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HF2386 • 2026

A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
WICHTENDAHL
Last action
2026-02-10
Official status
Introduced, referred to Local Government. H.J. 244 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-10 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Local Government. H.J. 244 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act related to city regulation of single-family residential property.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
House

File

2386

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2386

BY

WICHTENDAHL

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

related

to

city

regulation

of

single-family

residential

1

property.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

5492YH

(2)

91

ms/js

H.F.

2386

Section

1.

Section

414.1,

subsection

1,

Code

2026,

is

1

amended

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

2

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

i.

(1)

A

city

may

require

the

first

3

purchaser

of

a

single-family

residential

home

in

a

new

housing

4

development

to

physically

occupy

the

home

for

one

year

after

5

the

purchase

of

the

home.

6

(2)

The

city

may

charge

the

owner

of

a

single-family

7

residential

home

a

fine

for

a

violation

of

subparagraph

(1).

8

The

fine

may

not

be

greater

than

one-fourth

of

the

fair

market

9

value

of

the

home.

10

(3)

A

city

ordinance

adopted

under

this

section

shall

11

include

an

exemption

allowing

the

owner

to

sell

or

transfer

12

the

property

within

the

one-year

occupancy

period

of

required

13

occupancy

if

the

sale

is

a

good-faith

sale.

14

(4)

For

purposes

of

this

paragraph:

15

(a)

“New

housing

development”

means

any

housing

that

is

16

being

sold

for

the

first

time

on

the

market

including

housing

17

that

is

newly

constructed

as

part

of

a

development

agreement

18

between

the

city

and

a

developer.

19

(b)

“Occupy”

means

to

physically

reside

in

and

use

a

20

property

as

a

home,

residence,

or

sleeping

space.

21

EXPLANATION

22

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

23

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

24

This

bill

allows

a

city

to

require

the

first

purchaser

of

25

a

single-family

residential

home

in

a

new

housing

development

26

to

physically

occupy

the

single-family

residential

home

27

for

one

year

after

the

purchase

of

the

home.

The

city

may

28

charge

the

owner

of

a

single-family

residential

home

a

fine

29

for

a

violation

of

the

bill.

The

bill

includes

a

good-faith

30

exemption

for

an

owner

seeking

to

sell

the

house

in

the

31

one-year

occupancy

period.

The

bill

defines

“new

housing

32

development”

to

mean

any

housing

that

is

being

sold

for

the

33

first

time

on

the

market

including

housing

that

is

newly

34

constructed

as

part

of

a

development

agreement

between

the

35

-1-

LSB

5492YH

(2)

91

ms/js

1/

2

H.F.

2386

city

and

a

developer.

The

bill

defines

“occupy”

to

mean

to

1

physically

reside

in

and

use

a

property

as

a

home,

residence,

2

or

sleeping

space.

3

-2-

LSB

5492YH

(2)

91

ms/js

2/

2