Rental Housing
2023 RENTAL REGISTRATION HAS NOW BEGUN
The Rental Housing staff has begun mailing out the 2023 registration renewal notifications this week. If you do not receive a notification in the mail by November 15 and you have rental property within the City of Council Bluffs, then please print off a renewal application and send it into our office along with payment. Please contact our staff at 712-890-5283 if you have any questions.
Cities within Iowa with a population of 15,000 or more are mandated by the State of Iowa to have a rental housing inspection program. Therefore to comply with this mandate the city has established an ordinance for rental housing inspections "in order to establish minimum quality standards for all residential dwellings, dwelling units, rooming houses and rooming units; to provide for the enforcement of such standards; to establish a program of regular rental inspections; and to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Council Bluffs, Iowa."
The rental housing inspectors perform random and complaint-based inspections looking for dangerous conditions and violations of compliance with minimum physical standards for residences. There are 8,500-11,000 units registered with the city. Inspectors normally will perform 10-12 inspections per day.
Registration
All owners of rental property are required to register each rental unit with the City annually. For single family dwellings, the rental registration fee is $71.00 per unit. For two family dwellings (duplex), the rental registration fee is $106.00. For multi-family dwellings, the rental registration fee is $51.00 plus $35.50 per unit. Rental registration renewal reminder forms are mailed to the owners at their last known address. Deadline for rental registrations are December 31st of each year.
Late Fees and Non-Registration Fees
The late fee for non-registration is $25.00 per month per dwelling unit. The penalty fee for non-registration of a rental unit (per unit) is $1,000 and institution of this fee will place the dwelling or dwelling unit on a one year inspection cycle for three years. Dwelling units that are found non-registered must pay registration fees: a single family dwelling fee is $200.00 per year for three (3) years, a two-family dwelling (duplex) is $400 per year for three (3) years and Multi-family dwellings are $200.00 and $50.00 per unit per year for three (3) years.
Rental Housing Re-inspection Fees
The Rental Housing Re-inspection fees are as follows:
1st Re-inspection = $50.00 per inspection
2nd Re-inspection = $100.00 per inspection
3rd and Subsequent Re-inspection = $100.00 per inspection
No Show Fee for missing a scheduled inspection = $100.00
Inspection fee for three (3) year cycle for Non-registered houses = $100.00 per inspection
Excerpts From The 2009 International Property Maintenance Code
Emergency Escape & Rescue Openings
Rental Housing Inspection Form
Landlord Contractor Registration