Iowa Code ch. 562A § 562A.36
Retaliatory conduct prohibited
Operative Text
1. Except as provided in this section, a landlord may not retaliate by increasing rent or decreasing services or by bringing or threatening to bring an action for possession after: a. The tenant has complained to a governmental agency charged with responsibility for enforcement of a building or housing code of a violation applicable to the premises materially affecting health and safety; b. The tenant has complained to the landlord of a violation under section 562A.15; or c. The tenant has organized or become a member of a tenants’ union or similar organization. 2. If the landlord acts in violation of subsection 1 of this section, the tenant may recover from the landlord the actual damages sustained by the tenant and reasonable attorney fees, and has a defense in action against the landlord for possession. In an action by or against the tenant, evidence of a good-faith complaint within one year prior to the alleged act of retaliation creates a presumption that the landlord’s conduct was in retaliation. The presumption does not arise if the tenant made the complaint after notice of a proposed rent increase or diminution of services. Evidence by the landlord that legitimate costs and charges of owning, maintaining or operating a dwelling unit have increased shall be a defense against the presumption of retaliation when a rent increase is commensurate with the increase in costs and charges. 3. Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 2 of this section, a landlord may bring an action for possession if: a. The violation of the applicable building or housing code was caused primarily by lack of reasonable care by the tenant or other person in the tenant’s household or upon the premises with the tenant’s consent; b. The tenant is in default in rent; or c. Compliance with the applicable building or housing code requires alteration, remodeling, or demolition which would effectively deprive the tenant of use of the dwelling unit. The maintenance of the action does not release the landlord from liability under section 562A.21, subsection 2.
Iowa Code § 562A.36 prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who report housing or building code violations to a government agency, complain directly to the landlord about habitability issues under § 562A.15, or join a tenants' union or similar organization. Retaliation is defined to include raising rent, cutting services, or initiating or threatening eviction proceedings. A complaint made within one year before an alleged retaliatory act creates a legal presumption of retaliation, though landlords can rebut that presumption by showing that documented cost increases justify a rent change. Certain exceptions apply, such as when the tenant caused the code violation, is behind on rent, or when compliance requires work that would make the unit uninhabitable.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code § 562A.36, compliant property owners document all rent adjustments with clear, contemporaneous records showing that any increase corresponds to genuine, verifiable cost increases in owning, maintaining, or operating the unit. Operators generally avoid initiating or threatening eviction proceedings in close temporal proximity to a tenant's protected complaint, as a complaint within the prior year can trigger a legal presumption of retaliation. When a legitimate basis for an eviction or rent change exists—such as a tenant-caused code violation or a rent default—landlords typically maintain thorough records that establish that basis independently of any tenant complaint activity.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code § 562A.36 gives tenants the right to report housing code violations to government agencies, raise habitability concerns with their landlord under § 562A.15, and join tenant organizations without facing rent increases, service reductions, or eviction threats as punishment. If a landlord takes one of those adverse actions within a year of a good-faith complaint, the law creates a presumption that the action was retaliatory, and a tenant may be able to recover actual damages and reasonable attorney fees, as well as raise retaliation as a defense in an eviction proceeding. Tenants who believe they are experiencing retaliation may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization, reaching out to the relevant government housing or code enforcement agency, or consulting with a licensed Iowa attorney to understand which options may be available to them.
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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Rules and statutes that cite this regulation