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When the Apartment Is Not Ready

Iowa Code § 562A.22 — rent stops until possession, and five days' notice ends the agreement

  • If the landlord does not deliver possession, rent abates until it is delivered.
  • The tenant may end the agreement on at least five days' written notice, and the landlord returns all prepaid rent and the deposit.
  • Or the tenant may demand performance and sue for possession and damages.
  • A willful failure in bad faith brings actual damages and attorney fees.
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Sources for this section (1)
  1. Iowa Code § 562A.22 — Failure to deliver possession

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Iowa attorney.

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