Linn County, IA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

The county adopted the International Property Maintenance Code as its "county housing code," controlling the condition of non-owner-occupied residential structures in unincorporated Linn County (§ 105-101). A local addition creates a certificate of inspected housing: once the housing official inspects a dwelling unit and finds it compliant, the owner or authorized agent receives that certificate (§ 105-102(3)). The code defines a "permitted rental unit" as a non-owner-occupied structure registered with the county in compliance with the housing code, and a "landlord or authorized agent" as the registered owner or representative (§ 105-102(6)). The housing code does not apply inside any incorporated city absent a recorded 28E agreement (§ 105-103).