Iowa Rental Laws Carpet Cleaning

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.

Iowa rental laws carpet cleaning.

Iowa notice required to raise rent and other rent rules. Downtown 879 n w 2d 155 iowa 2016 explained what tenants can and cannot be charged for carpet cleaning. 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. 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.

When landlords should charge a tenant for dirty carpets. T he iowa supreme court in destefano v. If the tenant fails to pay the rent within three days then the landlord can file to evict the tenant. 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.

To apply for help from iowa legal aid. Within three days of receiving this notice a tenant must pay the rent that is owed. This article summarizes some key iowa landlord tenant laws applicable to residential rental units. If the carpet in a rental property is excessively dirty or damaged the landlord can deduct the cost from the security deposit.

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. Iowans age 60 and over call 800 992 8161. Check your local and state laws to be sure that there are no additional requirements. If a tenant has not paid their rent a landlord in iowa must send them a notice to pay rent or quit.

Any tenant with problems involving an eviction or if you have a question on landlord tenant law you should see an attorney for advice. On the other hand the landlord needing to call in a professional cleaning crew because the tenant didn t clean and allowed bugs to take over the property would not be the landlord s responsibility. Department of housing and urban development 451 7th street s w washington dc 20410 telephone. In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out.

The landlord must prove the carpet needs to be professionally cleaned to put the apartment in the condition in which you received it. A landlord cannot make you pay for carpet cleaning automatically. With that said landlord tenant laws are always changing and may even vary from county to county. Any carpet cleaning charges they collect in advance must be treated as part of a security deposit which must be subject to a refund.