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Rent Regulations

Iowa Code ch. 216C § 216C.5

Use of guide dogs

In Force
Verified 10/18/2026 · Next check 10/25/2026
IowaAssistance Animals (FHA)

Operative Text

Iowa Code ch. 216C § 216C.5
Every blind or partially blind person shall have the right to be accompanied by a guide dog, under control and especially trained for the purpose, in any of the places listed in sections 216C.3 and 216C.4 without being required to make additional payment for the guide dog. A landlord shall waive lease restrictions on the keeping of a guide dog for a blind person. The blind person is liable for damage done to the premises or facilities by a guide dog.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Iowa Code ch. 216C § 216C.5 establishes that blind or partially blind individuals have the right to be accompanied by a trained, controlled guide dog in housing and public accommodations covered by the statute, without paying any extra fee for the animal. Landlords are required to waive lease provisions that would otherwise prohibit keeping a guide dog. At the same time, the blind person retains financial responsibility for any damage the guide dog causes to the property or its facilities.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 18, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Iowa Code ch. 216C § 216C.5, compliant property owners and managers waive any no-pets or animal-restriction clauses in a lease when a blind or partially blind tenant requires a guide dog. No additional pet deposit or fee may be charged specifically for the guide dog's presence. Operators may, however, document the condition of the premises at move-in and move-out, since the statute preserves the right to seek compensation from the tenant for any damage the guide dog causes.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Iowa Code ch. 216C § 216C.5 gives blind and partially blind tenants the right to keep a trained guide dog in their rental unit even if the lease contains a no-pets clause, and landlords cannot require an extra payment for the animal. If a landlord refuses to waive a lease restriction that conflicts with this provision, tenants may have grounds to raise that refusal as a violation of Iowa's civil rights protections. Tenant-rights organizations, Iowa Legal Aid, or the Iowa Civil Rights Commission can be consulted to understand available complaint and enforcement paths under § 216C.5.

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.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Iowa Code § 216C.3
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References In

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Related Rules

§ 209.190
Housing accommodations, defined — discrimination against persons with visual, hearing or physical disabilities, prohibited — dogs, guide, hearing or service to have full access — liability for actual damages
§ 3-104.1
Refusal to sell or rent because a person has a guide, hearing or support dog. It is a civil rights violation for the owner or agent of any housing accommodation to: (A) refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny property to any blind or hearing impaired person or person with a physical disability because the blind or hearing impaired person or person with a physical disability has a guide, hearing, or support dog; or (B) discriminate against any blind or hearing impaired person or person with a physical disability in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental property, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because the blind or hearing impaired person or person with a physical disability has a guide, hearing, or support dog; or (C) require, because a blind or hearing impaired person or person with a physical disability has a guide, hearing, or support dog, an extra charge in a lease, rental agreement, or contract of purchase or sale, other than for actual damage done to the premises by the dog
§ 10:5-29.9
Possessors of working dog, certain, entitlement to housing, business accommodations

Source Information

Source:https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode/sections?codeChapter=216C&year=2026#216C.5
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