Iowa Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Iowa's security deposit statute (Iowa Code § 562A.12), the 30-day return deadline, and the punitive penalty for bad-faith withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
up to 2× rent
measured against monthly rent, for bad faith
Statute
§ 562A.12
Iowa Code
Under Iowa Code § 562A.12, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends and you provide a mailing address to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized statement of any deductions.
If the landlord withholds your deposit in bad faith, you may recover:
So beyond the return of your deposit, bad-faith withholding exposes the landlord to punitive damages of up to twice your monthly rent. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Note: Iowa’s punitive penalty is measured against your monthly rent, not the deposit. The 30-day clock starts only once the landlord has your forwarding address — which your letter provides. A landlord who fails to provide a written statement within 30 days forfeits the right to withhold.
Deposit cap: Iowa caps security deposits at two months’ rent.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Iowa's deadlines under § 562A.12.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 562A.12, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Iowa law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
30 days after you move out.
Bad-faith retention exposes the landlord to punitive damages not to exceed twice the MONTHLY RENT (not twice the deposit), plus the tenant’s actual damages, under § 562A.12(7)–(8).
Iowa Code § 562A.12. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Iowa rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Iowa statutes that apply to your situation.
Iowa Code § 562A.12 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Iowa landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39