Iowa Code ch. 9E § 9E.7
Confidentiality of information
Operative Text
1. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 and in section 9E.8, information collected, created, or maintained by the secretary related to applicants, eligible persons, and program participants is confidential unless otherwise ordered by a court or released by the lawful custodian of the records pursuant to state or federal law. b. A program participant’s name and address maintained by a local governmental body that is part of an ongoing investigation or inspection of an alleged health code, building code, fire code, or city ordinance violation allegedly committed by the program participant is confidential information. 2. Upon request from the department of public safety, the secretary may share confidential information with the department of public safety. Such confidential information received by the department of public safety may be released to a law enforcement agency upon verification that the release will aid the law enforcement agency in responding to an emergency situation, a criminal complaint, or an ongoing investigation. 3. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the dissemination of information relating to the program to any agency or organization if necessary for carrying out the official duties of the agency or organization, or to a person if disseminated for an official purpose, or to any other person if necessary to protect a person or property from a threat of imminent serious harm. 4. If a program participant has notified the program participant’s landlord in writing that the individual is a program participant pursuant to this chapter, a local ordinance or the landlord shall not allow the display of the program participant’s name at an address otherwise protected under this chapter. 5. Upon request by a program participant, the assessor or the assessor’s staff shall redact the requestor’s name contained in electronic documents that are displayed for public access through an internet site. The assessor shall implement and maintain a process to facilitate these requests. A fee shall not be charged for the administration of this subsection. 6. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the enforcement of a lease agreement between a program participant and a program participant’s landlord.
Iowa Code ch. 9E § 9E.7 establishes that personal information about applicants, eligible persons, and participants in Iowa's address confidentiality program is generally kept confidential and cannot be disclosed except under specific circumstances defined by law. Limited exceptions allow sharing with the Department of Public Safety for emergencies, criminal complaints, or ongoing investigations, and permit dissemination when necessary to protect someone from imminent serious harm. The provision also allows program participants to request that their names be redacted from publicly accessible electronic documents maintained by assessors, at no charge, and clarifies that the confidentiality protections do not prevent enforcement of a lease agreement between a landlord and a program participant.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 9E § 9E.7, landlords who receive written notice that a tenant is a program participant are prohibited from displaying that participant's name at the protected address. Compliant property owners and managers generally take care to avoid publicly posting or displaying identifying information for tenants who have provided such written notification. Because § 9E.7(6) explicitly preserves the enforceability of lease agreements, landlords retain the ability to enforce the terms of a lease with a program participant notwithstanding the confidentiality protections.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 9E § 9E.7 gives program participants the right to have their personal information kept confidential by the program and by local governmental bodies, including during code or ordinance investigations. Participants who want their name removed from publicly accessible electronic records held by an assessor can make a written request at no cost under subsection 5. Tenants who believe their confidentiality rights under § 9E.7 have been violated may consider contacting the Iowa Secretary of State's office, which administers the program, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for general information about 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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