Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Iowa

Tenents rights

Does a landlord have the right to hire police to patrol our apartment complex. This comming weekend is a large party weekend for the entire school, and our complex holds many parties. This is his reasoning for this. The complex has a center parking lot, and to me seems like private property, and in his letter to us the landlord calls it now ''public access'' property.

Normally the police would be around, but only to make sure it didnt get out of control. With no arrests, and/or tickets given to tenents.

Is it legal for him to hire these cops, and allow them to police our parking lot?


Asked on 10/07/04, 9:13 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Dr. Michael A. S. Guth Tennessee Attorney at Law Assists Pro Se (without a lawyer) Parties

Re: Tenents rights

There is no violation of the United States Civil Rights Act if the police come to the parking lot and check on the noise level and possible drunkeness.

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Answered on 10/07/04, 10:40 pm
Robert Luedeman solo practitioner

Re: Tenents rights

With all due respect to my colleagues in other states they may not be familiar with the nuances of Iowa law. I am an Iowa lawyer.

Having said that, there is no violation of any statute that I know of in the facts you describe. If a parking lot is accessible to anyone it is public and not private space, and the police may patrol it at any time. If your landlord wants to pay them to do what they already are obliged to do, so much the better for them. You might ask yourself why the landlord finds it incumbent on him to hire police to patrol your complex. I believe the answer is clear-he feels he needs to.

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Answered on 10/08/04, 12:02 pm


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