Housing

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SSB 3128: A bill for an act relating to city utilities including tenant notification.

This bill (SSB 3128) creates a lien exemption for residential rental properties where tenants pay utility charges (sewer, storm water, waste, gas, electric) directly to the city. It requires landlords to provide written notice to the city utility confirming the property is rental and the tenant is liable for charges, or allows tenants to provide this notice if the landlord has an active rental license. The bill sets limits on required deposits (up to 90 days for some utilities, 60 days for gas/electric) and mandates the city return deposits if all charges are paid in full when tenants move out. It applies directly to tenants in rental housing and city utilities managing these services.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill clarifies tenant utility responsibility and limits deposits, protecting tenants from excessive charges and ensuring transparency in rental housing, strengthening tenant protections.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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signed · Iowa · House Apr 9, 2026

HF 2558: A bill for an act relating to the definition of public improvement for purposes of public construction bidding.

This bill amends Iowa's definition of "public improvement" to exclude two specific types of projects from standard public construction bidding requirements. It removes city utility equipment for electric generating projects (under Chapter 388) and the furnishing/installation of manufactured homes (including foundation work, anchoring, and utility connections) from the bidding rules. This means these projects will no longer be subject to the usual public bidding process, directly affecting city utilities and manufactured home providers. The change applies to relevant sections of Iowa law governing construction contracts and reporting.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts manufactured home installation from bidding, potentially reducing costs for affordable housing development.80% confidence

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2026

HF 2312: A bill for an act establishing an affordable housing task force.

HF 2312 creates an affordable housing task force to study state and local regulations that increase housing costs, focusing on zoning, building codes, permitting processes, and funding mechanisms. The task force, composed of agency representatives, housing developers, city/county officials, and legislators, will examine how these rules impact affordability while balancing public health and safety. It must submit a report by December 1, 2026, with recommendations to reduce regulatory barriers for affordable housing development. The bill directly affects housing developers, local governments, and state agencies by requiring them to participate in this review process.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates task force to study and reduce regulatory barriers (zoning, codes) increasing housing costs, aiming to improve affordability through recommendations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Housing Finance Zoning

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SF 2326: A bill for an act modifying first-time homebuyers savings accounts, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 2326 modifies Iowa's first-time homebuyer savings account program to allow employers to contribute to accounts for employees. It makes employer contributions deductible for employees when used for eligible home purchases, while employers cannot claim tax deductions for their contributions. The bill also imposes a 10% penalty on non-qualified withdrawals from these accounts, with exceptions for death, job changes, or legal orders. These changes apply retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects employees receiving employer-sponsored contributions and employers establishing these accounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax deduction for homebuyers (employees), offering tax relief for lower/middle-income households under income taxes.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingEnables employer contributions to homebuyer savings accounts with tax benefits for employees, directly increasing accessibility to first-time homebuying and supporting affordable housing access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Homeownership

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HF 2551: A bill for an act relating to rent increases under residential landlord and tenant rental agreements and in manufactured home communities and mobile home parks.

HF 2551 limits how much landlords can raise rent for current tenants in Iowa residential rentals and mobile home parks. It sets a cap: rent increases cannot exceed either the Midwest region's consumer price index (CPI) increase or the county-assessed property value increase over the past year, whichever is higher. Landlords must provide written notice of any increase at least 90 days before it takes effect, and the new rent cannot start before the current lease ends. This directly affects existing tenants in both standard housing and manufactured home communities.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingCaps rent increases for tenants to CPI or property value growth, strengthening tenant protections against excessive hikes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SF 2435: A bill for an act relating to local government by modifying property tax credits and rent reimbursements, provisions governing abandoned mobile homes and personal property in rural areas, and tax sales.

This Iowa bill (SF 2435) modifies property tax credits for elderly and disabled homeowners and streamlines rules for abandoned mobile homes in rural areas. It updates eligibility for annual property tax credits paid by June 15 and rent reimbursements paid by December 31, directly affecting qualifying low-income seniors and disabled residents. The bill creates a new definition for "valueless homes" (mobile homes with no market value on rural property) and allows rural property owners or mobile home park operators to remove these without court orders, requiring written notice to county treasurers within 10 days. It also adds procedures for issuing new titles to third parties and ensures tax sales can be postponed for disaster-related reasons.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies property tax credits and rent reimbursements for low-income seniors/disabled residents, providing direct tax relief per bill's eligibility updates and focus on qualifying groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax credits and rent reimbursements for low-income seniors/disabled residents, directly supporting affordable housing access through financial assistance.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes Renters

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Apr 15, 2026

SF 2279: A bill for an act creating a maternity group home tax credit available against the individual, corporate, franchise, insurance premium, and moneys and credits taxes, and including applicability provisions.

SF 2279 creates a tax credit for Iowa taxpayers who donate to maternity group homes, allowing them to claim a 100% credit against several state taxes (including individual, corporate, and franchise taxes) for their donations. The credit directly affects donors and qualifying maternity group homes, which are defined as community-based residences providing housing, care, and support for pregnant or postpartum women with children. Key limits include a $3.5 million annual statewide cap on total credits and a $500,000 cap per organization, with applications approved on a first-come, first-served basis within six months of donation. The credit cannot be carried forward, transferred, or used to reduce taxable income, and excess credits are forfeited.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates 100% tax credit against multiple state taxes (individual, corporate, franchise), directly providing tax relief to donors. This alignates with 'provides tax relief' indicator for support stance.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates tax credit for donations to maternity group homes (health-related facilities), directly funding maternal care services and support.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds maternity group homes (housing for vulnerable women) via tax credits, directly advancing housing support for a specific population through financial incentives.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Insurance

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 29, 2026

SF 2124: A bill for an act relating to the disabled veteran homestead tax credit and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 2124 expands Iowa's disabled veteran homestead tax credit to include more veterans with lower disability ratings, phased in over time. It allows eligible veterans (with permanent service-connected disability ratings of 70%+ starting July 2027, 40%+ starting July 2028, and 10%+ starting July 2029) to claim a credit equal to the greater of the standard homestead credit or a percentage of their property tax matching their disability rating. The credit applies to property taxes due for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2027, and retroactively covers claims filed since January 1, 2026. This bill directly affects disabled veterans and National Guard members meeting specific service and disability criteria who previously did not qualify under the existing 100% disability threshold.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands property tax credit for disabled veterans, reducing tax burden - direct tax relief measure for eligible veterans.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides property tax credit for disabled veterans, reducing housing costs for a specific group, aligning with affordable housing support through tax relief.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExpands disabled veteran tax credit to lower disability ratings (10%+ by 2029), increasing benefit access for more veterans through phased eligibility.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Credits Property Taxes National Guard & Reserve Veteran Healthcare

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 28, 2026

SF 2106: A bill for an act relating to residential rental property price fixing, and providing civil penalties.

SF 2106, the "Iowa Residential Rent Fairness and Anticollusion Act," prohibits landlords managing five or more properties from coordinating rent prices with other landlords or using algorithmic rent-setting systems that rely on nonpublic competitor data. It specifically bans software, AI, or automated tools that set rent based on secret data from other landlords without human review, treating this as price fixing. Violators face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per rental unit per month, injunctions, and restitution for tenants overcharged. The bill also requires landlords and algorithm providers to maintain records for five years and allows tenants to sue for damages if harmed by violations.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill prohibits landlord price coordination and algorithmic rent-setting using secret data, preventing artificial rent inflation and protecting tenants from unfair pricing, directly supporting affordable housing and tenant rights.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBans AI/algorithmic rent-setting tools using secret competitor data, restricting tech use in price collusion per bill's explicit prohibition of 'automated tools' and 'AI' for rent coordination.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Renters Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 13, 2026

HSB 515: A bill for an act relating to utility disconnections of gas and electricity services during severe weather.

This bill requires Iowa's Utilities Commission to adopt rules prohibiting gas and electricity disconnections from homes during severe cold or severe hot weather, as defined by those rules. It directly affects residential utility customers by preventing service cutoffs during extreme temperature events. The key provision mandates the Commission to establish specific definitions for "severe cold weather" and "severe hot weather" in its rules, building on existing protections for severe cold. The bill does not create new penalties or funding but modifies the Commission's rulemaking authority to cover both temperature extremes.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyPrevents utility disconnections during extreme weather, protecting residential consumers. Aligns with utility consumer protection in energy policy.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents utility disconnections during extreme weather, protecting residential customers (tenants) from losing essential services, supporting tenant protections in housing.80% confidence

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