HF 983 revises Iowa's landlord-tenant laws and eviction procedures. It defines "rent" to include base rent, utilities, late fees, and other payments in rental agreements, and changes mail notice timing to be completed four days after mailing (regardless of weekends or holidays). The bill makes prohibited terms in rental agreements unenforceable, allowing tenants to recover actual damages and attorney fees if landlords enforce them. Additionally, it updates notice requirements to mandate posting on dwelling doors and dual mailings (regular and certified), and adds rules for sealing court records in eviction cases after seven years without subsequent evictions.
HB 261 modifies Iowa's landlord-tenant laws and eviction procedures. It clarifies that "rent" includes base rent, utilities, and late fees (Sec. 1), requires mailed notices to be deemed delivered four days after mailing (Secs. 2, 5), and makes prohibited rental terms unenforceable with penalties like up to three months' rent and attorney fees (Secs. 3, 6). The bill also updates notice requirements for postings and mailings (Secs. 4, 7, 8, 9) and adds a new provision allowing eviction records to be sealed after seven years with no subsequent cases (Sec. 11). These changes directly affect landlords, tenants, and courts handling residential eviction cases in Iowa.
HF 700 requires landlords in Iowa rental properties to address elevated radon levels detected by tenants. Tenants may test for radon or hire a certified professional; if results show 4 picocuries per liter or higher (the EPA action level), they must notify the landlord in writing. Landlords must then arrange a confirmatory test, and if radon remains at or above that level, install a certified radon mitigation system within 90 days, followed by retesting. If landlords fail to install mitigation or radon levels persist, tenants may terminate their lease with full rent and deposit refunds, no penalties, and written notice. This bill directly affects renters and landlords in Iowa housing by establishing clear radon testing, mitigation, and lease termination procedures.
This bill, HSB 117, changes how court records are handled in residential eviction cases (forcible entry and detainer actions) in Iowa. It requires courts to seal (make private) records within three days if the tenant wins, the case is dismissed, the landlord fails to appear, or the court finds no real dispute between parties. For tenants found guilty of nonpayment, records can be sealed after seven years if they’ve paid all costs, had no recent evictions, and haven’t previously had records sealed. Once sealed, records are removed from public view but can be accessed by tenants for their own case, for scholarly purposes with redacted names, or through anonymized public reports about eviction trends.
