Lease Agreements in Iowa
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Written by Tony
Updated over a week ago

TurboTenant’s Iowa lease agreement has been written and reviewed by Iowa's legal professionals. It’s been drafted to keep you compliant and covered as you rent out your property.

Click this link to see an example of the Iowa Lease Agreement.

Overview

The Iowa lease agreement is split up into three sections.

  • Section 1 contains information specific to you, your tenants, your rental property, and the details of your lease. This is all information that you add during the lease creation process in TurboTenant.

  • Section 2 contains clauses in accordance with Iowa law. In order to stay compliant with the law, you will not be able to edit any details in Section 2.

  • Section 3 contains general clauses for landlords in the United States. It was drafted with best practices in mind for the landlord, tenant relationship. Like Section 2, you will not be able to edit these details.

While you may not edit all of the specifics directly, remember you can add additional provisions that supersede any existing language in the lease by using the Additional Provisions section. This gives you customization and flexibility should you have unique things you want to ensure are covered in your lease.

Section 1 - Custom to You

Section 1 contains the custom details relevant to you, your tenants, and your rental property— who is on the lease, rent amount, utilities, etc. You’ll add these details during the lease creation process

We’ve set up the lease agreement in a way that is easy for you and your tenants to understand. You’ll see the main details you’ve added to the summary table at the front of the lease agreement. The remaining items—like smoking, utilities, keys, etc.—are outlined in the rest of Section 1 as you can see in this example Iowa Lease Agreement.

Section 2 - Specific to Iowa

Section 2 includes language that is specific to Iowa. In order to help make sure you stay compliant with local laws, we’ve not allowed you to edit the details here.

There are some clauses in Section 2 that we wanted to call out so you understand how it affects you and your tenants.

Late Fees - Section 2.1

Rent is due in full on the Due Date. If Rent is not received on or before the fifth (5th) day of each month, a late fee will be charged. When Rent is $700 or less, late charges shall not exceed $12 per day, or a total amount of $60 per month; when Rent is more than $700 per month, late charges shall not exceed $20 per day or a total amount of $100 per month. All late fees shall be deemed additional rent for the month, and shall be paid and collected as such. Late fees will be assessed from the Due Date until the entire balance of unpaid Rent, accrued late fees, and any other charges are paid in full.

Security Deposit Provisions - Section 2.4

Security deposits requirements may vary quite a bit from state to state. In Iowa:

  • Security deposits may not exceed two month’s rent

  • Pet deposits should not be collected separately, but they may be included as part of the security deposit.

  • Security deposit to be held in non-interest bearing account, but if held in interest bearing account, Tenant to receive interest after first five (5) years.

Security deposit returns in Iowa also have some unique rules:

  • Security deposits need to be returned to Tenant within thirty (30) days at the termination or expiration of the Lease.

  • At that time, Landlord shall provide Tenant with a written accounting of any lawful charges or deductions.

  • Tenant must provide Landlord with Tenant’s forwarding address, in writing.

  • If forwarding address or instructions for return are not provided, Landlord may, after one (1) year, keep such security deposit.

Absences - Section 2.9

Tenant is required to notify Landlord in writing of any anticipated absence from the Premises in excess of seven (7) days, and shall make arrangements for the Premises to be routinely checked on during absence. Such written notice must be provided no later than the first day of any such absence. Landlord may enter the Premises for absences longer than fourteen (14) days for any reasonable purpose during Tenant’s absence.

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors - Section 2.15

Additionally, Landlord has 14 days from notification by Tenant to repair or replace the defective Detector(s). Tenant acknowledges that the Detectors may be battery operated and agrees to replace the batteries, at Tenant’s expense, promptly, as needed, for the duration of their stay at the Premises.

Section 3

The clauses in Section 3 are standard to most lease agreements. Along with the rest of the lease agreement, we worked with experienced landlords to make sure you are following best practices in your lease agreement.

Subletting - Section 3.1

Your tenant is not at all allowed to sublease the rental property without your written permission.

Altering or Improving the Property - Section 3.2

Your tenant cannot make any alterations or improvements—like repainting—without your written consent. Unless agreed upon, when they move out, the property must be in the same condition that it was in when they moved in.

Choice of Law - 3.11

The rental agreement will be governed and construed in accordance to Iowa's own laws. Also there is a requirement to consent to the use of the county courts in which the property is located.

Follow the Law (noise, drugs, etc.) - Section 3.14

Your tenant cannot break any law or ordinance (federal, state, or local) while on your rental property. This also includes a clause saying they are not allowed to be annoying or a nuisance to neighbors while on the property. Any of the above can be good grounds for terminating the lease agreement.

Missing something you want to make sure is included?

This article only includes an overview of some of the details included in the Iowa Lease Agreement. You can read the whole agreement and double-check for specific details by clicking this link to see an example of the agreement.

We wanted our lease agreement to handle the majority of use cases for landlords in Iowa. However, we do know that some rental situations are unique. If there are other specifics you want to outline in the lease agreement, you can do so in the Additional Provisions section while creating your lease agreement in TurboTenant. We recommend that you review them with a lawyer to ensure you stay compliant with the law.

Disclaimer: Changing some terms in the lease may conflict with state or local laws. If you make large edits, we recommend speaking with an attorney. Please have a look at your specific state lease agreement for more information. TurboTenant is not responsible for edits that are not compliant with state laws. TurboTenant is unable to provide legal advice.

DISCLAIMER: This lease agreement is not warrantied, either expressly or implied, by TurboTenant, Inc. as to their effectiveness or completeness. TurboTenant, Inc. does not provide legal advice. TURBOTENANT, INC. AND ITS SERVICES, DOCUMENTS, RECORDS, AND PRODUCTS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY. The user is advised to check all applicable state and federal laws before using this agreement, attachments, disclosures, forms, or parts thereof and to have them reviewed by competent legal counsel prior to use.legal professionals. It’s been drafted to keep you compliant and covered as you rent out your property.

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