Iowa Rental Application
Fill out a Iowa rental application below and download a print-ready PDF — identity, rental history, employment, references and screening consent. Free, no signup.
Maintained by the SealForms editorial team · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified July 2026 · Not legal advice.
Iowa application-fee rule · as of July 2026
No statewide cap
Iowa Code ch. 562A (no provision)
Source: Iowa Legislature ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
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Know your Iowa rules
Application-fee rules come from state law, not the form: in Iowa, no statewide cap (Iowa Code ch. 562A (no provision)). Cities can add their own caps. Check the currentIowa screening rules before charging or paying a fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Iowa?
Iowa sets no statewide cap on application fees (Iowa Code ch. 562A (no provision)), so the amount is up to the landlord — market rates run $25-$75. Source: Iowa Legislature.
Is the application a lease?
No. The application only collects information for screening. If approved, landlord and tenant then sign a lease — see our Iowa lease agreement template, which reflects Iowa's deposit and notice rules.
How does Iowa compare? See application-fee limits in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How Iowa compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of July 2026). Source for Iowa: Iowa Legislature ↗.
- Iowa is one of 33 of 51 jurisdictions that set no statutory limit on application fees (8 cap the application fee by statute; 6 limit the fee to the landlord's actual screening cost; 4 ban application fees outright).
The rest of what Iowa requires
The figures below are Iowa's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Iowa page for that document.
- Security deposit cap· as of 2026
- 2 months' rentIowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Deposit return deadline· as of 2026
- 30 days after move-outIowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy· as of 2026
- 30 daysIowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent· as of 2026
- 3 days to pay or quitIowa Code § 562A.27; § 562A.34(2) ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation· as of 2026
- 7 daysIowa Code § 562A.27; § 562A.34(2) ↗
- Small claims limit· as of 2026
- $6,500Iowa Code § 631.1; § 631.6 (fees) ↗
- Where you file· as of 2026
- Small claims docket of the Iowa District Court (heard by magistrates and district associate judges) · filing fee $95 flat statewide (Iowa Code 631.6 / 602.8105), plus service costs.Iowa Code § 631.1; § 631.6 (fees) ↗
- Bill of sale notarization· as of 2026
- Not requiredIowa DOT / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing· as of 2026
- Notarization recommendedIowa Code §633B.105 (form §633B.301) ↗
- LLC operating agreement· as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rulesIowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function) ↗
- Recording a deed· as of 2026
- County Recorder (Iowa Code § 558.11 — 'recorder of deeds of the county in which the real estate is situated') · no witnessesIowa Code §§ 558.19, 558.42 ↗
Rental application in other states
More Iowa legal forms
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