Iowa Code ch. 562A § 562A.29
Remedies for absence, nonuse and abandonment
Operative Text
1. If the rental agreement requires the tenant to give notice to the landlord of an anticipated extended absence as provided in section 562A.20, and the tenant willfully fails to do so, the landlord may recover actual damages from the tenant. 2. During an absence of the tenant in excess of fourteen days, the landlord may enter the dwelling unit at times reasonably necessary. 3. If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental. If the landlord rents the dwelling unit for a term beginning prior to the expiration of the rental agreement, it is deemed to be terminated as of the date the new tenancy begins. The rental agreement is deemed to be terminated by the landlord as of the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment, if the landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental or if the landlord accepts the abandonment as a surrender. If the tenancy is from month-to-month, or week-to-week, the term of the rental agreement for this purpose shall be deemed to be a month or a week, as the case may be.
Iowa Code § 562A.29 addresses three situations involving a tenant's absence or departure from a rental unit. First, if a tenant was required to notify the landlord of an extended absence but willfully skipped that notice, the landlord may seek actual damages. Second, during any absence lasting more than fourteen days, the landlord is permitted to enter the unit at reasonably necessary times. Third, if a tenant abandons the unit entirely, the landlord is obligated to make reasonable efforts to re-rent it at a fair price, and the rental agreement terminates either when a new tenancy begins, when the landlord accepts the abandonment, or when the landlord fails to make those reasonable re-renting efforts.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 562A.29, property owners and managers generally document any required notice obligations in the lease and keep records when a tenant fails to provide required extended-absence notice, since actual damages may be recoverable in that situation. When a tenant has been absent for more than fourteen days, operators typically schedule any necessary entries at reasonable times and document those visits. If abandonment is suspected, compliant operators under § 562A.29 actively market the unit at a fair rental rate and avoid simply sitting on a vacant unit, since failing to make reasonable re-renting efforts or prematurely accepting a surrender can affect how and when the rental agreement is deemed terminated.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code § 562A.29 establishes that tenants have a corresponding right to expect landlords to mitigate losses by actively seeking a new renter if a unit is abandoned, rather than holding a departing tenant liable for the full remaining lease term without effort. If a landlord fails to make reasonable efforts to re-rent at a fair price, the rental agreement may be deemed terminated as of the date the landlord had notice of the abandonment, which can limit a tenant's ongoing financial exposure. Tenants who believe a landlord is not fulfilling the mitigation duty under § 562A.29 may wish to document communications, consult a tenant-rights organization, or explore available legal remedies in Iowa courts.
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