Iowa Code ch. 562A § 562A.11
Prohibited provisions in rental agreements
Operative Text
1. A rental agreement shall not provide that the tenant or landlord does any of the following: a. Agrees to waive or to forego rights or remedies under this chapter provided that this restriction shall not apply to rental agreements covering single family residences on land assessed as agricultural land and located in an unincorporated area. b. Authorizes a person to confess judgment on a claim arising out of the rental agreement. c. Agrees to pay the other party’s attorney fees. d. Agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the other party arising under law or to indemnify the other party for that liability or the associated costs. 2. If the landlord receives rental assistance payments under a rental assistance agreement administered by the United States department of agriculture under the multifamily housing rental assistance program under Tit. V of the federal Housing Act of 1949, Pub. L. No. 81-171, or receives housing assistance payments under a housing assistance payment contract administered by the United States department of housing and urban development under the housing choice voucher program, the new construction program, the substantial rehabilitation program, or the moderate rehabilitation program under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, Pub. L. No. 75-412, a rental agreement shall not contain a provision or impose a rule that requires a person to agree, as a condition of tenancy, to a prohibition or restriction on the lawful ownership, use, or possession of a firearm, a firearm component, or ammunition within the tenant’s specific rental unit. A landlord may impose reasonable restrictions related to the possession, use, or transportation of a firearm, a firearm component, or ammunition within common areas as long as those restrictions do not circumvent the purpose of this subsection. A tenant shall exercise reasonable care in the storage of a firearm, a firearm component, or ammunition. This subsection does not apply to any prohibition or restriction that is required by federal or state law, rule, or regulation. 3. A provision prohibited by this section included in a rental agreement is unenforceable. If a landlord willfully uses a rental agreement containing provisions known by the landlord to be prohibited, a tenant may recover actual damages sustained by the tenant and not more than three months’ periodic rent and reasonable attorney fees.
Iowa Code § 562A.11 prohibits rental agreements from including clauses that waive tenant or landlord rights under Iowa's landlord-tenant law, authorize confessions of judgment, require either party to pay the other's attorney fees, or limit liability in ways the law otherwise provides. Landlords receiving certain federal housing assistance—such as Section 8 vouchers or USDA rural housing payments—cannot require tenants to give up their right to lawfully own or possess firearms within their own unit, though reasonable common-area restrictions are permitted. Any clause that violates these rules is void, and a landlord who knowingly uses a prohibited agreement may owe the tenant actual damages plus up to three months' rent and attorney fees.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 562A.11, compliant Iowa landlords review their lease templates to ensure no clause strips either party of statutory rights, permits confession of judgment, shifts attorney fees, or imposes unlawful liability waivers. Landlords receiving federal rental assistance through HUD or USDA programs must also omit any lease term that conditions tenancy on a firearm prohibition inside the tenant's unit, though reasonable common-area firearm rules remain permissible. Because willful use of a prohibited clause can expose a landlord to actual damages plus up to three months' rent and attorney fees, periodic lease audits by a qualified professional are a common compliance practice.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code § 562A.11 gives tenants the right to treat any prohibited lease clause—such as a waiver of statutory rights, a confession-of-judgment provision, or an unlawful liability limitation—as unenforceable, regardless of whether they signed the agreement. Tenants in federally assisted housing (Section 8, USDA multifamily programs) also have a specific protection against lease terms that ban lawful firearm possession inside their own unit. If a landlord knowingly included a prohibited clause, a tenant may be entitled to actual damages, up to three months' periodic rent, and reasonable attorney fees; tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help evaluate available options under this provision.
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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