasonable accommodation; the landlord must respond within a reasonable time and in writing. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the landlord may request supporting information, which may be a licensed provider's written finding stating, among other things, whether a provider-patient relationship (in person or telehealth) has existed for at least 30 days, the expiration date, license number, and whether a separate fee was paid for the finding. Online registrations, ID cards, patches, or certificates are not sufficient. Landlords may not request diagnosis, severity, or medical records; may require proof of licensure and vaccination; and may deny for undue hardship, fundamental alteration, direct threat, or substantial property damage. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Intentionally misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is a simple misdemeanor. (Iowa Code §§ 216.8B; 216.8C; 216C.11(3))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.