Winneshiek County, Iowa Eviction Risk: Very Low

Winneshiek County, Iowa eviction laws earns an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low) across its 10 scored cities, placing it at rank 79 of 99 Iowa counties. That ranking means 78 counties in the state carry higher risk, and only 20 are more landlord-friendly, putting Winneshiek firmly in the lower-risk third of Iowa eviction laws. For investors scouting rural northeast Iowa, the county's modest renter share of 34.6% and a relatively low average rent of $826 per month describe a small, stable rental market rather than a high-turnover urban one.

The intra-county spread is narrow, running from 2 to 2.6, which tells operators that operating conditions are fairly consistent regardless of which submarket they enter. An average rent-burden rate of 25.6%, meaning renters spend about a quarter of their income on housing, sits below typical stress thresholds, and a 8.7% poverty rate is low enough to suggest the tenant pool here is generally stable. That combination, low leverage among tenants and controlled rent burden, tends to translate into fewer contested evictions and shorter resolution timelines when landlord-tenant disputes do arise.

The cities inside Winneshiek County

The highest-risk location in the county is Spillville at 2.6/10, a small community of 356 residents. While still well within the Low-risk band, it stands above most of its neighbors. Ossian (population 806, score 2.4/10) and Ridgeway (2.4/10) occupy the next tier, both carrying modestly higher scores than the county average without crossing into any elevated-risk classification.

The county seat and largest city, Decorah, scores exactly at the county average, 2.3/10, with a population of 7,535 representing the bulk of rental inventory in the area. Calmar and Fort Atkinson also come in at 2.3/10. At the low end, Protivin and Burr Oak each score 2.2/10, the most landlord-friendly readings in the county. The key takeaway for investors is that even the riskiest location here would rank comfortably in the bottom-risk tier statewide, but risk is still hyper-local, and Spillville's score is 30% above Protivin's, a gap worth tracking as portfolio decisions are made.

State-level laws that apply here

All residential tenancies in Winneshiek County are governed by Iowa Code § 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law). Iowa's notice requirements are landlord-friendly: non-payment of rent triggers a 3-day notice, a lease violation carries a 7-day cure notice, and a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Iowa does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts local rent control ordinances, so no municipality within the county can impose caps that diverge from state law. Understanding the full Iowa eviction process is worth the time before acquiring here, particularly for landlords unfamiliar with the local court calendar.

On the cost side, the Iowa eviction costs landlords should budget for include court filing fees of $95 to $200, sheriff lockout fees of $50 to $150, and attorney fees typically ranging from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 40 days; a contested matter can run 45 to 100 days. Iowa requires 24-hour written notice before landlord entry under Iowa Code § 562A.15. There is no source-of-income protection under Iowa state law, though landlords should verify compliance with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission for any fair-housing matters.

With a poverty rate of 8.7% and a renter share of 34.6%, Winneshiek County's rental market is small and relatively stable; review the city grid above to compare individual scores before targeting specific submarkets.