Iowa Eviction Notice
Create a free Iowa eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Iowa notice periods
Nonpayment: 3 days · Lease violation (cure): 7 days · No-cause termination: 30 days.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Iowa requires a 3-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. Iowa Code § 562A.27(2): if rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay within 3 days after written notice of nonpayment stating the landlord's intent to terminate, the landlord may terminate. The 3 days are calendar days. There is no statutory grace period in ch. 562A; rent timing otherwise depends on the lease. Tenant payment within the 3 days defeats the termination.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Iowa)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 3 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under Iowa Code ch. 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law); esp. §§ 562A.27, 562A.27A, 562A.34; service under ch. 648 (§ 648.3).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Notice to quit must be served under Iowa Code § 648.3 by one of: (1) signed, dated acknowledgment of delivery by a resident 18 or older; (2) personal service per Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.305; or (3) certified or restricted certified mail (whether or not a receipt is signed). If served by mail, mailing must occur at least 3 days before the eviction hearing. The substantive 3-day rent / 7-day cure notices under § 562A.27 are delivered to the tenant; § 648.3's separate notice-to-quit service rules govern the forcible-entry-and-detainer (eviction) action itself.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Iowa Eviction Notice Requirements
In Iowa, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under Iowa Code ch. 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law); esp. §§ 562A.27, 562A.27A, 562A.34; service under ch. 648 (§ 648.3). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 3-day notice to pay or quit. Iowa Code § 562A.27(2): if rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay within 3 days after written notice of nonpayment stating the landlord's intent to terminate, the landlord may terminate. The 3 days are calendar days. There is no statutory grace period in ch. 562A; rent timing otherwise depends on the lease. Tenant payment within the 3 days defeats the termination.
- Curable lease violation: 7-day notice to cure or quit. Iowa Code § 562A.27(1): for a material noncompliance with the rental agreement, or a § 562A.17 noncompliance materially affecting health and safety, the landlord delivers written notice specifying the acts/omissions; the rental agreement terminates upon a date not less than 7 days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in 7 days. (Iowa uses a single 7-day figure for both the cure window and the termination date — it is NOT the original URLTA 14-day cure.) If the tenant adequately remedies the breach before the termination date, the agreement does not terminate.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 30-day notice. Iowa Code § 562A.34: a month-to-month (periodic) tenancy is terminated by either party with at least 30 days' written notice prior to the periodic rental date specified in the notice (§ 562A.34(2)). A week-to-week tenancy requires at least 10 days' written notice (§ 562A.34(1)). A term longer than month-to-month requires at least 30 days' notice before the end of the term (§ 562A.34(3)). No tenancy-length escalation; Iowa is not a just-cause state, so no-cause termination of a month-to-month tenancy is permitted with proper notice.
Service: Notice to quit must be served under Iowa Code § 648.3 by one of: (1) signed, dated acknowledgment of delivery by a resident 18 or older; (2) personal service per Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.305; or (3) certified or restricted certified mail (whether or not a receipt is signed). If served by mail, mailing must occur at least 3 days before the eviction hearing. The substantive 3-day rent / 7-day cure notices under § 562A.27 are delivered to the tenant; § 648.3's separate notice-to-quit service rules govern the forcible-entry-and-detainer (eviction) action itself.
- Nonpayment: 3-day written notice to pay or quit before the landlord may terminate (Iowa Code § 562A.27(2)).
- Curable lease/health-safety violation: written notice; the agreement terminates not less than 7 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 7 days (§ 562A.27(1)). Iowa uses a single 7-day figure — there is no 14-day cure period.
- Repeat of substantially the same breach within 6 months: at least 7-day notice with no right to cure (§ 562A.27(1), last sentence); clear-and-present-danger conduct allows a single 3-day notice of termination and notice to quit with no cure (§ 562A.27A).
- No-cause termination of a month-to-month tenancy requires 30 days' written notice (week-to-week: 10 days) under § 562A.34; Iowa is not a just-cause state.
- After the substantive notice, the eviction action (forcible entry and detainer) under ch. 648 requires service of a notice to quit per § 648.3 (signed acknowledgment, personal service, or certified mail), and mailed service must occur at least 3 days before the hearing.
Iowa Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Iowa?
Iowa requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. Iowa Code § 562A.27(2): if rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay within 3 days after written notice of nonpayment stating the landlord's intent to terminate, the landlord may terminate. The 3 days are calendar days. There is no statutory grace period in ch. 562A; rent timing otherwise depends on the lease. Tenant payment within the 3 days defeats the termination.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Iowa?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Iowa require just cause to evict?
Iowa does not have a statewide just-cause requirement, though some cities may. A month-to-month tenancy can generally be ended with a 30-day notice.
Disclaimer
This Iowa eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Iowa and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.