Security Deposit Not Returned in Iowa: What Can I Do?
Iowa law gives you the right to get your security deposit back after you move out. If your landlord keeps part of it, they must give you a written explanation. This page covers the return deadline and what your landlord can take from your deposit. It also covers what you can do in court if your landlord does not follow the law.
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After you move out, your landlord has 30 days to send back your deposit. This 30-day clock starts on the day your lease ends and your landlord has received your new address. Instead of returning your money, your landlord may send you a written statement inside those 30 days. That statement must explain why they are keeping some or all of your deposit.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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Give your landlord your new address in writing right after you move out. Your landlord's 30-day deadline to send back your deposit does not start until they have your new address. If you wait to send it, you delay getting your money back.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If your landlord keeps any part of your deposit, they must give you a written statement inside the 30-day deadline. This statement must give the specific reason for keeping the money. If the reason is damage to your home, the statement must also describe what the damage is.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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Your landlord can take from your deposit only a reasonable (fair) amount to cover unpaid rent or other money you owe under your lease. They cannot take more than this for this reason.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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Your landlord can also take the cost of fixing damage to your home beyond ordinary wear and tear. Ordinary wear and tear means the normal wear you would expect from everyday living. This covers bringing your home back to the condition it was in when you moved in. It does not cover ordinary wear and tear, only damage beyond that.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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Your landlord can take the cost of getting your home back from you, but only in a narrow case. You must have been told that you broke the lease, and afterward you did not act honestly about leaving and moving out. This reason is different from the reason about fixing damage to your home.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If your landlord does not give you this written statement within 30 days, they lose the right to keep any part of your deposit. This is true even if they had a valid reason. They must return your full deposit to you.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If you never give your landlord your new address, your landlord keeps the whole deposit once 1 year passes from when your lease ended. After that, you give up your right to get any of it back. Send your new address as soon as you move out so this deadline does not apply to you.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If your landlord sells the building or gives up their interest in it, they must handle your deposit one of two ways. They can transfer it to the new landlord within a reasonable time (without a long delay), minus any money they are allowed to keep. If they do, they must tell you the new landlord's name and address. Instead, your landlord can return the deposit directly to you. Once they do either of these the right way, they no longer owe you anything about your deposit.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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A new landlord who takes over your deposit may send you a written notice of the amount they received. You then have 20 days to object to the stated amount. If you do not object in time, the new landlord only has to return the amount stated in the notice.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If you take your landlord to court about your deposit, your landlord must prove they had a legal reason to keep it, not you. They must show a preponderance of the evidence (proof that it is more likely true than not).
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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If your landlord dishonestly keeps your deposit without a legal right to it, a court can order them to pay you a penalty. The penalty can be up to 2 times your monthly rent, on top of the money you actually lost. For example, 2 times a $1,200 rent is $2,400. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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The court can order the losing side in any lease case to pay the winning side's reasonable (fair) lawyer fees. This applies to any dispute about your lease, not just deposit cases. If you lose your case about your deposit, you might have to pay your landlord's lawyer costs on top of your own.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
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