Looking to fill a vacancy in this corner of the Midwest? You’ll need an Iowa rental application form to kick off the process. Take after top landlords by using a free application template or online landlord software like TurboTenant to save time and stay organized.
Here’s a complete guide to creating and using your Iowa rental application. Let’s get started!
Information to Collect
An Iowa rental application should collect:
- Personal and contact details: Names of applicants/co-applicants/co-signers, date of birth, phone number, email, Social Security number, and emergency contact
- Financial information: Employment, income, and credit history
- Rental history: Current and past residences
- Household details: Pets/service animals, vehicles, smoking status, and household size
- References: Rental and professional references
Both paper and online rental applications gather sensitive personal details from renters, so laws regulate:
- How landlords use them when making a decision
- The information they can gather
- The questions they can ask
We’ll review Iowa rental application laws in detail, but first, here’s a quick overview of tenant screening.
Quick Guide to Screening a Tenant
Although each rental application is unique, these steps outline a thorough and responsible process for screening tenants.
1. Pre-Screen
To initiate the application process, landlords can use a pre-screener. After a renter finds their online listing, the pre-screener helps landlords quickly sort through leads.
Pre-screeners ask for:
- Employment and income
- Self-reported credit score
- Number of occupants
- Smoking status
- Move-in date
- Pets/service animals
The pre-screener will help you determine which renters qualify for your listing, but it’s not a substitute for the complete Iowa rental application form.
2. Conduct Showings
Meet with potential tenants and show the rental by scheduling one-on-one tours and group open houses.
3. Distribute and Collect Applications
Pass out your Iowa rental application so interested renters can fill it out. Once applicants complete the form, collect it — and always check for the rental application fee and the signed consent and acknowledgment section.
Iowa Application Laws
Rental application laws and landlord-tenant rights aren’t uniform across the U.S.; they vary from state to state. The Iowa Civil Rights Act outlines the legal guardrails for landlords in the Hawkeye State. Here’s a quick overview:
There are no laws in Iowa that prevent landlords from considering a renter’s criminal history, eviction history, or source of income when making a decision.
Sexual orientation & gender identity: Iowa law lists these renter traits as officially protected characteristics, so landlords can’t legally consider them throughout the application process (Iowa Code §216.8).
Portable tenant screening reports: Landlords in Iowa can choose to accept portable tenant screening reports, but state law doesn’t require you to use them.
Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals
Do you plan to allow pets on the property? Either way, you’ll need a section for animals in your Iowa rental application form. Even if you have a no-pet policy, you still can’t discriminate against applicants who have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) or service animal. However, you can hold tenants responsible for any damages their animals cause.
Pet information: Ask about pets, ESAs, and service animals in the application. Have applicants share the type, size, and name of each animal they are bringing.
Fair Housing Act: Under the FHA, landlords can’t:
- Discriminate against renters who have an ESA/service animal
- Deny applicants based on the breed, weight, or size of the service animal
- Charge a pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for service animals
Federal Application Laws
Beyond state laws, all Iowa landlords must comply with these federal rental application laws:
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): The FCRA requires landlords to get a renter’s written consent before pulling their credit report. If you deny renters based on credit history, you must send them an adverse action notice (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): The ECOA protects renters who have received public assistance and regulates how landlords assess credit reports and rental applications (Equal Credit Opportunity Act).
Fair Housing Act (FHA): The FHA protects the following traits:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
Landlords (and employees who select renters) can’t:
- Deny or discriminate against applicants based on these characteristics
- Offer unequal renting terms
- Use discriminatory advertising (Fair Housing Act)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA prohibits landlords from denying an applicant solely based on a disability. It also requires landlords to accommodate the renter’s condition (Americans with Disabilities Act).
4. Use a Third-Party Screening Service
While you’re reviewing your completed applications, use an online service like TurboTenant to conduct tenant screening. We recommend performing a thorough credit check and a criminal background check from a third party.
5. Check Application References
If the renter provided references, reach out to them to fact-check application details and get more information. We’ve provided these sample questions to help get the conversation started:
- Would you ever consider renting to this tenant again?
- What were they paying for rent, and did they ever miss payments?
- How well did they maintain the house/apartment?
- Do you recall them ever breaking their lease?
6. Approve or Deny Applications
When it comes time to select your next tenant, it’s a best practice to accept multiple applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t forget to consider the following:
- Rental history: If an applicant has provided less than one year of solid rental history, request a co-signer.
- Rent-to-income ratio: Be cautious of cases where rent exceeds 30% of the applicant’s gross income, as this may indicate potential issues with rent payments.
- Credit score: Set a minimum credit score requirement somewhere between 600 and 670.
- Fact-check rental applications: Protect yourself against rental application fraud by verifying application details and documents.
Denial Process
Fair housing laws require landlords to maintain a consistent denial process for all applicants. In Iowa, legal grounds for denial include:
- Insufficient income
- Credit history
- Rental history
- Background check results
- False answers on the application
Denial notice: Iowa law doesn’t require landlords to send denied applicants tenant rejection letters.
Credit/background denials: Under the FCRA, if you deny a renter based on credit/background checks, you must send them an adverse action notice, including:
- The reporting agency’s name and contact details
- A statement of the renter’s right to dispute errors
Document storage: Keeping rental application documents isn’t required, but it’s a best practice. Landlords can use these files to defend against discrimination claims, so hold onto them for at least two years.
Avoiding Fraud
Spotting rental application fraud isn’t always easy, but these three steps will help you steer clear of scams:
- Verify application details (identity, documents, income, and employment)
- Speak with past landlords
- Conduct thorough credit, background, and eviction checks
