Ames, IA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Under Sec. 13.300 of the Rental Housing Code, registration doubles as the application for a Letter of Compliance (LOC), the document the Inspection Division issues once a rental dwelling passes inspection. Owners or operators must submit an application on City forms listing the dwelling's address, the number and type of units, the number of tenants intended to occupy each unit, the zoning district, and full contact information, including a 24-hour emergency phone number, for both the owner and any registered operator such as a property manager.

The Inspection Division cannot approve an application until all required information and fees are submitted. Registration renews annually on notice from the City, and renewal fees are due within 30 days of that notice; missing the deadline is itself a Code violation. Owners and operators must report any change to registration information, such as a new manager or contact number, as soon as it occurs. Registration cannot be transferred when a property sells: the seller must give the Inspection Division the buyer's name and contact information, and the buyer must register the property in their own name before renting it.

An owner who has received a compliance order or notice of violation cannot sell, transfer, mortgage, or lease the dwelling until the violation is corrected, or until the owner gives the buyer a copy of the order and obtains the buyer's signed, notarized acknowledgment accepting responsibility for the repairs.