Updated August 18, 2022
An Iowa eviction notice is a letter written by landlords to notify a tenant that they are in violation of their lease. The notice will include a detailed description of the offense and the required period to fix it. If the tenant does not correct the issue by the end of the notice period, the landlord will have the right to file an eviction lawsuit.
By Type (4)
3-Day Notice to Quit (
Non-Payment
)
– This form is used when a tenant has failed to pay rent. The landlord may give notice of the failure and must allow three days for the tenant to pay what is owed before commencing an eviction action.
Download: Adobe PDF
3-Day Notice to Quit (
Clear and Present Danger
)
– This form is used when the tenant has engaged in dangerous conduct that puts people and property at risk. The landlord will have to prove evidence of such conduct when seeking eviction.
Download: Adobe PDF
7-Day Notice to Quit (
Non-Compliance
)
– This form is used when the tenant is in breach of the lease. Landlord must give the tenant seven days to fix the problem before commencing proceedings in court.
Download: Adobe PDF , MS Word (.docx) , OpenDocument
30-Day Notice to Quit (
Month-to-Month Tenancy
)
– This form is used when the landlord does not want to renew a month-to-month tenancy and wants the tenant to move out at the end of the month.
Download: Adobe PDF , MS Word (.docx) , OpenDocument
Table of Contents |
Eviction Laws
- Rent Grace Period: Not statutorily defined.
- Non-Payment of Rent: 3 days. § 562A.27
- Non-Compliance: 7 days. § 562A.27(1)
- Termination (Month-to-Month Lease): 30 days. § 562A.34
- Eviction Lawsuit: Forcible Entry and Detainer. Chapter 648
Court Forms
Forcible Entry and Detainer Complaint – This document is used if the tenant has not responded to the notice to quit. It should be filed in the small claims court to begin the eviction process. It will then be served on the tenant to indicate that they are being sued.
Verification of Account – This document is used to relay the amount owed to the landlord, state whether the defendant is the military service, and to verify that the documents attached to the form and the calculations therein are accurate.
Appearance and Asnwer of Defendant – Used by the defendant to admit to, or deny the allegations made against them.
When is Rent Late
Rent is late in Iowa when tenant fails to pay on the date it is due under the terms of the lease. Landlord must provide written notice that the rent is late and give the tenant three days to pay before continuing proceedings.
How to Evict (Process)
Step 1 – First, the landlord must provide requisite notice to tenant of his or her intention to seek eviction proceedings if the tenant fails to vacate or rectify the specified problem. Tenant may not rectify a clear and present danger problem, or not agree to leave at the end of the term, however, tenant can rectify other breaches, including non-payment of rent. The landlord should provide one of these notices to tenant, either by service of process, getting it signed by an adult at the residence, or by posting and mailing by certified mail:
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Payment)
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Clear and Present Danger)
- 7-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance)
- 30-Day Notice to Quit (Month to Month)
Step 2 – If the tenant fails to respond satisfactorily to the written notice in the time allowed, the landlord may begin a forcible entry and detainer action in small claims court. In Iowa, the court system requires that small claims be filed electronically, so you will have to set up an account on This Webpage . You will then have to fill out this Forcible Entry and Detainer and file it electronically with the small claims court in your county. You will also need to file a confidential information sheet with the clerk.
Step 3 – After you have filed the Forcible Entry and Detainer form, you will have to have it served on the tenant either by service of process, having it signed by an adult at the residence, or by posting and mailing by certified mail.
Step 4 – The court will set a hearing date within eight (8) days of filing. You should have the evidence of serving the notice to quit as well as serving the forcible entry and detainer notice. The court will issue a decision either in favor of the landlord or tenant. If it is in favor of the landlord, the tenant shall have to vacate. If the tenant disagrees with the decision of the Judge, the tenant may file an appeal using Form 3.26 .
Video
How To Write (Notice To Quit)
1 – Necessary Paperwork
Obtain a copy of the Signed Lease for reference. When you are ready to proceed, download the “Iowa Notice to Quit” from this page using any of the file type buttons under the image.
2 – Defining the Lease
On the blank line, at the top of this page, fill in the Name of the Tenant or Subtenant this document is addressed to.
In the first statement, report the City where the rental property is located on the first blank space. Then, report the County where the rental property is located on the second blank space and enter the Zip Code where the rental property is located on the third blank space. The Building Number and Street where the rental property is located must also be reported in the area following the words “number and street as.” Finally, if the rental property is defined by an Apartment Number, report this number using the last space in this statement.
The next statement will only require the Signature Date reported on the Lease to be documented. You may enter the Signature Date by filling in the Calendar Day on the first blank line, the Month on the second blank line, and the Year the Signature occurred on the third blank line.
3 – Informing the Recipient
There are several possible statements allowed to be issued through this Notice, of which only one may be chosen: Nonpayment, Noncompliance, Clear and Present Danger, and two Month to Month Tenancy statements. Place a mark in the checkbox corresponding to the statement being issued:
The Nonpayment checkbox should be chosen if the Tenant has not paid his or her rent and must be warned of the repercussions. This statement will give the Tenant three days to pay this Overdue Rent or vacate the premises for the Landlord. The blank lines present in this statement will require the Name of an Authorized Agent, the Dollar Amount Owed, the Dollar Amount that must be paid, and the Time Period this Amount Owed relates to.
The Noncompliance checkbox should be chosen if the Tenant has not remained compliant with the conditions stated in the Lease Agreement held with the Landlord. The blank line here requires the exact Lease terminology that has been violated by the Tenant. This statement informs the Tenant that he or she will need to affect a remedy to the violation immediately or vacate the premises for the Landlord.
The Clear and Present Danger checkbox should be chosen if the Tenant is the source of a danger to the Property or other Tenants on the Rental Property. The blank line here will require a definition of the Dangers the Tenant poses. This statement informs the Tenant that he or she must vacate the rental property for the Landlord within three days.
The first Month to Month Tenancy checkbox should be chosen if the Tenant must be informed the Month to Month Tenancy he or she is in will expire in (at least) thirty days from the Tenant’s receipt of this Notice. This statement will require the Expiration Date of the Month to Month Tenancy to be reported on the blank spaces provided.
The second Month to Month Tenancy checkbox should be chosen if the Landlord must be informed of the Tenant’s intent to terminate the Month to Month Tenancy Agreement in (at least) thirty days from the Landlord’s receipt of this Notice. The exact date must be entered using the blank spaces in this statement.
4 – Legal Disclosure of Consequence
The paragraph bearing the words “You are further notified that…” will need to be verified with the Landlord’s Signature on the blank line provided.
5 – Certify Delivery to Recipient
The Delivery of this document must occur in a timely manner and this must be provable. To provide some documentation to this fact the individual delivering this paperwork must document the Date of Delivery and the Recipient’s Identity in the statement immediately below the section titled “Certificate of Delivery.” Below this the Delivery Agent must check one of the three check boxes to indicate whether this Notice was delivered successfully to the intended recipient, left with a reliable second party such an of age family member or mailed via First Class Mail. The Agent will be required to Sign his or her Name on the blank line at the bottom of this page.
