Iowa Eviction Notice
Iowa eviction notice: the 3-day pay-or-quit notice under Iowa Code Section 562A.27(2) and the 7-day cure notice. Free template. Attorney review available.
Introduction
Serving a tenant in Iowa means picking one of three tracks, since Iowa Code Chapter 562A splits notices by cause rather than using a single generic period. Falling behind on rent draws a 3-day notice to pay under Section 562A.27(2); paying in full within those 3 days stops the termination. A fixable lease violation, general noncompliance with the rental agreement or a Section 562A.17 health-and-safety duty, gets a 7-day notice to cure instead, unless the same violation recurs within 6 months of an earlier notice, in which case termination follows on 7 days' notice with no second cure. Conduct rising to a clear and present danger, assault, illegal firearm possession, or illegal drug possession, skips curing altogether under Section 562A.27A: one 3-day notice to quit, nothing more. These deadlines run on the calendar: the Iowa Judicial Branch confirms weekends and holidays count toward every notice period, unlike states that count only business days. The two chapters split duties differently. Chapter 562A sets the day counts and required content for the notice itself, while Chapter 648 (Forcible Entry and Detainer) governs the lawsuit that follows, and Section 648.3(1) removes the notice requirement entirely for one ground: a tenant who took possession by force, intimidation, fraud, or stealth can be sued with no prior notice at all. That same section also excuses a separate notice to quit once the 3-day pay-rent notice has been served. Iowa has no mandated form for the pay-rent or cure notice, though the danger notice must state the specific activity and statutory exemption language to comply.
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Key Things to Know
- 1
Filing a forcible entry and detainer case in Iowa is the second step, not the first: state law requires the written notice below to be served on the tenant first, with a chance to pay, cure, or vacate.
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Unlike states that pause the clock on weekends, Iowa counts every calendar day, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, toward all of its notice-day deadlines, a rule confirmed directly by the Iowa Judicial Branch.
- 3
Falling behind on rent triggers Iowa's shortest track: a 3-day notice to pay in full, and paying everything owed within that window stops the termination before it starts. (Iowa Code Section 562A.27(2))
- 4
A lease violation that can still be undone, general noncompliance with the rental agreement or a lapse in the health-and-safety duties of Section 562A.17, buys the tenant 7 days to fix it rather than losing the lease outright. (Iowa Code Section 562A.27(1))
- 5
Physical assault, illegal firearm possession, and illegal drug possession fall into a different category: Iowa offers no chance to cure this conduct, only a single 3-day notice to quit with the cure period removed entirely. (Iowa Code Section 562A.27A)
- 6
Iowa recognizes three ways to serve a notice: acknowledged delivery to an adult resident, personal service under the state's civil procedure rules, or posting on the entrance door plus mailing by both regular and certified mail; a mailed notice is treated as received 4 days after it goes out. (Iowa Code Section 562A.29A)
- 7
No printed state form exists for the pay-rent or cure notice, so landlords draft their own, but the clear-and-present-danger notice is the exception: it must name the specific activity and set out the statutory exemption language to comply. (Iowa Code Section 562A.27A)
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Eviction Notice in Iowa, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Eviction Notice guide walks through them.
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Iowa Requirements for Eviction Notice
Notice Period for Nonpayment of Rent (Iowa Code Section 562A.27(2))
3-day notice to pay rent, calendar days including weekends and holidays. The landlord cannot terminate the tenancy if the tenant pays the amount due in full within the 3 days. Once this notice has been given and the rent remains unpaid, no additional notice to quit under Section 648.3 is required before filing suit.
No Prescribed Form for Pay-Rent or Cure Notices, Mandatory Content for Danger Notices (Iowa Code Sections 562A.27, 562A.27A)
There is no government-mandated form for the pay-rent or cure notice. However, the clear-and-present-danger notice under Section 562A.27A must state the specific activity causing the danger and must set forth the statutory exemption language, or the notice does not comply with the law.
Service of Notice Requirements (Iowa Code Section 562A.29A)
Notice may be served by acknowledged delivery signed and dated by a resident of the dwelling unit at least 18 years old, personal service under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.305, or posting on the primary entrance door plus mailing by both regular mail and certified mail. Notice served by mail is deemed completed 4 days after it is deposited in the mail and postmarked.
Governing Statutes (Iowa Code Chapter 562A and Chapter 648)
The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, Iowa Code Chapter 562A, sets the termination-notice day counts and content requirements. The Forcible Entry and Detainer law, Iowa Code Chapter 648, governs the pre-filing notice to quit, court venue, hearing timing, and judgment and removal procedure.
Notice Period for Curable Lease Violations (Iowa Code Section 562A.27(1))
7-day notice to cure for material noncompliance with the rental agreement, or a violation of Section 562A.17 materially affecting health and safety. The tenant may remedy the breach within 7 days to keep the lease. If substantially the same violation recurs within 6 months of a prior notice, the landlord may terminate on at least 7 days' notice without offering a new cure opportunity.
Clear and Present Danger Notice, No Cure Offered (Iowa Code Section 562A.27A)
Single 3-day notice to quit for a tenant who created or maintained a clear and present danger to health or safety of others: physical assault or threat of assault, illegal use or possession of a firearm, or possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription. No cure period is offered, though a tenant may be exempt from the proceeding if the danger was caused by another person and the tenant timely took specified protective steps.
No Additional Notice to Quit After a 3-Day Pay-Rent Notice (Iowa Code Section 648.3(1))
A landlord who has already served a 3-day notice to pay rent under Iowa Code Section 562A.27(2), and terminated the tenancy for nonpayment, may commence a forcible entry and detainer action without serving a separate notice to quit under Section 648.3.