What a Landlord Cannot Do in Iowa
The main limits Iowa law puts on landlords — lockouts and utility shutoffs, entering without notice, retaliation, deposits, fees and discrimination — each with the statute or official source.
In short: a Iowa landlord cannot evict without a court order, cannot punish a tenant for asserting legal rights where state law protects them, and must follow the state's rules on entry, deposits and fees shown below.
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | If the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water or other essential services, the tenant may recover possession (or terminate the lease) and recover actual damages, punitive damages up to twice the monthly rent, and reasonable attorney fees. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.26 |
|---|---|
| Landlord entry notice | At least 24 hours' notice and entry only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or where impracticable. Landlord may enter without consent in an emergency, and may not abuse access to harass. Tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for inspections, repairs, services, or showings. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.19 |
| Landlord retaliation | Landlord may not raise rent, decrease services, or bring or threaten an action for possession after the tenant complains to a code-enforcement agency about a health/safety violation, complains to the landlord about a § 562A.15 violation, or organizes or joins a tenants' union. A good-faith complaint within one year before the alleged retaliation creates a presumption of retaliation. Tenant may recover actual damages and attorney fees and has a defense to eviction. Exceptions: tenant-caused code violations, rent default, or code compliance requiring the tenant's displacement; rent increases matching higher costs are a defense to the presumption. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.36 |
| Security deposit limit | Two months' rent. Deposits must be held in a federally insured bank, savings and loan, or credit union and not commingled with the landlord's personal funds. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.12(1) |
| Penalty for withholding | Bad-faith retention: actual damages plus punitive damages of up to twice the monthly rent; court may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.12(7)-(8) |
| Late fees | Rent of $700/month or less: late fee may not exceed $12 per day or $60 per month. Rent over $700/month: not more than $20 per day or $100 per month. Added by 2013 Acts, ch 97. No statutory grace period. Source: Iowa Code § 562A.9(4) |
| Rent control / increase limits | Preempted: cities and counties may not adopt or enforce any limit on the amount of rent for private residential or commercial property (except property in which the local government has an interest). No statewide cap. County provision: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/331.304.pdf |
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | No. Iowa has no statewide source-of-income protection, and since Jan. 1, 2023 cities and counties may not adopt or enforce ordinances barring landlords from refusing to rent to someone because they use a federal Housing Choice Voucher (existing local ordinances became void). County provision: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/331.304.pdf. |
| 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 |
| Other rental fees | No general junk-fee or fee-disclosure statute. The only statutory fee limit found is the late-fee cap (rent up to $700/month: $12/day, $60/month max; rent over $700: $20/day, $100/month max). Landlords may not charge fees or penalties for a tenant's summoning police or emergency assistance. §562A.27B: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562A.27B.pdf |
Can I sue my landlord in Iowa? · All Iowa tenant rights
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.