Cedar Rapids, IA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

No person shall lease, rent, or let for occupancy, a residential rental unit in the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa without first obtaining from the code official proper Rental Property or Rental Unit Registration, as the case may be. Rental Property or Rental Unit Registration shall not be transferred from one owner to another. A property meeting the definition of a rental property not currently registered as a rental property must be registered prior to occupancy. A rental property currently registered and occupied that changes ownership must be registered with the code official within 30 days of transfer of title or possession of such property. Each owner of residential rental property shall register the property with the code official. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to inform the code official of any change in address for purposes of conducting business and communicating with the code official. Persons with a Landlord Business Permit who lease, rent or let for occupancy prior to obtaining a Rental Unit Registration will be assessed a penalty fee in accordance with the Schedule of Housing Inspection Services Fees. Exception: No registration shall be required for an owner-occupied single-family dwelling, single- family Condominium, or single-family Cooperative, provided such owner-occupied dwelling, Condominium or Cooperative has no more than two tenants who are 18 years of age or older and unrelated to the owner.