Iowa · Repairs and Unsafe Conditions

Landlord Won't Make Repairs in Iowa: What Can I Do?

This is not legal advice. We explain what the law says. We cannot tell you what to do in your situation. For that, talk to a lawyer. Find free legal and rent help in Iowa.

Think before you call an inspector.

You or a neighbor can ask the city to send a code inspector. Be careful: if the home is in very bad shape, the inspector can condemn it (say no one may live there). Then everyone must move out, you too, sometimes on short notice. Think about where you would go before you call.

From Iowa Legal Aid.

This page explains what your landlord must fix under Iowa law and how to ask for repairs in writing. It covers what happens if your landlord ignores your notice, including getting money back, paying for repairs yourself, or ending your lease. Each step names the risk involved.

What your landlord has to fix

  1. Iowa law requires your landlord to follow building and housing codes that seriously affect your health and safety. Your landlord must also make repairs and do whatever it takes to keep your home fit to live in.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.15(1)(a)(1)-(2), Iowa Legislature. Law.
    Tip.

    Take photos of each problem, with the date. Take more if it gets worse.

  2. Your landlord must keep electrical, plumbing, and heating equipment in good repair. Your landlord must also give you running water, reasonable hot water, and reasonable heat. This does not apply to a building that the law does not require to have them. It also does not apply if you pay the gas or electric company yourself for your own heat or hot water.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.15(1)(a)(4), Iowa Legislature. Law.

Ask in writing

  1. If your landlord breaks an important part of your lease, you must send a written notice. The same is true if your landlord does not follow Iowa's repair law in a way that seriously affects your health and safety. Your notice must describe exactly what your landlord did wrong or failed to do.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.21(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.
    Tip.

    Keep a copy of every letter you give your landlord, and keep your mail receipt. Save the texts and emails you send your landlord, and any replies.

  2. Your notice must give your landlord at least 7 days to fix the problem, counted from when your landlord receives it. Your notice must also state the date your lease will end if the problem is not fixed by then. If your landlord fixes the problem before that date, your lease does not end.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.21(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

If it is still not fixed

  1. You can sue your landlord for money and ask a judge to order the repairs made. Your landlord can avoid this if they prove they worked hard to fix the problem and the delay was reasonably beyond their control. If your landlord chose not to fix things, your landlord may also have to pay your attorney fees.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. Iowa Code § 562A.21(2), Iowa Legislature. Law.
    Money is not automatic.

    Where this page says a court can award you money, you get it only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

    From Iowa People's Law Library (State of Iowa).

  2. Your landlord may fail to supply running water, hot water, heat, or other essential services (basic home services) on purpose or through carelessness. If this happens, you must send written notice describing the problem. After that, you can pay for reasonable amounts of those services yourself and subtract the actual, reasonable cost from your rent.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. Iowa Code § 562A.23(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.
    Your landlord can take you to court.

    If you hold back rent, pay less, or take repair costs out of your rent, your landlord can file an eviction case for unpaid rent. If the judge rules for your landlord, you can owe the rent and court costs and have to move out. Your proof matters. Even a case you win can show up when you apply for a new place. Get legal help first.

  3. Your landlord may also fail to supply running water, hot water, heat, or other essential services (basic home services) on purpose or through carelessness. If this happens, you can ask a court for money instead. You can ask for money based on how much less your home was worth while the problem lasted. Or you can ask for a refund of the rent you already paid for that time, split by how many days the problem lasted.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. Iowa Code § 562A.23(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

  4. If your landlord takes you to court for not paying rent, you can raise your landlord's repair failures as your own claim for money. The court can order you to pay some or all of the rent into court while the case continues, then decide who owes what. If your claim has no merit and you did not raise it in good faith, you may have to pay your landlord's attorney fees.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.24(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

  5. Your landlord cannot raise your rent, cut your services, or try to evict you to punish you. This applies if you told a government agency that your home breaks a health or safety rule. It also applies if you told your landlord about a repair problem, or if you joined a group of renters.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.36(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

  6. If your landlord raises your rent, cuts services, or threatens to evict you as punishment for a complaint, you can recover your losses. You can also get your attorney fees paid. You can use this as a defense (an argument that can stop the eviction) if your landlord tries to evict you.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. Iowa Code § 562A.36(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

  7. The law treats your landlord's action as retaliation if you complained in good faith within the last year. This applies before your landlord raises your rent, cuts services, or moves to evict you. This is called a presumption (the court treats it as true unless your landlord proves it is not). This does not apply if you complained only after your landlord already told you about the increase or cut. Your landlord can still win by proving the rent increase matches a real rise in their costs.

    Source:
    1. Iowa Code § 562A.36(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.

Moving out

  1. If your landlord does not fix the problem by the date in your notice, your lease ends and you can move out. You cannot use this right if you, a family member, or a guest caused the problem on purpose or through carelessness.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. Iowa Code § 562A.21(1), Iowa Legislature. Law.
    Your landlord can sue you for the rent.

    If you move out early because of repairs, your landlord can sue you for the rent up to the end of your lease. If the judge rules for your landlord, you can owe that rent. Your proof matters. Get legal help first.

Published by Nazanin, November 11, 2026. Sources checked November 13, 2026. Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.