New Changes to Iowa's Landlord-Tenant Law
A law passed in March of 2010 gives tenants important new protections. It will help make sure tenants get notices from their landlord.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
How Can a Rental Agreement Be Ended?
Either a landlord or a tenant can end an agreement in one of these five ways.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Move Out in Three Days? Are They Serious? The Meaning of Eviction Notices
What would you do if your landlord told you to move out in three days? Would you really have to pack up and be out in three days? What would happen if you were not out by then? This review of the eviction process focuses on the notices that are given to tenants, and what they really mean
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Does Iowa's Landlord-Tenant Act Cover You and Your Landlord?
Iowa's landlord-tenant law, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, applies to the usual situation where a person or household of people rent a house or apartment to live in. But a few situations are not covered by this law.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Rental Deposits
Disputes over deposits are a frequent problem between landlords and tenants. Tenants need to take steps to be sure landlords return deposits after they move out.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Housing: How My Landlord Learned to Make Repairs
Iowa law gives tenants clear and effective rights to take action when repairs are needed to keep the property safe and livable. The Iowa law provides at least four things a tenant may do when repairs are needed but the landlord fails to do what is required to make the repairs. This article will tell you the four methods.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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How Can I Make Sure of Getting My Rental Deposit Back When I Move Out?
When a house or apartment is rented, a landlord usually collects a rental deposit, also called a security deposit, in advance to pay for any damage the tenants might do, to make up for unpaid rent, or to cover certain other expenses. Here are some tips for making sure you get your rental deposit back when you move out.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Tenants: Protect Yourself in Rental Agreements
Treat every landlord-tenant arrangement as if you will one day have to explain the whole situation to a judge. It is up to you to protect yourself by keeping detailed records of your tenancy. Here is an overview of what this means.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Disaster Struck My Rental Property, Now What?
If you rent your home and a disaster causes damage, the law can help you. A disaster is something that you did not cause, like a flood, fire, water pipe bursts in another apartment, tornado or lightning strike.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Evictions 101
Many people don’t know what to do when their landlords threaten to evict them. The law protects rights of tenants. It also protects rights of landlords. Like other legal topics, issues in landlord-tenant law can be complicated. Still, most of the basic rules and steps parties must follow are fairly simple.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Fair Housing - Making New Apartments Accessible to Persons with Disabilities
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 made a lot of changes in fair housing law. One of the changes dealt with making apartments accessible. When does an apartment have to meet the fair housing accessibility requirements?
By: Iowa Legal Aid
How to Use Small Claims Court
(Separate Website)
This Manual has been prepared to assist persons who want to sue or defend themselves in Small Claims Court in Iowa without hiring a lawyer. It outlines the basic steps involved in bringing and defending a small claims action and answers some basic questions for the person who chooses to "go it alone."
By: Iowa State Bar Association
How Your Landlord Must Get Notices to You
There are many different kinds of notices a landlord can give. This resource will discuss HOW a landlord can deliver a notice to you.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Iowa Landlord Tenant Law and the 2008 Floods
Tenants who have been affected by the floods in Iowa have some options. If it is safe, they can continue with the lease or end it and move. There are special things a tenant has to do, whether continuing with the lease or ending it, but there are important deadlines you must know.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Mobile Homes in Iowa
This resource concerns the rental of lot space for a mobile home or modular home. If the mobile home itself is rented, a different law, Iowa's regular landlord/tenant act, applies to the rental of the mobile home.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
My Landlord Won't Fix Anything!
Iowa law tells tenants their rights to take action when repairs are needed and the landlord won't fix anything.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Questions and Answers for Tenants About Bedbugs
Once thought to be largely eliminated in the United States, bedbugs have again become a problem for tenants, homeowners, hotels and even retail stores.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Requirements for Landlord Notices of Clear and Present Danger
In Iowa, a landlord can evict a tenant if the landlord feels the tenant is creating a situation which places others in danger. This article explains Iowa's "clear and present danger" law.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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Requirements for Notices from Landlords
Iowa law gives tenants important protections to make sure tenants get notices from their landlord.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Tenant Protections in Foreclosures
Tenants, too, can lose their homes to foreclosure when landlords do not make their mortgage payments.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Tenant Protections in Foreclosures
Clearly homeowners can lose their homes when they fall behind in their mortgage payments and homes end up in foreclosure. But tenants too can lose their homes to foreclosure when landlords do not make their mortgage payments.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Tenant Rights When Landlords Check Credit Histories
When you find a house or apartment that you would like to rent, the landlord or public housing authority will want to know if you will pay the rent. A landlord may refuse to rent to you if you have a poor credit history. The Fair Credit Reporting Act says a landlord must give you some details if he or she won’t rent to you or charges you a higher deposit based on a credit report.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Tenants and Utility Service Fees
A recent Iowa Utilities Board ruling concerns who should pay any additional charges to monitor the costs of natural gas when tenants do not have individual meters.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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The Fair Housing Act & Iowa Civil Rights Act Protect Housing Rights of Persons with a Mental Disability
Discrimination against a person with a mental disability is illegal. The federal Fair Housing Act and the Iowa Civil Rights Act require landlords to make exceptions, called "reasonable accommodations," in rules, policies, practices or services.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
The Iowa Legal Aid Website is a project of Iowa Legal Aid, the Volunteer Lawyer Projects of the Iowa State Bar and Polk County Bar Associations and HELP Legal Assistance.
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