Iowa Code ch. 10A § 10A.902
Lead inspector, lead abater, and lead-safe renovator training and certification program established — civil penalty
Operative Text
1. The department shall establish a program for the training and certification of lead inspectors, lead abaters, and lead-safe renovators. The department shall maintain a listing, available to the public and to city and county health departments, of lead inspector, lead abater, and lead-safe renovator training programs that have been approved by the department, and of lead inspectors, lead abaters, and lead-safe renovators who have successfully completed the training program and have been certified by the department. A person may be certified as a lead inspector, a lead abater, or a lead-safe renovator, or may be certified to provide two or more of such services. However, a person who holds more than one such certification shall not provide inspection service and also provide abatement service or renovation service at the same site unless a written consent or waiver, following full disclosure by the person, is obtained from the owner or manager of the site. 2. A person who owns real property which includes a residential dwelling and who performs lead inspection, lead abatement, or renovation of the residential dwelling is not required to obtain certification to perform these measures, unless the residential dwelling is occupied by a person other than the owner or a member of the owner’s immediate family while the measures are being performed. However, the department shall encourage property owners who are not required to be certified to complete the applicable training course to ensure the use of appropriate and safe lead inspection, lead abatement, or lead-safe renovation procedures. 3. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person shall not perform lead abatement or lead inspections, and shall not perform renovations on target housing or a child-occupied facility, unless the person has completed a training program approved by the department and has obtained certification pursuant to this section. All lead abatement and lead inspections; and lead inspector, lead abater, and lead-safe renovation training programs; and renovations on target housing or a child-occupied facility, shall be performed and conducted in accordance with work practice standards established by the department. A person shall not conduct a training program for lead inspectors, lead abaters, or lead-safe renovators unless the program has been submitted to and approved by the department. 4. A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars for each offense. 5. The department shall adopt rules regarding minimum requirements for lead inspector, lead abater, and lead-safe renovator training programs, certification, work practice standards, and suspension and revocation requirements, and shall implement the training and certification programs. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection shall comply with chapter 272C. The department shall seek federal funding and shall establish fees in amounts sufficient to defray the cost of the programs. The fees shall be used for any of the department’s duties under this subchapter, including but not limited to the costs of full-time equivalent positions for program services and investigations. Fees received shall be considered appropriated receipts as defined in section 8.2.
Iowa Code ch. 10A § 10A.902 establishes a state-run program requiring that lead inspectors, lead abaters, and lead-safe renovators complete an approved training course and obtain certification from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals before performing covered work on residential dwellings, target housing, or child-occupied facilities. Owner-occupants working on their own homes are generally exempt from certification requirements, but only when no one outside the immediate family is living there during the work. Anyone who violates the certification and work-practice requirements of § 10A.902 may face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per offense.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 10A § 10A.902, property owners who hire contractors to perform lead inspections, abatement, or renovation on occupied residential dwellings generally verify that those contractors hold current department-issued certification and follow the work-practice standards the department has established. Operators who manage rental properties should be aware that the owner-occupant exemption does not apply when tenants or other non-family members are present during the work, meaning uncertified work in occupied rentals can trigger civil penalties up to $5,000 per offense. Compliant operators also obtain written consent or waiver documentation when a single certified individual is being asked to provide both inspection and abatement or renovation services at the same site, as required by § 10A.902(1).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 10A § 10A.902 gives tenants an interest in knowing that any lead-related work performed in their occupied home must be carried out by a person who has completed a department-approved training program and holds valid certification — the owner-occupant exemption does not protect a landlord who performs uncertified work while tenants are present. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals maintains a publicly available listing of certified lead inspectors, lead abaters, and lead-safe renovators, which tenants can consult to verify a contractor's credentials before or after work is performed. Tenants who believe § 10A.902 has been violated may consider contacting the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals to report the concern, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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