For housing near University of Dubuque, can neglecting tenant maintenance duties add a repair bill to the next rent payment?

Answer

Under section 562A.28, a health-and-safety-related failure of tenant duties can permit the landlord to arrange competent corrective work and bill actual reasonable cost or reasonable value as rent. Ordinarily the tenant first has seven days after a written request to remedy the breach; an emergency requires action as promptly as conditions demand. This is not a general charge for all landlord repairs.

Scope and verification

Iowa Code2026 applies only to covered private residential rentals, subject to562A.5 exclusions including educational-incidental institutional residence. Not UD dormitory rules.

Substantive private-tenancy obligation/remedy for relocation planning; no adjudication of an individual lease, notice or dispute.

I o w a562 a: Iowa Code 2026. Only applicable ordinary private residential rentals; 562A.5 excludes education-incidental institutional housing and occupancy conditional on landlord employment, among other exclusions.

Source observed: 2026-10-16

Iowa Code 2026. Only applicable ordinary private residential rentals; 562A.5 excludes education-incidental institutional housing and occupancy conditional on landlord employment, among other exclusions.

Confirm current requirements and the actual student, employee, household or property circumstances with the cited authority. No property inventory or named professional is assigned by this answer.