Iowa Code ch. 562 § 562.6
Agreement for termination
Operative Text
If a written agreement is made fixing the time of the termination of a tenancy, the tenancy shall terminate at the time agreed upon, without notice. Except for a farm tenant who is a mere cropper or a person who holds a farm tenancy with an acreage of less than forty acres where an animal feeding operation is the primary use of the acreage, a farm tenancy shall continue beyond the agreed term for the following crop year and otherwise upon the same terms and conditions as the original lease unless written notice for termination is served upon either party or a successor of the party in the manner provided in section 562.7, whereupon the farm tenancy shall terminate March 1 following. However, the tenancy shall not continue because of an absence of notice if there is default in the performance of the existing rental agreement.
Iowa Code ch. 562 § 562.6 establishes how tenancies end when a written agreement specifies a termination date. For most tenancies, the lease simply ends on the agreed date with no additional notice required. Farm tenancies, however, operate under a special default rule: unless written notice is properly served under section 562.7, the tenancy automatically rolls over for another crop year on the same terms — terminating the following March 1. This automatic continuation does not apply if the tenant is a mere cropper, if the farm is under forty acres used primarily for an animal feeding operation, or if either party is in default under the existing rental agreement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 562 § 562.6, operators of farm properties should be aware that a farm tenancy can roll over automatically into the next crop year if neither party serves timely written notice of termination in the manner required by section 562.7. Compliant farm landlords generally track lease end dates well in advance and ensure that any notice of termination is properly served before the statutory deadline, so the tenancy ends on March 1 as intended rather than continuing for another crop year. Landlords managing non-farm residential properties, or farm properties that qualify for the cropper or small acreage animal feeding operation exceptions, can rely on the agreed termination date without additional notice steps.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 562 § 562.6 gives farm tenants important protections: unless proper written notice of termination is served in accordance with section 562.7, a farm tenancy generally continues automatically for the next crop year under the same lease terms, with termination falling on March 1 following the notice. Farm tenants who believe a landlord has improperly attempted to end a tenancy without following the required notice procedure may have grounds to assert that the tenancy has continued. Tenants seeking to understand whether the automatic continuation rule applies to their specific lease — including whether any exceptions for croppers or small acreage animal feeding operations might be relevant — may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with Iowa agricultural tenancy law.
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
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation