Effective Date: November 1, 2025
Jurisdiction: State of Iowa
Applies To: All landlords, property managers, agents and listing entities using Tentunit to list residential rental properties (including student, young-professional and family housing) in Iowa.
1. Purpose
This Statement sets forth the operational, legal, and ethical obligations that landlords must meet when listing properties on the Tentunit platform in Iowa. Use of the Tentunit platform constitutes landlord agreement to: this Statement; the Tentunit Terms of Service; Payment Terms; Fair Housing & Equal Access Policy; and all applicable federal, state and local laws. This document is not legal advice; landlords should consult qualified counsel for specific compliance obligations and risks.
2. Listing Accuracy, Transparency & Advertising Standards
Landlords must ensure every listing is truthful, current, and accurately reflects the unit offered and the terms.
Required Disclosures
Each listing must clearly disclose:
- The monthly rent, lease term (start/end or renewal/notice term), and earliest availability date.
- All upfront and recurring fees: application/processing fee, move-in/administrative fee, pet deposit/fee, parking/amenity fees, utility allocation or rebilling fees.
- Security deposit amount (or fee in lieu, if permitted) and full disclosure of return conditions, deduction policy, and timeframe.
- Utility responsibilities: specify which utilities the tenant pays, which landlord pays; method of sub-metering or allocation if applicable.
- Unit condition and amenities: photos must represent the actual unit being offered, not a model unit unless clearly disclosed as such.
- Screening criteria (e.g., income threshold, credit standard, guarantor/co-signer policy, student status or eligibility).
- Availability status: The unit must truly be available. If it becomes unavailable (leased, held, removed), update or remove listing promptly.
Prohibited Practices
- Advertising units that are not genuinely available without prompt update or removal.
- Misrepresenting square‐footage, bedroom/bath count, finishes, view, condition, amenities or location.
- Using “starting at” or “from” pricing without full disclosure of eligibility/unit-availability/timeframe.
- Omitting material fees or charges such that a reasonable renter is misled about total cost.
- Bait-and-switch tactics: advertising one unit or terms and offering a materially different unit or terms without disclosure.
State Law Context
Iowa’s landlord-tenant statute (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, Iowa Code Chapter 562A) governs many key landlord obligations. For example, § 562A.12 addresses rental deposits. Advertising and disclosure obligations must also comply with federal truth-in-advertising laws and fair housing laws.
3. Fair Housing & Equal Access
Landlords must comply with:
- The federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.).
- Iowa law and any applicable local non-discrimination ordinances (for example, Iowa Code §§ 216.8-216.8B).
Landlords must:
- Apply neutral, consistently enforced screening criteria to all applicants regardless of protected class (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status).
- Provide reasonable accommodations/modifications for persons with disabilities where required by law.
- Avoid discriminatory statements or practices in advertising, screening, communications, leasing decisions.
- Maintain documentation of screening criteria, decisions and accommodation requests.
4. Communication Standards & Platform Responsiveness
To support the student/young-professional rental market and maintain platform credibility, landlords must maintain professional, timely, documented communication:
- Acknowledge listing inquiries, application submissions or maintenance/repair requests via Tentunit (or another documented channel) within 24 hours, and provide a substantive next-step response within 48 hours.
- Keep applicants informed of application status (approved/denied/wait-list) and keep tenants informed of scheduled entries, inspections, repairs or changes in lease or house rules.
- Maintain listing currency: if rent, fees, availability, policies or utilities change, the listing must reflect these changes promptly.
- Communicate respectfully, professionally and non-discriminatory. Repeated failure to respond or abusive/discriminatory conduct may result in listing suspension or account termination by Tentunit.
5. Lease Execution, Legal Compliance & Contract Terms
All leases executed by Tentunit landlords in Iowa must comply with state law and reflect best-practice standards.
Required Lease Elements
- Lease must be in writing or documented electronically with audit trail (even though certain portions of Iowa law permit oral agreements, for clarity and platform integrity a written lease is strongly recommended)
- Lease must clearly identify landlord/agent name and mailing address for notices and service.
- Lease must explicitly state: rent amount and due date; lease term (fixed or periodic); renewal/termination mechanics; security deposit amount and handling; all recurring and one-time fees; utility responsibilities; screening criteria; any student-housing relevant terms (sub‐letting, roommates, early release policy).
- Must include required disclosures (e.g., federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure for pre-1978 units).
- Lease must not include provisions waiving tenant statutory rights or permitting unlawful self-help eviction (lock-out, utility shut-off) — Iowa law prohibits withholding essentials and self-help removal of tenant property in many cases.
- Termination/notice provisions must align with Iowa Code § 562A.34 for periodic tenancy, and eviction rules under §§ 562A.27 et seq.
6. Habitability, Maintenance & Repair Obligations
Landlords must deliver and maintain leased premises in a safe, clean, habitable condition consistent with Iowa law and good practice.
Key obligations:
- Maintain structural components: roof, walls, floors, windows/doors, stairways/porches, handrails, lockable doors/windows.
- Provide functioning utilities/systems if provided in lease: plumbing, electrical, sanitation, heating/cooling if specified, secure locks/egress.
- Respond in a reasonable timeframe to tenant-reported conditions materially affecting health or safety; while Iowa statute doesn’t provide a single prescriptive timeframe for all non-emergency repairs, the implied warranty of habitability and tenant remedies under § 562A.12 & § 562A.4 apply.
- Maintain documentation of repairs: request date/time, vendor/work order, completion date/time, tenant notifications and photos where applicable.
- Prohibit retaliation: Landlord must not raise rent, reduce services, or evict tenant for asserting rights under law (see § 562A.36)
7. Entry, Inspection & Tenant Privacy
Landlords must respect tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment and ensure entry and inspections are conducted appropriately and documented.
- Iowa law does not prescribe a fixed statewide notice period for non-emergency entry; however best practice (and platform expectation) is 24 hours’ written notice for non-emergency entry and during reasonable hours (e.g., 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.).
- Entry must be for legitimate purpose: repairs, inspections, showing unit to prospective tenants/purchasers, agreed improvements, or as provided in lease (see § 562A.35 for “abuse of access”).
- Landlord should document: entry notice date/time, purpose of entry, date/time of actual entry, who attended, condition found and photographic evidence where applicable.
- For move-out inspections, best practice is to offer tenant a walk-through and use a condition checklist with timestamped photos to support deposit return/dispute process.
8. Security Deposit Handling & Administration
Iowa’s security deposit law (Iowa Code § 562A.12) provides specific rules.
Key rules:
Deposit Limit
- A landlord may not demand or receive as a security deposit an amount or value in excess of two months’ rent.
Holding / Interest
- Landlord must deposit the funds in a bank, savings & loan, or credit union insured by federal government, and the deposit cannot be mingled with personal funds. Some sources indicate landlords may keep interest earned during first five years of tenancy.
Return & Itemization
- After tenancy ends and tenant has provided forwarding mailing address (or delivery instructions), landlord must return the deposit (or itemized deduction statement and remainder) within 30 days.
- If the landlord withholds any portion, must provide written statement of the reasons for withholding and cost estimates. If such statement is not provided within 30 days, landlord forfeits right to any portion of the deposit.
Permissible Deductions
Landlord may deduct only for:
- Unpaid rent or other sums due under lease;
- Damages to unit beyond normal wear and tear;
- Costs incurred if tenant stays past allowed period of tenancy;
All deductions must be itemized.
Remedies for Wrongful Withholding
If landlord fails to comply with deposit handling rules, tenant may recover actual damages and in some cases punitive damages (up to twice the monthly rent) plus court costs and attorney’s fees.
Tentunit Requirements for Landlords
- Use a signed move-in condition checklist with date-stamped photographs and tenant acknowledgement.
- Clearly disclose in listing and lease: deposit amount, conditions for deductions, timeframe for return, forwarding address requirement.
- Maintain ledger: deposit receipt date, account/institution details, forwarding address documentation, itemized deduction statements, refund date.
- Ensure deposit is processed and returned in compliance with statute.
- Avoid labeling as “non-refundable deposit” unless clearly disclosed and allowed by lease and law.
- If property ownership transfers during tenancy, new owner must assume deposit liability or landlord must provide notice of transfer to tenant (best practice).
9. Student-Housing & Young-Professional Specific Standards
Because Tentunit is oriented toward student and young-professional rental markets, landlords must meet elevated standards:
- In the listing clearly disclose: proximity to campus/university, public transit/parking policy or costs, sub-letting policy or early‐termination/release options, lease renewal/non-renewal process.
- Provide digital onboarding materials tailored to younger renters: move-in guide, utility setup instructions, emergency contact protocol, roommate/shared housing rules if applicable.
- Avoid predatory practices targeted at students (excessive fees, misleading “campus-style” claims, forced guarantor requirements without alternative).
- Maintain communication channels suited for younger demographic (mobile/app notifications, after-hours support, clear roommate/house-rule expectations).
- House rules (noise, cleaning schedules, guest policy, roommate obligations) must align with statutory rights and lease terms; they must be clearly disclosed and enforced consistently and fairly.
- Maintain additional documentation suitable for student housing: roommate selection criteria, guarantor/co-signer agreements if applicable, roommate conflict resolution protocols, shared amenity/maintenance guidelines.
10. Documentation, Audit, Compliance & Platform Enforcement
Landlords must operate at institutional-level compliance and maintain full documentation; Tentunit retains strong enforcement rights.
Record-Keeping Requirements
Landlords must maintain, per property/tenancy:
- Listing metadata: listing/upload date, photo version history, fee schedule changes, availability changes.
- Applicant/screening logs: inquiry date/time, screening criteria applied, applications received, approvals/denials, communication timestamps.
- Executed lease file: signed lease (digital/paper), amendments, renewals, disclosures, guarantor/co-signer documentation (if applicable).
- Maintenance/repair logs: tenant request date/time, vendor/work order number, completion date/time, tenant notifications, before/after photographs.
- Entry/inspection logs: notice sent date/time, date/time of entry, purpose, attendees, condition noted, photos if applicable.
- Security deposit records: deposit amount, date collected, account/institution details, forwarding address documentation, itemized deduction statements, refund date, correspondence.
- Communication logs: tenant-landlord interactions via Tentunit portal or documented alternative: listing inquiries, application status updates, maintenance scheduling, entry/inspection notices, lease renewal/termination communications.
Enforcement Rights of Tentunit
Tentunit may:
- Audit landlord compliance (listing practices, lease documentation, maintenance/entry logs, deposit handling) at any time without prior notice.
- Suspend or remove property listings for material or repeated non-compliance with this Statement, Tentunit policies or Iowa/federal law.
- Freeze or withhold landlord payouts tied to a unit with unresolved compliance issues (e.g., deposit disputes, habitability complaints).
- Terminate the landlord’s platform account permanently for serious or repeated violations.
- Report non-compliance or unlawful conduct to state/local regulatory or enforcement agencies (e.g., Iowa Attorney General Consumer Protection or Iowa Civil Rights Commission) when applicable.
- Seek recovery of damages, attorney’s fees and enforcement costs incurred by Tentunit arising from landlord non-compliance.
11. Indemnification
Landlord agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Tentunit, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and contractors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to:
- Landlord’s breach of this Statement or any Tentunit policy.
- Landlord’s violation of federal, state or local housing or landlord-tenant laws/regulations.
- Landlord’s misrepresentation of listing, unit condition, availability, terms or fees.
- Tenant claims or disputes arising from landlord’s acts or omissions.
- Platform investigations or regulatory enforcement triggered by landlord non-compliance.
12. Governing Law & Reference Statutes
Iowa Statutory & Reference Materials
- Iowa Code Chapter 562A – Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law. legis.iowa.gov+1
- Iowa Code § 562A.12 – Rental Deposits (security deposit limit, return and itemization). legis.iowa.gov+2Iowa Legal Aid+2
- Iowa Legal Aid “Summary of Iowa Landlord and Tenant Law.” Iowa Legal Aid
- Nolo overview of Iowa Landlord-Tenant laws (security deposits, habitability, termination). nolo.com
Federal Law Foundations
- Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.)
- Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (units built before 1978)