State law · statute quotes
Iowa security deposit laws for landlords and property managers
The words of Iowa's security deposit statute on each topic, quoted verbatim with pinpoint citations and links to the official source. No summaries, no interpretation.
Reviewed by Mark Shvaya, licensed California real estate broker (DRE #02243502), who uses ProFlow360 in a rental portfolio Mark manages
Last reviewed
Quoted on this page
- Deposit limit
- Returning the deposit
- Itemized statement
- Inspections and condition reports
- Photographs
- Normal wear and tear
- Interest
- Wrongful withholding
Iowa Code § 562A.12
On this page
What this page covers
Iowa's residential security deposit provisions quoted here come from Iowa Code § 562A.12. Below are the statute's own words on 6 topics, each with a pinpoint citation and a link to the official text. This page does not summarize or interpret the law.
What does Iowa law say about the amount of a security deposit?
1. A landlord shall not demand or receive as a security deposit an amount or value in excess of two months’ rent.
What does Iowa law say about returning the deposit?
3. a. A landlord shall, within thirty days from the date of termination of the tenancy and receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions, return the rental deposit to the tenant or furnish to the tenant a written statement showing the specific reason for withholding of the rental deposit or any portion thereof.
What does Iowa law say about an itemized statement of deductions?
If the rental deposit or any portion of the rental deposit is withheld for the restoration of the dwelling unit, the statement shall specify the nature of the damages.
How does Iowa law refer to normal wear and tear?
(2) To restore the dwelling unit to its condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
What does Iowa law say about interest on deposits?
Any interest earned on a rental deposit during the first five years of a tenancy shall be the property of the landlord.
What does Iowa law say about wrongful withholding?
7. The bad-faith retention of a deposit by a landlord, or any portion of the rental deposit, in violation of this section shall subject the landlord to punitive damages not to exceed twice the monthly rental payment in addition to actual damages.
Not quoted on this page
inspections and condition reports, photographs. That does not mean Iowa law is silent on them; other sections or local rules may apply. Read the full statute.
Has Iowa's security deposit law changed recently?
From our review of the official history notes: History: 93 Acts, ch 154, §13; 2010 Acts, ch 1017, §2, 11; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §261; 2013 Acts, ch 97, §4; 2014 Acts, ch 1026, §123. No 2024-2026 amendment in the Iowa Code 2026 PDF.
How does ProFlow360 help you document a Iowa tenancy?
ProFlow360 records and organizes inspection evidence; it does not tell you what the statute requires or allows. What it records, for any state:
- Move-in, routine, pre-move-out and move-out inspections with photos timestamped at capture.
- Each move-out photo beside its move-in match, filed under the tenancy.
- Itemized lines with your classification, the amount you entered, and the estimate or invoice attached.
- An issued record that is sealed, shared by a link that expires and can be revoked.
Do this in ProFlow360
Keep the photos, the call and the invoice on the same line
Every deduction line carries the move-in and move-out photos, your classification and its documents, so the record can be followed by someone who was not there.
Kitchen · counter burn, left of range
Line 2 of 5 · TEN-0418
MI-21 · Jul 12, 2024
MO-29 · Sep 30, 2026Security deposit statutes in nearby states
Sources
Sources checked October 16, 2026.
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