In Iowa, you may sell a delinquent unit once the tenant has been in default at least 30 days, the default notice has given at least 14 days to pay, and you have advertised the sale at least 7 days ahead. Iowa does not require a newspaper ad.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
Iowa lien timeline at a glance
Iowa's Self-Service Storage Facilities Act is Iowa Code chapter 578A, with the key steps in §§ 578A.5 to 578A.7, enacted in 2019 and tidied in 2020. The lien attaches when the property is brought to the facility. The statute does not fix the day of default on which you may send the notice. Read literally, the notice could go out before day 30 as long as the sale itself comes after 30 days of default and after the 14-day payment period.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rent due, default | Day 0 | Failure to perform an obligation on time. Lien attaches when the property is brought in. | § 578A.2(2), § 578A.5(2) |
| 2. Late fee and overlock | Day 0 | Late fee as the lease provides. You may deny access only if the lease sets out that right. | § 578A.5(4), § 578A.6 |
| 3. Default notice | About day 16 (derived) | Hand delivery, verified mail, or email if agreed. State the amount and date due, a general description of the property, a payment demand at least 14 days after the notice date, that the property will be sold, and your contact information. Also notify known security interest holders. | § 578A.7(2)(a), (7) |
| 4. Advertisement | At least 7 days before the sale | Any commercially reasonable manner, with no newspaper required. | § 578A.7(2)(b) |
| 5. Sale | Day 30 at the earliest | Default of at least 30 days, at least 14 days after the notice date, and at least 7 days after the ad. | § 578A.7(1), (2) |
Worked example: rent is due January 1 and goes unpaid. Day 30 of default is January 31, the earliest sale. To keep the 14 days inside that window, send the notice by January 17, which gives a pay-by date of January 31. Advertise by January 24. The statute does not state when the notice may first go out, so these dates are derived, and your attorney should confirm them.
What the Iowa lien notice must say and how to send it
The notice of default must state the amount due and the date it was due, a general description of the property, a demand for payment within a stated time of not less than 14 days after the date of the notice, a statement that the property will be sold or disposed of after a stated time if unpaid, and the operator's name and contact details (§ 578A.7(2)(a)).
You may send it in one of three ways (§ 578A.5(5), § 578A.7(7)):
- Hand delivery. Deemed delivered when the occupant signs an acknowledgment.
- Verified mail. Any USPS or private carrier method that gives evidence of mailing, deemed delivered when deposited, postage prepaid. It does not have to be certified.
- Email. Only if you and the occupant agreed to email for all notices and the rental agreement has a section outlining each party's rights and duties for email. Email is deemed delivered when sent to the last-known address. If you receive an undeliverable message, send the notice by hand delivery or verified mail.
Alternate contacts and lienholders
Iowa has no alternate contact rule. The last-known address is the postal or email address in the rental agreement or a later written change. You do owe notice to known security interest holders, and you must search title records for registered vehicles and boats (§ 578A.2(4), § 578A.7(2)(b)).
Advertising the sale
No newspaper ad is required. At least 7 days before the sale, advertise the time, place and terms in a commercially reasonable manner. That is deemed commercially reasonable if it is likely to attract at least three independent bidders to attend or view the sale in person or online. The statute does not say how many times to run the ad (§ 578A.7(2)(b)).
Late fee limits
The lease may provide a reasonable late fee. A monthly late fee of $20 or 20% of monthly rent, whichever is greater, is deemed reasonable and not a penalty. The statute sets no grace period, so follow your lease (§ 578A.5(4)).
Sale rules, surplus and records
- How to sell. Public or private proceedings, as a unit or in parcels, at any time, place and terms if commercially reasonable. That includes the facility, the nearest suitable place, or a publicly accessible internet site that conducts sales or auctions (§ 578A.2(1), § 578A.7).
- Buying. You may buy at a public sale. Property with no commercial value, meaning no bid, may be disposed of.
- Surplus. Keep the lien amount and hold the balance 90 days for the occupant on demand. Then pay it to the county treasurer of the county where the facility is located, who holds it 2 years, after which it becomes county property (§ 578A.7(5)).
- Records. The chapter states no retention period. Keep the lease with the email language if used, the notice, proof of delivery, the ad and sale paperwork.
Vehicles and boats
If a vehicle, watercraft or trailer has had rent and charges unpaid for 30 days, you may have it towed. You are not liable for damage once the tower takes possession, and removal does not release the lien. You must search for security interests in property registered under chapter 321 or 462A. A buyer of a motor vehicle applies for title under § 321.47 (§ 578A.7(2)(b), (3), (6)).
Active-duty military (SCRA)
Federal law adds protections for servicemembers, and owners must check military status before a sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958. We found no Iowa-specific provision in chapter 578A.
Common mistakes checklist
- Selling before 30 days of default have passed.
- Giving fewer than 14 days to pay.
- Emailing the notice without an agreement covering all notices and the lease email section.
- Not sending a hand delivery or verified mail follow-up after a bounced email.
- Advertising fewer than 7 days before the sale.
- Skipping the title search for registered vehicles and boats.
- Overlocking when the lease does not set out that right.
- Keeping surplus instead of sending it to the county treasurer after 90 days.
Tools to help
Use the lien timeline calculator to count your dates, read about lien and auction management, and see all state lien laws. The self storage auction process guide covers the sale itself, and the lien notice template gives you a starting draft.
What we could not confirm
We read the official Iowa Code chapter 578A PDF (Iowa Code 2026, printed December 2025). Changes from the 2026 session were not checked. The statute does not say on which day of default the notice may first go out. Verified mail means any method giving evidence of mailing, not necessarily certified mail. Chapter 576 is the forwarding merchant lien and is not the self storage law. Check the current code with your attorney.
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney.