Iowa Rental Application Form Template

What this Iowa rental application is

The "Iowa Rental Application" is a two-page rental application template. Page 1 covers the rental itself, the applicant, the applicant's spouse, both of their jobs, and the current landlord or mortgage company. Page 2 covers the previous landlord, references, an emergency contact, occupants, pets, vehicles, banking and credit obligations, and a short credit and criminal history section, followed by signature lines for the applicant, spouse, and landlord. It is a general template. Iowa does not publish an official statewide rental application, and this form is not issued by any Iowa agency.

Who uses it

Iowa landlords and property managers use it to screen applicants for an apartment or house, and renters use it when a landlord sends them a blank application. Because it has a full spouse section, it suits married couples applying together.

What to have ready

• The property address, monthly rent, and any security and pet deposit amounts the landlord quoted
• Driver's license, date of birth, and Social Security number for you and, if applying together, your spouse
• Present and previous employer details: address, position, start date, monthly income, supervisor name and phone
• Present and previous landlord or mortgage company, with phone, monthly payment, and move-in and move-out dates
• Bank name, phone, and address, plus a list of credit obligations with minimum monthly payments

For a broader checklist, read our guide on documents needed for a rental application.

How to fill it out online

Press "Fill Template Now," type into each field, sign, and download the completed PDF. The fields follow the form's printed order.

Page 1

• Top of form: Today's Date, Date of anticipated move in, Property address, Monthly rent, Security deposit, and Pet deposit.
• Applicant: Full name of applicant, Present Address, home and work Telephone number, D.O.B., social security #, and Driver's license.
• Applicant's employment: Name of present employer, Address, Position, Date started, Monthly income, Supervisor's name and phone, then the same fields for the previous employer, and Other sources of income.
• Spouse and Spouse's employment: the same set of fields for a spouse. Leave it blank if you are applying alone.
• Present Landlord or mortgage company: name, phone, Monthly rent or mortgage payment, Date of move-in, and Date of move-out.

Page 2

• Previous Landlord or mortgage company: the same fields as the present landlord.
• Personal References: two names with phone and address.
• Emergency: contact name, Relationship, and phone.
• Occupants, Pets, Vehicles: list all occupants, each pet's type, breed, weight, and age, and the make, model, and year of vehicles to be parked at the premises.
• Credit/Criminal History: Bank name, phone, address, Checking account number, and up to three credit obligations with minimum monthly payments. Then answer whether any listed occupant has ever been convicted of a felony, received deferred adjudication for a felony, been evicted, broken a lease, or declared bankruptcy.
• Authorization and fee: a blank for the name of the person or company authorized to verify the application and pull credit reports, and a blank for the dollar amount of the nonrefundable application fee. The printed text says the landlord may reject the application and keep the fees if false information is given.
• Signatures: Signature of applicant, Signature of Spouse, and Signature of Landlord or Landlord's agent, each with a date.

Iowa rules on fees, deposits, and screening

General information as of October 2026, from the Iowa Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, Iowa Code chapter 562A.

Application fees

Chapter 562A does not set a limit on rental application or screening fees, and it does not require them to be refunded. The amount is whatever the landlord writes into the fee blank on this form.

Security deposits

Under Iowa Code section 562A.12:

• A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than two months' rent.
• Deposits must be held in a federally insured bank, savings and loan, or credit union and not mixed with the landlord's personal funds.
• Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant provides a mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit or give a written statement of the specific reasons for keeping any part of it.
• A landlord who misses that 30-day statement loses the right to withhold any of the deposit. Bad-faith retention can lead to punitive damages of up to twice the monthly rent plus actual damages.

Housing choice vouchers

Iowa Code section 364.3(16) bars cities from adopting or enforcing ordinances that stop landlords from refusing to rent to someone because they use a federal housing choice voucher. City ordinances on this topic that existed on January 1, 2021 became void on January 1, 2023. Federal fair housing law still applies to every applicant.

Signing and submitting

Sign and date the applicant line (and the spouse line if applying together), then return the PDF to the landlord, who signs the final line. You can sign electronically with our sign PDF tool. Nothing is filed with the state.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the landlord's name blank in the authorization sentence.
• Answering the felony and eviction questions only for yourself, when the form asks about all listed occupants.
• Skipping the previous employer or previous landlord fields, which landlords use to check history.
• Signing before the landlord has filled in the fee amount, so you do not know what you agreed to pay.