Frequently Asked Questions

GIAA is a non-profit association serving Iowa's rental housing industry, its companies and their employees. We represent more than 490 member companies managing more than 57,000 apartment homes, including property management companies, independent rental owners, developers and over 70 supplier partners. Our mission is empowering the rental housing industry through advocacy, education and collaboration.

GIAA is the local affiliate of the National Apartment Association, a federation of 139 state and local affiliates with more than 113,000 members representing more than 13.7 million apartment homes. Membership is a 2-for-1: when you join GIAA, you also receive NAA membership and its national benefits. See Member Benefits for details.

GIAA serves rental housing across Iowa, including rural communities. Pottawattamie, Mills and Cass counties are not included in GIAA's territory. If your property is in one of those counties, use NAA's Find an Affiliate tool to locate your association.

GIAA is led by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of officers, directors and supplier officers from the membership, supported by an Executive Director. Meet the current board on our Leadership page.

Yes. GIAA supports fair housing laws. It is illegal to discriminate in housing because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.

• Property Management Company — companies that own, operate or develop multifamily residential property.
• Independent Rental Owner (IRO) — owners who self-manage fewer than 50 units.
• Not-For-Profit Owner/Manager — organizations that own or manage residential property to create affordable housing opportunities.
• Supplier Partner — companies that provide products or services to the apartment industry.
• Apartment Community — for existing member companies adding a new property.

Compare all options on our Become a Member page.

Annual dues by membership type:

Example: a management company with 100 units pays $250 + $197 = $447 per year.

Unit-based dues are calculated on apartment homes owned or managed within GIAA's Iowa territory.

No. GIAA memberships are company-based, so individuals can't join on their own. If your company is a member, every employee receives member benefits — just create your own account.

Choose your membership type on our Become a Member page and complete the online application. All membership applications are reviewed and approved by the GIAA Board of Directors.

Use the Apartment Community application. The property must be located in a GIAA-covered county. If the property was already a member under a previous owner or manager, contact our office first — unit fees may not be due yet.

For 2026, 20% of the NAA portion of dues is non-deductible for income tax purposes. Please consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

• A united legislative voice for Iowa's multifamily housing industry
• Quarterly education seminars, "hot topic" sessions and NAA professional designation programs
• Access to NAA Click & Lease for compliant lease forms, plus Click & Comply
• Networking at Maintenance Mania, the Trade Show, the Golf Outing and the Pinnacle of Excellence Awards
• A listing in our member directories and Supplier Directory
• NAA benefits including the Member Savings Program, units Magazine and the Legal Assistance Program

See the full list on Member Benefits.

If your company is a member, create your account here to access your company's membership benefits.

After you log in, you can access the Member Directory, register for events and classes, view and pay invoices, and read members-only Legislative News. Members can also use Member Compass.

Go to the Login page and use the "Forgot password" link to receive a reset email. If it doesn't arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder or contact us.

Log in and edit your profile. If you don't have permission to edit your company's record, ask your company's primary contact or contact our office.

GIAAPAC is GIAA's political action committee. It supports candidates who back rental housing, works to stop harmful legislation and overregulation, and helps shape policies affecting owners, operators and residents across Iowa. Learn more on our Advocacy page.

• Property taxes (2026): secured a 6% adjustment in the multiresidential rollback instead of larger proposed tax increases.
• Line of sight (2026): defeated an insurance provision that would have weakened matching requirements for insured repairs.
• Early lease termination (2025): stopped a bill that would have expanded tenants' rights to break leases early.
• Short-term rentals (2025): opposed changes that would have let most Iowa cities heavily regulate short-term rentals.
• Broker licensing reform (2024): helped pass a law exempting nonlicensed employees from broker licensing for routine leasing activities.

Email ae@thegiaa.com to contribute to GIAAPAC or to help shape GIAA's legislative priorities. Supplier Partners can also add a voluntary $100 GIAAPAC contribution when they join. Members can follow developments in our members-only Legislative News.

NAA's Government Affairs team represents the apartment industry in Washington, D.C. Every GIAA member is also an NAA member.

Through NAA's Education Institute, GIAA members can pursue nationally recognized credentials including CAM (Certified Apartment Manager), CAPS (Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor) and CALP (Certified Apartment Leasing Professional). See About GIAA Education for details.

Yes. NAAEI offers courses and recorded webinars on Visto, available 24 hours a day at member pricing. Most count toward the continuing education credits (CECs) needed to renew a credential.

Yes, through Lowe's Pro Academy, a learning suite that builds technical, professional and interpersonal skills. Visit Maintenance Training to view courses and register. Have your Lowe's customer number ready — Pro Academy uses its own login, separate from your Lowe's Pro Supply account.

Browse Upcoming Classes, choose a session and register. Logging in first makes checkout faster.

• Trade Show — exhibitor booths, food, prizes, cash giveaways and entertainment.
• Summer Bowling Social — a summer networking event.
• Annual Golf Outing — a day on the course with industry peers and sponsors.
• Pinnacle of Excellence Awards — a red-carpet banquet honoring the people and organizations of Iowa's apartment industry.

See dates on Signature Events and everything else on Upcoming Events.

Go to Upcoming Events, choose an event and click Register. Logging in first makes checkout faster and applies any member pricing.

GIAA offers board meeting sponsorships, e-blasts, website banner ads and Platinum Partner status. See our Sponsorships page (log in to see member-only options) or email ae@thegiaa.com. Current partners are listed on Platinum Partners.

Members have access to NAA's Click & Lease program (formerly National Lease) for preparing and printing compliant lease documents.

Employers: member companies can email a job link to ae@thegiaa.com. Openings are posted every Tuesday on our website and Facebook, showing the position title only.

Job seekers: browse openings on the Career Center page and click through to apply. You can also search the NAA Career Center.

Use our Supplier Directory for products and services. Logged-in members can also search All Members and Staff and the IRO directory.

No. Information from GIAA is for general purposes only and isn't legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult your own attorney about your specific situation.

GIAA is a trade association for rental housing providers and can't intervene in individual landlord-tenant disputes. We recommend contacting your local housing authority or a legal aid organization in your area.

Phone: 866.562.4422
Email: ae@thegiaa.com
Mail: 6210 NW 106th Street (c/o Providence Pointe), Johnston, IA 50131

You can also send a message through our contact form, or follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.