562A.15 Landlord to maintain fit premises.

1. a. The landlord shall:

(1) Comply with the requirements of applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety.

(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.

(3) Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition. The landlord shall not be liable for any injury caused by any objects or materials which belong to or which have been placed by a tenant in the common areas of the premises used by the tenant.

(4) Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord.

(5) Provide and maintain appropriate receptacles and conveniences, accessible to all tenants, for the central collection and removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish, and other waste incidental to the occupancy of the dwelling unit and arrange for their removal.

(6) Supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times and reasonable heat, except where the building that includes the dwelling unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose, or the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant and supplied by a direct public utility connection.

b. If the duty imposed by paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1), is greater than a duty imposed by another subparagraph of paragraph “a”, the landlord’s duty shall be determined by reference to paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1).

2. The landlord and tenant of a single family residence may agree in writing that the tenant perform the landlord’s duties specified in subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraphs (5) and (6), and also specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, and remodeling, but only if the transaction is entered into in good faith.

3. The landlord and tenant of a dwelling unit other than a single family residence may agree that the tenant is to perform specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, or remodeling only:

a. If the agreement of the parties is entered into in good faith and is set forth in a separate writing signed by the parties and supported by adequate consideration;

b. If the agreement does not diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.

4. The landlord shall not treat performance of the separate agreement described in subsection 3 as a condition to an obligation or performance of a rental agreement.

[C79, 81, §562A.15]

2013 Acts, ch 30, §177

Referred to in §562A.14, 562A.21, 562A.23, 562A.27, 562A.36