Bills › 91st General Assembly

HF 689Died when the session ended · February 28, 2025

Relating to landlords and tenants, including the source of income tenants use for rent payments

Sponsored by Rep. Ken Croken (D)

Topics:Civil rightsHousing & property

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedFebruary 28, 2025
  2. Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
  3. Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
  4. Next: Passes the House
  5. Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. Next: Signed into law

Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary Landlords of houses, apartments, and mobile home parks cannot refuse to rent to someone just because they use certain types of payment, like Social Security or housing vouchers. This rule applies to any money coming from government programs or nonprofits used to pay rent. However, landlords can still deny a tenant if they cannot prove where their money is coming from or if their housing assistance is not officially approved.1

Read the official explanation

This bill relates to landlords and tenants and the source of income that a tenant may use to pay rent. The bill defines “source of income” to include benefits or subsidy programs including housing assistance, housing choice vouchers, public assistance, veterans’ benefits, social security, supplemental security income or other retirement programs, and other programs administered by any federal, state, local, or nonprofit entity. “Source of income” does not, however, include income that a prospective tenant cannot demonstrate is derived from sources and activities permitted by law and is provided on an ongoing basis, or housing assistance that is not approved by the appropriate agency within days after the landlord provides all information required as a condition of the agency’s approval, including evidence that all repairs required before occupancy have been completed. The bill provides that under both Code chapters 562A (residential landlord and tenant law) and 562B (manufactured home community or mobile home park landlord and tenant law), a landlord cannot discriminate, make a distinction, or otherwise restrict the source of income that a tenant uses to pay rent for a dwelling unit or mobile home space. The bill strikes current prohibitions against municipal ordinances that prohibit property owners from refusing to rent dwelling units to persons because of the prospective tenant’s use of a federal housing choice voucher.

Full bill text2

Iowa Code it changes

Creates§562A.11A§562B.11A

Amends§331.304§364.3

How the Code works3