Iowa 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit

IOWA THREE-DAY NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT — IOWA CODE § 562A.27(2)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Notice Caption and Identification of Parties
2. Identification of the Premises
3. Demand for Payment of Rent — Itemization
4. Three-Day Cure Period and Statutory Election
5. Acceptable Methods of Payment
6. Reservation of Rights and Non-Waiver
7. Notice to Tenant of Iowa Statutory Rights
8. Federal CARES Act Certification
9. Local Ordinance Compliance
10. Signature of Landlord or Authorized Agent
11. Proof / Affidavit of Service
12. Iowa Practice Notes
13. Sources and References

1. NOTICE CAPTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES

STATE OF IOWA — COUNTY OF [________________________________]

THREE-DAY NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT

Pursuant to Iowa Code § 562A.27(2)

Date of Notice: [__/__/____]

Date Rent Last Accepted (if any): [__/__/____]

2. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PREMISES

The premises subject to this Notice are described as:

[FULL STREET ADDRESS, INCLUDING UNIT / APARTMENT NO.]
[CITY], [COUNTY] COUNTY, IOWA [ZIP]

Together with all improvements, parking, storage, and common-area rights granted under the rental agreement dated [__/__/____] (the "Lease"), if any.

3. DEMAND FOR PAYMENT OF RENT — ITEMIZATION

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent on the above-described premises is now due and unpaid in the following amounts:

The total amount of rent due and owing, exclusive of any late fees, attorney fees, court costs, utility charges that are not characterized as rent, or other non-rent charges, is $[________] (the "Cure Amount").

4. THREE-DAY CURE PERIOD AND STATUTORY ELECTION

YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that, pursuant to Iowa Code § 562A.27(2), if you do NOT pay the full Cure Amount stated in Section 3 above within THREE (3) DAYS after service of this Notice, the Landlord WILL TERMINATE the rental agreement and may commence a Forcible Entry and Detainer action under Iowa Code Chapter 648 to recover possession of the premises.

The three-day period:

☐ Begins running upon personal delivery or acknowledged household-member delivery of this Notice; OR

☐ Begins running four (4) days after deposit of this Notice in the U.S. Mail, postmarked for delivery (Iowa Code § 562A.6(2)).

The three-day period includes weekends and legal holidays.

If you DO pay the full Cure Amount within the three-day period, the rental agreement shall NOT terminate on the basis of the nonpayment described in this Notice, and you may remain in possession subject to the Lease.

If you DO NOT pay the full Cure Amount within the three-day period, the rental agreement shall terminate by operation of statute, and the Landlord may file a forcible-entry-and-detainer petition without further notice.

5. ACCEPTABLE METHODS OF PAYMENT

Payment of the Cure Amount must be tendered in one or more of the following forms:

☐ Cash (in person, with written receipt)

☐ Cashier's check or money order

☐ Certified bank check

☐ Electronic transfer to: [ACCOUNT/PAYMENT PLATFORM]

☐ Other (specify): [________________________________]

PERSONAL CHECKS ARE: ☐ Accepted ☐ NOT accepted by the Landlord pursuant to the Lease.

Payment must be tendered to:

Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Phone: [____________]
Hours of acceptance: [____________]

6. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS AND NON-WAIVER

Nothing in this Notice shall be construed as:

(a) A waiver of any past or future breach of the Lease by the Tenant;

(b) An election of remedies precluding the Landlord from pursuing back rent, late fees, attorney fees, or damages in addition to recovery of possession;

(c) An accord and satisfaction with respect to any partial tender of rent or any sum less than the full Cure Amount;

(d) Consent to continued occupancy beyond the expiration of the three-day cure period; or

(e) A waiver of the Landlord's rights under any other provision of Iowa Code Chapter 562A, Chapter 648, the Lease, or applicable law.

The Landlord expressly RESERVES all rights and remedies, including without limitation rights under Iowa Code §§ 562A.27, 562A.27A (clear and present danger), 562A.32 (waste/abandonment), and the entirety of Chapter 648.

7. NOTICE TO TENANT OF IOWA STATUTORY RIGHTS

The Tenant is advised of the following rights under Iowa law:

Right to Cure. You may avoid termination by paying the full Cure Amount within three (3) days after service of this Notice. Iowa Code § 562A.27(2).

Right Against Self-Help Eviction. Iowa Code § 562A.26 prohibits the Landlord from locking you out, removing your belongings, or interrupting electric, gas, water, or other essential services without a court order. Violations entitle you to actual damages, punitive damages up to twice monthly rent, attorney fees, and to recover possession.

Habitability Defense. Iowa Code § 562A.15 obligates the Landlord to maintain the premises in fit and habitable condition. Defective habitability may constitute a defense or offset in any subsequent FED action.

Anti-Retaliation Protection. Iowa Code § 562A.36 prohibits retaliation by the Landlord (including increased rent, decreased services, or possession actions) within ONE YEAR after a good-faith complaint to a building/housing-code agency, a complaint to the Landlord under § 562A.15, or organizing/joining a tenants' union. A presumption of retaliation may arise.

Anti-Discrimination Protection. The Iowa Civil Rights Act, Iowa Code § 216.8, and the federal Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed/religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, familial status, or (in some Iowa localities) source of income.

Reasonable Accommodation / Assistance Animals. Iowa Code § 216.8B and federal FHA require reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, including for assistance animals.

Iowa Legal Aid. Free or low-cost legal assistance may be available. Call 1-800-532-1275 or visit iowalegalaid.org.

Iowa Finance Authority — Emergency Rental Assistance. Tenants experiencing rental hardship may be eligible for assistance. Call 211 or visit iowafinance.com to inquire about current programs.

8. FEDERAL CARES ACT CERTIFICATION

The Landlord certifies one of the following (check exactly one):

☐ The premises are NOT a "covered dwelling" under 15 U.S.C. § 9058(a)(2). The property does not have a federally backed mortgage loan, does not participate in any federally subsidized housing program (Section 8 PBV/PBRA, LIHTC, USDA Rural Development, public housing, HOME, project-based vouchers), and is not otherwise covered by the CARES Act.

☐ The premises are a "covered dwelling" under 15 U.S.C. § 9058(a)(2). The Landlord has provided a thirty (30) day notice to vacate dated [__/__/____], and a copy is attached as Exhibit A. This three-day notice is provided in addition to and not in lieu of the 30-day federal notice.

9. LOCAL ORDINANCE COMPLIANCE

The Landlord certifies that this Notice complies with all applicable local ordinances, including without limitation:

☐ City of Des Moines / Polk County rental licensing and notice ordinances (if applicable).

☐ City of Iowa City / Johnson County rental permit and source-of-income protections (if applicable).

☐ City of Cedar Rapids / Linn County rental ordinances (if applicable).

☐ City of Davenport / Scott County rental code (if applicable).

☐ Other local ordinance: [________________________________].

10. SIGNATURE OF LANDLORD OR AUTHORIZED AGENT

DATED this [____] day of [______________], 20[____].

Landlord / Authorized Agent Signature: ____________________________________

Printed Name: [________________________________]

Title / Capacity: ☐ Landlord ☐ Owner ☐ Property Manager ☐ Attorney for Landlord ☐ Other: [________]

Mailing Address: [________________________________]

City / State / ZIP: [________________________________]

Telephone: [____________]

Email: [________________________________]

Iowa Real Estate License No. (if applicable): [____________]

11. PROOF / AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, being first duly sworn, state that on [__/__/____] at approximately [____:____ a.m./p.m.], I served the foregoing Three-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit upon the Tenant(s) named above by the following method (check all that apply, in accordance with Iowa Code § 562A.6):

☐ Personal delivery to the Tenant or to a household member at least eighteen (18) years of age, with acknowledged signed receipt of delivery (attached).

☐ Personal service in the manner provided by Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.305 for original notice, by [NAME, BADGE/ID NO.], [SHERIFF / PROCESS SERVER / OTHER].

☐ Posting on the primary entrance door of the dwelling unit AND mailing by both first-class regular mail AND certified mail (return receipt requested) to the dwelling unit address AND to the Tenant's last known address. Service deemed complete four (4) days after the date of postmark.

Address of dwelling unit: [________________________________]

Tenant's last known address (if different): [________________________________]

Certified mail tracking no.: [________________________________]

Regular mail postmark date: [__/__/____]

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

____________________________________
Signature of Server

Printed Name: [________________________________]
Title: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

Subscribed and sworn to before me this [____] day of [______________], 20[____].

____________________________________
Notary Public, State of Iowa
My commission expires: [__/__/____]

12. IOWA PRACTICE NOTES

Three days means three days. The three-day period under § 562A.27(2) is short by national standards. Calculate carefully — and add four days for mail service per § 562A.6(2). Filing an FED before the cure period expires is the most common landlord error.

One notice, one breach. A nonpayment notice cannot be combined with a material-noncompliance notice (§ 562A.27(1) — 7-day cure / 30-day vacate). Use this template for nonpayment only; use the cure-or-quit template for other lease breaches.

Acceptance of partial rent waives. Absent a contemporaneous written non-waiver agreement, acceptance of any rent after expiration of the three-day period generally reinstates the tenancy. See § 562A.34 (waiver by acceptance of rent in periodic tenancies).

Mobile home parks are different. If the unit is in a manufactured-home community, use Iowa Code Chapter 562B notices (60-day notice for nonpayment of lot rent under § 562B.25(1)(b) is NOT available — the 3-day rule still applies, but other provisions of Ch. 562B differ).

Federal subsidies stack. HUD project-based, LIHTC (Section 42), USDA Rural Development, and Section 8 HCV programs each impose additional notice and good-cause requirements that may extend or supersede this three-day notice. Always check the federally subsidized lease addendum.

Magistrate vs. district court. FED actions are filed in the small claims/magistrate court of the county where the premises are located, with appeal to district court. Iowa Code §§ 648.5, 631.13.

Right to counsel pilots. Polk County has piloted limited eviction-defense representation. Verify whether the tenant qualifies and whether the proceeding is paused for counsel appointment.

HF 2204 / HF 305 review. Iowa enacted limitations on local landlord-tenant ordinances (HF 305, 2021) and emergency rental assistance integration in subsequent sessions. Verify the most recent legislative session and any 2025–2026 amendments to Ch. 562A and Ch. 648 prior to service.

13. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.27, "Noncompliance with rental agreement — failure to pay rent — violation of federal regulation": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562a.27.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.6, "Method of service of notice on tenant": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ico/chapter/562a.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.12, "Rental deposits": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562A.12.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.15, "Landlord to maintain fit premises": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562A.15.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.26, "Tenant's remedies for landlord's unlawful ouster": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2022/562A.26.rtf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 562A.36, "Retaliatory conduct prohibited": https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/562A.36.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code Chapter 648, Forcible Entry and Detainer: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/648.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 648.3 (Notice to quit): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/648.3.pdf
• Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 216.8 (Iowa Civil Rights Act — unfair housing): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/216.8.pdf
• Iowa Judicial Branch, "What is a Notice to Quit?": https://www.iowacourts.gov/faq/what-is-a-notice-to-quit
• Iowa Judicial Branch, "Landlord-Tenant and Rental Property" FAQ: https://www.iowacourts.gov/faq/landlord-tenant-and-rental-property
• Iowa People's Law Library, Forcible Entry and Detainer Hearings: https://www.peopleslawiowa.org/index.php/research-topics/landlordtenant-law/evictions/forcible-entry-and-detainer-hearings
• Iowa Legal Aid, Landlord and Tenant Q&A: https://iowalegalaid.org/resource/landlord-and-tenant-law-questions-and-answers/
• Federal Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview
• CARES Act § 4024, 15 U.S.C. § 9058: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748