Download Iowa Rental Lease Agreement Templates [PDF]

An Iowa lease agreement is a legal document used for transferring the usage of leased property from the landlord (lessor) to the tenant (lessee) in exchange for monetary compensation (rent).

Landlords mostly draft lease agreements to define the lease duration and the rent amount. However, lease agreements also provide the necessary disclosures that must be included according to federal and state laws and regulations.

Before even starting the lease agreement drafting process with the tenant, the landlord will first check their credit score by reviewing copies of their pay stubs or past tax returns or checking the tenant’s income through their employer.

Additionally, the landlord will check the tenant’s references from the previous landlords and make the final decision on starting the lease agreement drafting procedure with the potential tenant.

Iowa Lease Agreement Required Disclosures

If you're renting a property in the state of Iowa, you must include these mandatory disclosures in the lease agreement in order to protect both the landlord and the tenant from any potential legal issues:

Mandatory Disclosures

Lead-based paint disclosure. If the building is built before 1978, the landlord must inform the tenant if any lead-based paint in any form is present in the property construction. This disclosure is declared mandatory by federal law.
Manager and owner information disclosure. A person signing the lease agreement as the landlord shall disclose the names and addresses of the property manager and the owner of the property or a person acting on their behalf for receiving the notices and requests. (§ 562A.13(1-3))
Environmental Protection Agency disclosure. The landlord must inform the tenant if the leased property is registered in the database of EPA’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System. (§ 562A.13(6))
Utilities disclosure. If the landlord is paying for the utilities, they should explain all the utilities rates, charges, and services to the tenant and insert them into the lease agreement. (§ 562A.13(4))

Iowa Lease Agreement Optional Disclosures

There are a few disclosures that are not required to be included in the lease agreement in Iowa that can, however, provide additional protection for both contractual parties:

Optional Disclosures

Move-in checklist. This checklist should include all the items at the property and their condition. Before moving in, the landlord and the tenant should inspect the property and mark down any damages found on the items from the list. This will make the move-out procedure much easier and prevent any disputes.
Smoking disclosure. The tenant can provide the smoking policy for the leased property and inform the tenant of any designated smoking areas.
Mold disclosure. The landlord can inform the tenant of the mold status at the leased unit and provide them with the guidelines in case the mold appears at the leased unit.

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

The landlord can be fined up to $19.905 for not including the lead-based paint disclosure in the lease agreement. (24 CFR § 30.65)

Most of the disclosures address the health and safety risks connected to the leased property. By failing to address them, the landlord can be sued by the tenant and have to pay high damage compensation.

Iowa Lease Agreement Security Deposits

Security Deposit Maximum

A security deposit in Iowa is limited to the amount of two (2) months’ rent. (§ 562A.12(1))

Security Deposit Return

The landlord must return the (remaining) security deposit no later than 30 days from the moment the tenancy ends. If any amount is deducted from the security deposit, the landlord shall include a list of any deductions made and send it to the tenant. (§ 562A.12(3)(a))

The landlord can make the following deductions from the security deposit:

List of Deductions

For any default rent payments
To make the necessary repairs and cleaning
To cover the unpaid utility bills

When is Rent Due in Iowa? (Grace Period)

The state of Iowa doesn’t provide a mandatory grace period for the rent payment. Therefore, the rent is due on the day provided in the lease agreement. (§ 562A.9(3))

If the tenant doesn’t pay the rent on the due date, the landlord can issue a 3-day notice, after which they can terminate the lease agreement. (§ 562A.27(2))

Iowa Rent Late Fees

If the monthly rent is $700 or less, the late fee cannot exceed $12 per day or $60 for a month.

In case the monthly rent is higher than $700, the late fee must be less than $20 per day or $100 per month. (§ 562A.9(4))

Iowa NSF Checks

The tenant who used the worthless check to pay rent will have to compensate the landlord with the amount written on the check, plus any bank fees. The landlord will have to send a ten (10) day notice to the tenant to pay for the compensation before taking any further legal action. (§ 714.1(6))

Iowa Landlord’s Right to Enter

Except in case of emergency, the landlord must give the tenant at least a twenty-four (24) hour notice before visiting the leased property. (§ 562A.19(3))

The landlord may enter the leased property only at reasonable times.

Iowa Lease Agreement FAQ

The Iowa lease agreement is a legally binding document. It should be signed by both the landlord and the tenant in order to be legally binding.
In the event that the landlord doesn’t sign the lease agreement but accepts the rent payment, the lease agreement will be binding towards them as if they had signed it.
If the tenant fails to sign the lease agreement but pays the rent, the lease agreement will also be binding towards them, as if they had signed it.
The Iowa lease agreement usually has the following outline:
Names of the parties and their ID details
Information about the leased property
Lease duration and occupancy limit
Rent amount and methods of payment
Disclosure about any late or non-refundable fees.
Any mandatory disclosures provided by federal or Iowa state law
Rights and duties of the landlord and the tenant
Details about the lease agreement termination
Closing provisions
You can simply download it from our website by choosing from a number of templates according to the type of your lease and the lease duration.
Our templates are all in accordance with federal and Iowa state law and include all the mandatory provisions your Iowa lease agreement should have.
After drafting and signing the lease agreement, ensure you inspect the lease agreement and sign the move-in form.
Once they sign the move-in form, the tenant can pay the first month’s rent and security deposit, and the landlord can hand over the keys to the tenant.