T he iowa supreme court in destefano v.
Iowa rental laws carpet cleaning.
Iowans age 60 and over call 800 992 8161.
The official state statutes and other reputable municipal sources were used to research this information.
If the carpet in a rental property is excessively dirty or damaged the landlord can deduct the cost from the security deposit.
To apply for help from iowa legal aid.
In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out.
If a tenant has not paid their rent a landlord in iowa must send them a notice to pay rent or quit.
A landlord cannot make you pay for carpet cleaning automatically.
State law regulates several rent related issues including late fees the amount of notice at least 30 days in iowa landlords must give tenants to raise the rent and how much time three days in iowa a tenant has to pay rent or move before a landlord can file for eviction.
Iowa notice required to raise rent and other rent rules.
The landlord must prove the carpet needs to be professionally cleaned to put the apartment in the condition in which you received it.
With that said landlord tenant laws are always changing and may even vary from county to county.
Check your local and state laws to be sure that there are no additional requirements.
Previous to de stefano many iowa landlords automatically charged tenants security deposits for professional carpet cleaning either at the end of the lease or the end of the tenancy.
Department of housing and urban development 451 7th street s w washington dc 20410 telephone.
Any tenant with problems involving an eviction or if you have a question on landlord tenant law you should see an attorney for advice.
This means the landlord can make you pay to clean up stains from spilled drinks or pets but the landlord cannot force you to use a specific cleaning service or company.
Any carpet cleaning charges they collect in advance must be treated as part of a security deposit which must be subject to a refund.
Deductions cannot include normal wear and tear essentially a landlord would have to sue a tenant as a separate matter if they did not pay for routine carpet cleaning required by the lease.
All sources are cited appropriately.
If the tenant fails to pay the rent within three days then the landlord can file to evict the tenant.
This article summarizes some key iowa landlord tenant laws applicable to residential rental units.
Downtown 879 n w 2d 155 iowa 2016 explained what tenants can and cannot be charged for carpet cleaning.
If the carpet cleaning does not exceed a professional cleaner s normal rate and the carpet doesn t have any actual damage landlords should not charge a tenant for dirty carpets.
Iowa legal aid provides help to low income iowans.