Iowa Code ch. 562B § 562B.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. b. Agrees to pay the other party’s attorney fees. c. 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 costs connected therewith. d. Agrees to a designated agent for the sale of tenant’s mobile home. e. Agrees to modify the mobile home, manufactured home, or modular home in a way that would substantially impair the ability of the tenant to move the home from the mobile home space, unless such modification is required by federal law, including but not limited to the model manufactured home installation standards, 24 C.F.R. pt. 3285, the manufactured home construction and safety standards, 24 C.F.R. pt. 3280, or the manufactured home procedural and enforcement regulations, 24 C.F.R. pt. 3282, or by state or local law, the manufacturer’s installation instructions, any requirement arising from the landlord’s financing of the home or of the mobile home park or manufactured home community in which the home is located, or unless such modification is otherwise necessary for the safe and proper installation of the home. 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 or tenant knowingly uses a rental agreement containing provisions known to be prohibited by this chapter, the other party may recover actual damages sustained. 4. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a rental agreement from requiring a tenant to maintain liability insurance which names the landlord as an insured as relates to the mobile home space rented by the tenant.
Iowa Code ch. 562B § 562B.11 identifies specific clauses that are legally off-limits in mobile home park rental agreements. Neither landlords nor tenants can be required, through a lease, to waive their statutory rights, pay the other side's attorney fees, shield the other party from liability, or agree to modifications that would trap a mobile home on its lot. Additionally, when a landlord receives certain federal rental or housing assistance payments, the lease cannot condition tenancy on a tenant giving up the right to lawfully own, use, or possess a firearm within their own unit. Any prohibited clause that appears in a lease is automatically unenforceable, and a party who knowingly includes such a clause can be held liable for actual damages.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of mobile home parks subject to Iowa Code ch. 562B § 562B.11 generally review their lease templates to ensure no clause requires tenants to waive statutory rights, agree to pay landlord attorney fees, or accept modifications that would prevent a home from being moved. Landlords who receive USDA multifamily housing rental assistance or HUD Section 8 housing assistance payments must also ensure their leases do not restrict a tenant's lawful firearm ownership or possession within the tenant's individual unit, though reasonable rules about common areas are still permitted. Because knowingly using a lease with prohibited provisions can expose a landlord to an actual-damages claim, periodic legal review of lease forms is a practice commonly associated with compliance under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Iowa Code ch. 562B § 562B.11, tenants in mobile home parks have the right to have any prohibited lease clause treated as unenforceable, meaning a landlord generally cannot rely on such a clause to restrict a tenant's statutory rights or impose improper obligations. Tenants whose landlords receive qualifying federal housing assistance also have specific protections against lease conditions that restrict lawful firearm ownership or possession within their own unit. Tenants who believe a lease contains provisions prohibited by this section may consider consulting a tenant-rights organization, raising the unenforceable clause as a defense in any relevant proceeding, or seeking guidance on whether an actual-damages claim may be appropriate.
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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