Breaking a lease in Iowa

Chapter 562A lets a tenant end the rental agreement early when you fail to remedy a material breach within seven days of the tenant's notice, when fire or casualty substantially impairs enjoyment of the unit, or when you enter unlawfully, enter in an unreasonable manner or harass the tenant with repeated demands for entry. If a tenant abandons the unit, you must make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental. Iowa's military lease termination section (29A.101) and the federal servicemember law were not read for this page.

Iowa Code § 562A.21 Iowa Code § 562A.25 Iowa Code § 562A.29 Iowa Code § 562A.35

• After a fire or casualty that substantially impairs enjoyment of the unit, the tenant may vacate immediately and notify you in writing within 14 days of the intent to terminate; the agreement then ends as of the date the tenant vacated. If continued occupancy is lawful, the tenant may instead vacate the unusable part, and the rent is reduced in proportion to the lost fair rental value. Iowa Code § 562A.25
• If the agreement ends because of the casualty, return all prepaid rent and the recoverable deposit. Iowa Code § 562A.25 Iowa Code § 562A.12
• If you rent an abandoned unit for a term beginning before the old agreement would have expired, the old agreement ends when the new tenancy begins. If you do not use reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental, or you accept the abandonment as a surrender, it ends as of the date you had notice of the abandonment. Iowa Code § 562A.29 See Abandoned units and property on the Iowa page

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy by written notice given at least 30 days before the periodic rental date the notice specifies. Either party may end a week-to-week tenancy by written notice given at least 10 days before the termination date the notice specifies.

Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) Iowa Code § 562A.34(1)

• Either party may end a tenancy with a term longer than month to month by written notice given at least 30 days before the end of the first or a later term that the notice specifies. Iowa Code § 562A.34(3)
• Your termination notice must be served in one of the ways section 562A.29A allows. Iowa Code § 562A.29A See Notice for unpaid rent on the Iowa page