Waterloo, IA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 9-7-9.A puts the core habitability duty on the landlord or the landlord's agent: keep each rental unit in a sound structural condition, and keep the parts of the building or premises the landlord controls, including shared or public areas in any building with two or more rental units, clean, sanitary and safe. The same subsection folds in a separate cross-reference: every landlord or agent must also comply with title 5, chapter 3, article B of the city code, the provisions granting housing protections to victims of domestic violence.

Subsection B puts a mirroring duty on the tenant, who must meet all obligations the applicable building and housing codes impose on tenants specifically where those obligations materially affect health and safety, not just whatever upkeep the landlord wants enforced. Subsection C adds a paperwork duty triggered the moment this chapter took effect: every rental agreement signed after that date must include the landlord's promise to give the tenant a written summary of the tenant's rights under Iowa Code chapter 562A, the state's residential landlord and tenant law.

These duties connect directly to the chapter's enforcement tools. If a landlord fails to provide an essential service such as water, sewer, electricity or heat, or fails to fix a condition that poses a substantial risk to a tenant's health or safety after a notice of violation, § 9-7-6.D lets the licensing officer order rent abated until the condition is corrected.