Ankeny, IA Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice to landlord first
- at least 7 days before city complaint
- Complaint form
- filed with Ankeny Rental Housing Division
- Signatures required
- both tenant and landlord
- Entry notice
- 24 hours before interior inspection
- Fee if tenant at fault
- tenant pays inspection cost
- Unpaid tenant fee remedy
- court action plus attorney fees
Summary
A tenant who wants the city to inspect an Ankeny rental unit must first submit a written complaint to the landlord at least seven days before complaining to the city, using a form filed with the Ankeny Rental Housing Division and signed by both parties. Whether the owner or tenant ends up paying the resulting inspection fee depends on who is found at fault.
102.12.8 Inspection fees for additional inspections. Whenever an additional inspection of the interior portion of a dwelling unit is requested, a twenty-four hours’ notice will be given to the tenant by the city. When an inspection is made at the request of the owner, an inspection fee as provided in Section 102.12.6 shall be charged. If an inspection is made at the written request of a tenant and the dwelling is found to be in noncompliance, due to an omission of the owner, such owner shall be responsible for the re-inspection fee. No inspection shall be conducted at the request of a tenant unless the tenant has first submitted his/her complaint, in writing, to the landlord, no less than seven days before making such complaint to the city. Such complaint shall be made upon a form provided by the City of Ankeny Rental Housing Division. Upon completion, said complaint form shall include the signatures of both the tenant and the landlord and a copy thereof presented to the Ankeny Rental Housing Division.
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances Section 102.12.8 sets the process a tenant must follow before the city will conduct an additional rental inspection beyond the regular cycle. A tenant cannot go straight to the city: the section requires the tenant to first submit a written complaint to the landlord no less than seven days before bringing the same complaint to the city. That complaint must be made on a form provided by the City of Ankeny Rental Housing Division, signed by both the tenant and the landlord, with a copy filed with the Rental Housing Division.
Fee liability then turns on the outcome. When an inspection is requested by the owner, the owner pays the fee set under Section 102.12.6. When a tenant's written complaint leads to an inspection and the unit is found noncompliant because of something the owner did or failed to do, the owner pays the re-inspection fee; if the inspection instead finds the unit compliant, or the noncompliance traces back to the tenant's own conduct, the tenant is liable for the inspection cost, and unpaid tenant fees can be pursued in court along with reasonable attorney fees.
The city gives the tenant 24 hours' notice before entering the interior of the unit for any additional inspection. If the city or another affected party besides the owner or tenant triggers the inspection, the owner pays the fee only if the property is found noncompliant; a fully compliant property is inspected at no charge to anyone.
Violations & Fines
Requesting a city inspection without first giving the landlord seven days' written notice of the complaint is not itself a criminal act, but a tenant found responsible for a noncompliance or an unpaid re-inspection fee can be sued in district court, with the tenant liable for reasonable attorney fees under Section 102.12.8. A landlord who fails to remedy a substantiated tenant complaint remains subject to the municipal infraction penalties of Sections 102.12.15 and 4.03, up to $750 for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a tenant do before Ankeny will inspect a rental complaint?
Who pays for a tenant-requested rental inspection in Ankeny?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ankeny
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