Council passes revised rental unit standards
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The City Council of Webster City passed a revised set of comprehensive standards for rental housing, on its second reading last night. Routine procedure calls for three readings of measures changing city code ordinances, but Council may, if it wishes, pass and adopt a measure after two readings. The first reading passed on Monday October 5, 2026.
After meeting with landlords, as directed by Council, city staff revised the draft standards. Here's how Development Director Ariel Bertran described that work:
"We listened to concerns brought forward by local property owners. After conducting additional research on peer Iowa communities, we adjusted both ordinances and administrative policy where we agreed improvements could be made. These changes make annual registration simpler, provide clear legal protection for older homes, protect landlords if tenants refuse inspection access, and clearly outlines who is exempt from the program."
Here’s a summary of the eight principal revisions to the standards:
• All rental units must be registered each year no later than January 31.
• landlords registering after January 31 will be assessed late fees of $25/day, capped at $1,500 per property.
• landlords with no standards violations will be subject to property inspections every four years. They will pay registration fees in the year of inspection, but those fees will be waived in "off-years."
• the landlord training class has been reduced in length from 3.5 to 2 hours. Attendance is required for landlords with two or more rental units. Landlords owning a single rental unit who elect to attend, will receive a $25 discount on inspection fees as an incentive.
• a "grandfather" clause will cover older homes used as rental housing. These rentals will be considered "legal, non-conforming" as long as no hazards to safety or life are present.
• should a tenant deny access to landlords, causing them to be late in registering a property, they (the landlords) will not be assessed a fee for late registrations. The city reserves the right to obtain a search warrant forcing tenants to allow inspection in such circumstances.
• Certain rental units are exempt from the new standards altogether, including rental units occupied by direct family members who pay no rent, church parsonages, state-inspected lodging, care facilities, and educational dormitories.
• at the request of landlords, the city will cross-reference the corresponding city code requirement for each line item on the rental unit checklist.
Bertran made it clear the city isn't out to make money from the new standards.
"The proposed fee structure is balanced to ensure administrative cost recovery while keeping costs reasonable for property owners," she said.
Three Webster City property owners attended the City Council meeting to voice their opinion on the revised statutes.
Scott Ely, owner of the 12-plex building at 801 Ohio St. said he was happy the city was seeking "compliance, not punishment" in enacting the new standards. He called the defect-free clause "a little harsh," but added the incentives included in the standards are "a great way to get landlord compliance."
Mark Gillette, who owns rental property in the city, said the revised regulations "worked out really well," and they would not cause him to have to raise rent to any of his tenants.
John Thompson, also an owner of rental property stated that he is in favor of the new regulations, and will "comply with them," but cautioned Council leniency will be required, as "these improvements don't happen overnight."