Landlord repairs in Iowa

The landlord must comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe, maintain supplied facilities and appliances, provide garbage collection, and supply running water, reasonable hot water and reasonable heat. (Iowa Code § 562A.15(1))

Iowa law names these:

• compliance with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety
• repairs to keep the premises fit and habitable
• clean and safe common areas
• electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other supplied facilities and appliances (including elevators) in good and safe working order
• garbage and rubbish receptacles and removal
• running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times
• reasonable heat

To terminate, the tenant must deliver a written notice specifying the breach and stating that the lease ends on a date at least 7 days after receipt unless fixed within 7 days (§ 562A.21(1)). For essential services, the tenant gives written notice specifying the breach (§ 562A.23(1)). For repair-and-deduct, the tenant must notify the landlord at least 7 days before rent is due of the intent to fix the problem at the landlord's expense (§ 562A.27(4)); the State Library's People's Law Iowa advises making all repair requests in writing and keeping a copy. (Iowa Code §§ 562A.21(1), 562A.23(1), 562A.27(4))

The notice must be in writing. Write a Iowa repair request letter.

The landlord has 7 days after receiving the tenant's written notice to remedy a material lease breach or a § 562A.15 violation materially affecting health and safety, or the lease terminates on the date in the notice (§ 562A.21(1)). For repair-and-deduct the tenant's notice must come at least 7 days before the rent due date (§ 562A.27(4)). Essential-service remedies arise as soon as written notice is given (§ 562A.23).

Urgent problems: landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply running water, hot water, heat or essential services (tenant remedies arise once written notice is given; no waiting period stated)

Law: Iowa Code §§ 562A.21(1), 562A.23, 562A.27(4)

Allowed with limits. In an eviction for nonpayment, it is a defense (and the repair cost is deducted from rent claimed) if the landlord failed to comply with the lease or § 562A.15, the tenant told the landlord at least 7 days before rent was due of the intent to fix the condition at the landlord's expense, the reasonable cost was no more than one month's rent, and the tenant had it fixed in good faith before receiving a termination notice for nonpayment (§ 562A.27(4)). For deliberate or negligent failure to supply running water, hot water, heat or essential services, the tenant may give written notice and buy reasonable amounts and deduct the actual, reasonable cost from rent (§ 562A.23(1)(a)).

Limit:

one month's periodic rent

Law:

Iowa Code §§ 562A.27(4), 562A.23(1)(a)

Not addressed by state law. No Iowa statute authorizes general rent withholding for repairs. Remedies instead are repair-and-deduct (§ 562A.27(4)), essential-services deductions and pro-rata refund of rent paid during the outage (§ 562A.23), and a counterclaim in an eviction for nonpayment (§ 562A.24).

Law:

Iowa Code §§ 562A.23, 562A.24, 562A.27(4)

In an eviction for nonpayment or a suit for rent while the tenant is in possession, the tenant may counterclaim for amounts owed under the lease or chapter; the court may order the tenant to pay accrued and accruing rent into court and then decides the net amount owed. If no rent remains due, judgment is for the tenant (§ 562A.24). This is a court-ordered deposit, not a tenant-started escrow. (Iowa Code § 562A.24)

Allowed. For a material lease breach or a § 562A.15 violation materially affecting health and safety, the tenant may give written notice that the lease ends at least 7 days after receipt unless the breach is fixed within 7 days. If substantially the same problem recurs within 6 months, the tenant may terminate on at least 7 days' written notice unless the landlord used due diligence to fix it. Not for tenant-caused conditions; the landlord returns prepaid rent and the recoverable deposit.

Law:

Iowa Code § 562A.21(1), (4)

The tenant may recover damages and get an injunction for noncompliance unless the landlord proves due diligence and that the failure was beyond its reasonable control; attorney fees if the noncompliance is willful (§ 562A.21(2)). For deliberate or negligent failure to supply essential services, the tenant may instead recover damages for reduced rental value or a pro-rata refund of rent paid for the outage (§ 562A.23(1)(b)-(c)). If the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water or another essential service, the tenant may recover possession or end the lease and recover actual damages, punitive damages up to twice the monthly rent, and reasonable attorney fees (§ 562A.26).

A landlord may not raise rent, decrease services, or bring or threaten an eviction after the tenant complained to a code-enforcement agency about a health and safety violation, complained to the landlord about a § 562A.15 violation, or joined a tenants' union. A good-faith complaint within 1 year before the alleged retaliation creates a presumption of retaliation (not if made after notice of the rent increase or service cut; cost increases matching a rent increase are a defense). The tenant recovers actual damages and attorney fees and has a defense to eviction. Exceptions: tenant-caused code violations, rent default, or code work requiring the unit to be vacated. (Iowa Code § 562A.36)

The State Library's People's Law Iowa says tenants may contact their city's rental housing inspector, if there is one; the inspector can order repairs for city code violations, and the landlord may be fined.

• Statute text was read from the Iowa Code 2026 edition of chapter 562A (official legis.iowa.gov PDF, retrieved via Internet Archive snapshot of 2026-02-13 because legis.iowa.gov was unreachable on 2026-10-14); amendments from the 2026 session taking effect July 1, 2026 could not be checked.
• In a single-family home the landlord and tenant may agree in writing, in good faith, that the tenant handles garbage, water, hot water and heat and specified repairs; for other units the agreement must be a separate signed writing with adequate consideration (§ 562A.15(2)-(4)).
• Landlords must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering to make repairs, except in emergencies (§ 562A.19, per People's Law Iowa).

• Iowa repair request letter (free, runs in your browser)
• Breaking a lease in Iowa: notice periods and early-termination rights
• Iowa eviction notice rules: what a notice for unpaid rent requires

• Iowa Code 2026, ch. 562A (official PDF via Internet Archive snapshot 2026-02-13) Retrieved October 14, 2026.
• Iowa Code ch. 562A (official, legis.iowa.gov) Retrieved October 14, 2026.
• State Library of Iowa, People's Law Iowa: Asking Your Landlord to Make Repairs Retrieved October 14, 2026.
• Iowa Code § 562A.26 (Iowa Code 2026) Retrieved October 14, 2026.

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 14, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; before withholding rent or ending a lease, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.