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

Code of Ordinances Section 102.12.6, part of the Ankeny Housing Code enacted under Section 177.07, requires every person, firm or corporation that offers a dwelling or portion of one for rent within the city to submit an application for an inspection certificate to the Community Development Department on the forms the department provides. The application must be accompanied by an inspection and application fee set by City Council resolution. Once the application is filed, the city inspects the premises; a compliant property receives an inspection certificate, while a noncompliant one gets written notice from the housing inspector stating the specific reasons for the denial.

New construction gets a shortcut: a Building Code certificate of occupancy issued for new rental construction counts as valid for the initial duration of a rental inspection certificate, so the owner does not need to separately re-apply immediately after the building passes its final occupancy inspection. Once issued, a certificate stays tied to the property rather than the person: Section 102.12.14 requires anyone holding a certificate to notify the Code Official in writing within seven days of selling, transferring, conveying or otherwise disposing of ownership or control of the rental property, including the contact information of the successor owner, and the certificate itself transfers to the new owner as long as the property remains in safe, code-compliant condition.

Operating without a valid certificate is separately prohibited under Section 102.12.10, and Section 102.12.15 makes noncompliance with the registration and certification scheme a municipal infraction enforceable under Chapter 4.