Iowa Mobile Home Park Laws: 90-Day Notice, No Mid-Lease Hikes

By Steve Levine · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: Iowa mobile home park laws, in the Manufactured Home Communities or Mobile Home Parks Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Iowa Code chapter 562B), require written notice of a lot rent increase at least 90 days ahead, and since 2022 the increase cannot take effect before your current rental agreement or renewal expires, under Iowa Code § 562B.14(7). Either side must give at least 90 days’ written notice to cancel a rental agreement under § 562B.10(5), and late fees on your lot rent are capped by dollar amount.

Chapter 562B is a separate law from the act that covers apartments. It is written for the person who rents a “mobile home space,” the land and hookups, not the home.

Iowa mobile home park laws at a glance

Rule	Iowa	Statute
Who is covered	Tenants renting a mobile home space; a park is 3 or more homes run for profit	§ 562B.7
Rent increase notice	90 days in writing; not before the current agreement or renewal expires	§ 562B.14(7)
Default lease term and cancellation	One year unless stated; 90 days’ written notice to cancel	§ 562B.10(5)
Late fee cap, rent of $700 or less	$12 a day, $60 a month	§ 562B.10(4)
Late fee cap, rent over $700	$20 a day, $100 a month	§ 562B.10(4)
Notice for unpaid rent	3 days after written notice	§ 562B.25(2)
Rule changes	30 days’ notice to all tenants	§ 562B.19(2)

Who chapter 562B covers

Under § 562B.7, a “tenant” is a person entitled under a rental agreement to occupy a mobile home space, and a “mobile home space” is a parcel of land for rent designed for a mobile home with sewer and utility hookups. A “mobile home park” is any site with three or more mobile, manufactured or modular homes on developed spaces, run for profit, with water, sewer or septic, and electric service. The chapter also covers manufactured home communities, defined by reference to land-leased communities. Public housing is excluded under § 562B.5.

The park must offer you a written rental agreement and disclose in writing who manages the park and who can accept legal papers for the owner, under § 562B.14(1)-(2). Signed copies must be exchanged within 10 days after signing.

Lot rent increases and utility charges

The 90-day rule in § 562B.14(7) has two parts. You must get written notice at least 90 days before the effective date, and that date cannot come sooner than the end of your original rental agreement or any renewal or extension. The second part was added by a 2022 amendment that applies to increases first noticed on or after May 17, 2022.

Utility increases follow the same notice rule under § 562B.14(6), unless the park itself got less than 90 days’ notice from the utility, in which case no advance notice is required. Before you sign, the park must explain utility rates, charges and services in writing if you pay them through the park. Iowa sets no cap on how much lot rent can rise.

A bill introduced in the 2025-2026 General Assembly, Senate File 2225, proposed raising the notice to 180 days. Unless it passes, the code in force still says 90 days.

Late fees and other lease limits

Section 562B.10(4) caps late fees by rent level. If your lot rent is $700 a month or less, the lease cannot set a late fee above $12 a day or $60 a month. Above $700, the cap is $20 a day or $100 a month. Our Iowa late fee laws guide compares these with apartment caps.

Under § 562B.11(1), a lease cannot make you waive rights under the chapter, pay the park’s attorney fees, or use a designated agent to sell your home. It also cannot require you to modify your home in a way that substantially impairs your ability to move it, unless federal, state or local law, the installation instructions, financing or safe installation requires it.

Grounds and notice for ending your tenancy

Rental agreements run one year unless they say otherwise, and § 562B.10(5) requires at least 90 days’ written notice by either party to cancel. The park may not cancel your agreement solely to make your space available for another home.

Section 562B.25 sets the shorter routes:

Unpaid rent. If you do not pay within 3 days after written notice of nonpayment and of the park’s intent to terminate, the park may terminate.
Material lease violations. The notice must describe the breach and set a termination date at least 30 days after you receive it, ending the agreement only if you do not fix the breach within 14 days. The same breach repeated within 6 months allows termination on at least 14 days’ written notice.

The park must still win a forcible entry and detainer case under chapter 648. Section 562B.32 bars raising rent, cutting services, suing for possession or refusing to renew in retaliation for a good-faith code complaint, a complaint about park upkeep, or joining a tenants’ union. See our Iowa eviction process guide for the court steps.

Park rules, fees and selling your home

Under § 562B.19, park rules are enforceable only if written, reasonably related to a legitimate purpose, applied fairly to all tenants, clear, and given to you before you sign. Changes require 30 days’ notice to all tenants. A rule adopted after you sign cannot substantially modify your agreement.

The same section bars an entrance or exit fee of any kind unless it is for services actually rendered or under a written agreement. It protects your right to sell your home at a price you choose. The park may approve the buyer as a tenant, but approval cannot be unreasonably withheld, and a denied buyer must get written notice with a general reason. The park can require a home in rundown condition or disrepair to be removed within 60 days of a sale to a third party, and it cannot take a commission unless it acted as your agent.

Sale or closure of the park

Iowa has no statute requiring a special closure notice, relocation payments or a residents’ right to buy the park, and chapter 562B does not mention residents’ associations beyond protecting tenant union membership. The 90-day cancellation notice in § 562B.10(5) is the main protection if a park closes.

When a park is sold, § 562B.16A, effective for sales on or after July 1, 2022, says the buyer steps into the landlord’s obligations, rights and remedies, including all existing rental agreements. A new owner cannot simply ignore your lease.

Worked example: a renewal in Linn County

Jamal rents a space in a Cedar Rapids community for $560 a month on a one-year agreement renewing August 1. On April 20, the park mails written notice raising the rent to $610 effective August 1. That is 103 days of notice, and the increase lands at renewal, so it satisfies § 562B.14(7). A notice dated May 15 would have been too late for August 1.

In September, Jamal pays 8 days late. Because his rent is under $700, the late fee in his lease cannot exceed $12 a day or $60 for the month under § 562B.10(4). Eight days at $12 would be $96, so the most he can owe is $60.

Where to get help in Iowa

No state agency enforces chapter 562B. Under § 562B.4, any right in the chapter is enforceable by a lawsuit, and the district court has jurisdiction under § 562B.6. The legislature’s own Landlord-Tenant Law legislative guide compares chapter 562B with the apartment law in detail.

For free help, contact Iowa Legal Aid. Also see our Iowa security deposit law guide, our overview of mobile home park rights and the mobile home park laws by state list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my Iowa park raise lot rent in the middle of my lease?

No. Since the 2022 amendment to § 562B.14(7), an increase cannot take effect before your rental agreement or renewal expires, and you need 90 days’ written notice.

Does chapter 562B apply if I rent the mobile home from the park?

Chapter 562B governs the rental of a mobile home space. If you rent the home itself, Iowa’s general residential landlord-tenant law, chapter 562A, is the place to look.

Can the park charge me a fee to move my home out?

Only for services actually rendered or under a written agreement. Section 562B.19(3)(b) bars entrance or exit fees of any other kind.

What happens to my lease if the park is sold?

Under § 562B.16A, the new owner takes on the old landlord’s obligations, including your rental agreement. Your lease terms and notice rights carry over.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have a termination notice, call Iowa Legal Aid or use LSC’s get legal help page right away.

Sources

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