Security deposit return deadline in Iowa
An Iowa landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 30 days
- What the landlord must send
- Within 30 days of the end of the tenancy and receipt of a mailing address, the landlord must return the deposit or send a written statement of the specific reasons for keeping it.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Missing the deadline forfeits the right to keep any of it; bad faith can add punitive damages up to twice the monthly rent, plus actual damages.
- Deposit limit
- 2 months’ rent
- Interest
- Interest earned in the first 5 years of a tenancy belongs to the landlord.
If the tenant gives no mailing address within 1 year, the deposit goes to the landlord. The landlord has the burden of proving why money was kept.
The law
Iowa Code § 562A.12. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Iowa, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Iowa law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.