West Des Moines, IA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Section 8-2A-16(E) of the West Des Moines City Code puts the Building Division on a standing two-year inspection cycle for every residential rental dwelling within the corporate limits. The City does not treat that cycle as fixed: the code lets staff extend or shorten the interval to the next scheduled inspection based on named factors, including the age and condition of the dwelling, the property's inspection history, tenant or management complaints, compliance with the smoke and carbon dioxide detector requirements in the Iowa Administrative Code, natural disasters such as flooding, how promptly the owner schedules and pays for inspections, whether the owner runs an in-house maintenance program addressing life-safety items, and whether the property holds the Police Department's Crime-Free Multi-Housing designation.

A property that scores poorly on those factors can be pulled in for inspection ahead of the two-year mark, while a well-maintained property with a clean complaint history and an active maintenance program can see its interval extended. Every rental in the City must carry a valid rental inspection certificate under section 8-2A-16(A), and it is the owner or agent's responsibility, not the City's, to keep that certificate current. When the Building Division does schedule a visit, it must give the owner or agent at least thirty days' notice by mail, email, phone, or an online portal if one is available, and the owner or agent is then responsible for notifying every tenant of the date and time as required by Iowa law.

A certificate issued after a passing inspection is valid for two years from the initial inspection or from its listed expiration date under section 8-2A-16(K).