Iowa Code 10A.518 (formerly 100.18) requires smoke detectors in all single-family rental units and multiple-unit residential buildings statewide, including Polk County. Homes built since 1991 must have them, and homestead-credit filers must certify installation. Landlords must fix a dead detector within 30 days.
Iowa's statewide smoke-detector law, Iowa Code 10A.518, governs Polk County; there is no separate county ordinance. The state fire marshal's rules require smoke detectors in existing single-family rental units and multiple-unit residential buildings, and every existing single-family dwelling must be equipped with an approved detector. Homes built on or after July 1, 1991 must include them at construction, and anyone filing a homestead credit must certify a detector is installed or will be within 30 days. Carbon monoxide alarms are separately required where there's a fuel-fired appliance, fireplace, or attached garage.
Tampering to disable a required detector, or violating the section or its rules, is a simple misdemeanor. If a landlord ignores a 30-day fix notice the tenant may install one and deduct the cost from rent.
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