State law lets cities regulate short-term rentals for noise and nuisance even though they cannot ban them. Iowa City's noise and disorderly house rules apply to STR guests, and repeat problems can jeopardize the rental permit.
Iowa Code 414.1(1)(e) lets a city regulate short-term rentals for noise, property maintenance, or nuisance issues, as long as the rules apply the same way to comparable non-STR homes. So Iowa City's noise ordinance and its disorderly house rule (Code 8-5-5) cover STR guests: loud, raucous parties can bring a $750 first-offense civil penalty ($1,000 for repeats) charged to the tenant or owner. Guests must respect overnight quiet hours, and no parties should exceed occupancy. Repeated verified complaints can put a property's rental permit at risk. Coralville and North Liberty apply their own noise codes.
Noise and disorderly house citations run $750 first offense, $1,000 for repeats. Chronic complaints can trigger rental permit review. The host is responsible for guest conduct.
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See how Johnson County's noise rules rules stack up against other locations.
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