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Iowa Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell

Iowa Code 562A.19 lets a landlord enter to show a rental only after at least 24 hours of advance notice at reasonable times, so a written Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell keeps every showing lawful during a listing. This guide walks Iowa landlords through the 24-hour entry rule, the Section 562A.16 written-conveyance notice that relieves a departing owner of liability, and the 30-day rule for month-to-month tenants, with an AI-guided form and attorney-review available before you serve it.

Introduction

Selling a rental home in Iowa while a tenant lives there? You'll want to follow the state's rules closely. The key one is Iowa Code § 562A.19, which requires at least 24 hours' notice before you enter to show the place. A written 'Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell' is a solid way to handle this the right way, respecting your tenant's quiet enjoyment while keeping the sale moving. This guide walks you through what you need: proper notice for showings, ending your landlord liabilities under § 562A.16, and the 30-day rules for ending a month-to-month tenancy. You can put it all together with our guided legal document tool.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    When the property sells, you have to hand over any security deposits you're holding to the buyer, who then takes on responsibility for them.

  2. 2

    While the home is on the market, serve any required notices in a way that proves the tenant received them, like personal delivery or certified mail, as Iowa Code § 562A.29A directs.

  3. 3

    You must give your tenant at least 24 hours' advance notice before entering to show the home to buyers, and you can only enter at reasonable hours of the day (Iowa Code § 562A.19).

  4. 4

    Under Iowa law, selling the property doesn't wipe out an existing lease. A buyer takes the home subject to the terms of the current rental agreement.

  5. 5

    To end a month-to-month tenancy in Iowa, either side has to give the other written notice at least 30 days before the next rental due date (Iowa Code § 562A.34).

  6. 6

    You're only released from your obligations under the rental agreement once you've given the tenant written notice that the property was sold to a new owner (Iowa Code § 562A.16).

  7. 7

    Iowa doesn't have an official or required form for a 'Notice of Intent to Sell.' A clear, complete written notice that covers all the legal requirements is enough.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell in Iowa, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell guide walks through them.

Open the Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell guide

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Notice to Tenants: Intent to Sell the Property (Iowa)

Date: ______________________

To Our Tenant(s): ______________________

Property Address: ______________________, Iowa, ZIP __________

From (Landlord/Owner): ______________________

Landlord's Agent (if any): ______________________

I. Why You're Getting This Letter

This letter is your formal, good-faith notice that the Landlord intends to market and eventually sell the home you currently rent. Selling means we'll need reasonable access to the property to show it to possible buyers, inspectors, and appraisers. This notice lays out how that access will work, explains that your lease stays in effect both during and after the sale, and describes how things pass to the next owner, all in line with Iowa law.

Please know that under the Iowa Code, specifically § 562A.19, the Landlord has a right to enter the home for these purposes. That law balances our right to sell the property against your right to quiet enjoyment by requiring advance notice. We won't abuse this right or use it as an excuse to harass you.

II. How Access for Showings Will Work

To sell the home, we'll need to let approved buyers and their agents in. Following the law, the Landlord or agent will give you at least twenty-four (24) hours' notice before each entry, unless we both agree to something different for a specific visit. We'll set up entries at reasonable times, generally standard business hours, though we can arrange other times by mutual agreement.

To keep scheduling smooth, please keep this contact information current:

  • Tenant phone and email: ______________________
  • Good hours or days for showings: ______________________

We ask that you keep the home reasonably clean and orderly for showings. Please also secure any pets and valuables before a scheduled visit. The Landlord and agents can't be held responsible for loss or damage to unsecured belongings during a properly noticed, lawful showing.

III. Your Lease Continues After the Sale

Selling the property does not end your lease. A buyer takes the home subject to your rental agreement and steps into the Landlord's role. Every term of your lease stays in force for the rest of its term, no matter who owns the property.

IV. Handing Off Responsibilities to the New Owner

Once the sale closes, responsibility for the property shifts to the new owner. You'll receive written notice of the sale identifying the new owner, and any security deposit you've paid will be transferred to them. From that point, the new owner handles your deposit and the duties that come with the lease.

This template is for information only and is not a substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in Iowa. Every term of your specific rental agreement stays in full effect.

For more context and to generate a personalized notice, go to (/legal-document/notice-to-tenants-of-intent-to-sell).

Iowa Requirements for Notice to Tenants of Intent to Sell

24-Hour Advance Entry Notice for Showings

Iowa Code 562A.19 requires at least 24 hours of notice of intent to enter before showing the unit to buyers, appraisers, or inspectors, except in an emergency or when notice is impracticable.

Reasonable Times and No Harassment

Entries to show the property must occur only at reasonable times, and the landlord may not abuse the right of access or use showings to harass the tenant under Section 562A.19.

Written Notice of Conveyance Post-Sale

To gain Section 562A.16 relief from liability, the landlord must give the tenant written notice of the conveyance; relief applies only to events occurring after that written notice is delivered.

30-Day Notice to End Month-to-Month Tenancy

If a buyer needs the unit vacant, Iowa Code 562A.34 requires at least 30 days of written notice before the periodic rental date to terminate a month-to-month tenancy; fixed-term leases must run to term.

Lease Survives the Sale

A sale does not cancel an existing lease; the buyer takes the property subject to the tenant's remaining term, rent, and security deposit, and becomes the new landlord.

Provable Method of Delivery

Serve the notice using a method that provides provable receipt, consistent with Iowa Code 562A.29A on service of notices, and retain a dated copy plus proof of delivery.

No State-Prescribed Form

Iowa has no official statutory Notice to Sell form, so the notice should be a clear written document that states the intent to sell, access terms, and conveyance details.

Security Deposit Transfer

The security deposit obligation transfers to the buyer. The tenant must be informed in writing post-sale of the new owner who is responsible for the deposit.

Frequently Asked Questions

At least 24 hours before I enter to show the unit, per Iowa Code § 562A.19, and only at a reasonable time of day. Putting that notice in writing gives me a clean record that I met the requirement for each showing.

No. A fixed-term lease stays valid straight through the sale; the buyer just takes my spot as landlord. My tenant can live there until the original term ends, under the very same rent and conditions we agreed to at signing.

Iowa prescribes no official form. The 24-hour entry notice under Iowa Code § 562A.19 still applies, though, so I fold everything into one clear written document that states I'm selling, sets out access terms, and creates proof I complied.

Not unreasonably, so long as I've delivered the 24-hour notice and picked a sensible time. Iowa lets me access the unit for showings, but I have to use that right in good faith rather than piling on visits to harass my tenant.

Yes. To hand a buyer a vacant unit, Iowa Code § 562A.34 lets me terminate a month-to-month tenancy with written notice given at least 30 days before the next rent date. A fixed-term lease, by contrast, has to run to its end.

To set expectations early, my notice openly states that I intend to sell and walks my tenant through how I will coordinate showings so the timing works for them. It closes with a key reassurance: a valid fixed-term lease stays enforceable against the new owner, so nothing about their tenancy changes.

So delivery is provable if anyone ever disputes it, I pick a method that records that my tenant got the notice. Handing it to them face to face, sending it by certified mail with a return receipt, or using the delivery route named in the written lease each does the job.

Since the deposit is really my tenant's money held in trust, it stays with the property rather than being refunded when I sell. It changes hands to the buyer at closing, and that owner then carries the obligation to keep it safe and give it back when the lease ends.