What Minnesota landlord-tenant law covers
Chapter 504B of the Minnesota Statutes governs residential leases across the state, from notice and deposit rules to repairs, entry and eviction actions. Many of its protections cannot be waived in a lease, and a landlord must tell tenants that the Attorney General’s handbook, Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities, is available. The current edition was revised in July 2025.
Minnesota changed its tenant laws substantially in 2023 and again in 2026. Local rules add another layer in St. Paul, which has a voter-approved rent stabilization ordinance, and Minneapolis voters have given their City Council authority to regulate rents that it has not yet used. Check your city’s rules as well as the state statute before you act.
Minnesota landlord-tenant rules at a glance
The table summarizes the rules an apartment owner uses most, as of October 2026. The sections below explain the details.
| Rule | Minnesota requirement | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Ending a tenancy at will | Written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or three months if less | Minn. Stat. 504B.135 |
| Nonpayment of rent | 14-day written notice before filing an eviction | Minn. Stat. 504B.321, subd. 1a |
| Security deposit cap | No cap | Minn. Stat. 504B.178 |
| Deposit return | Within three weeks after the tenancy ends and you receive a mailing address, with 1% simple interest | Minn. Stat. 504B.178 |
| Late fees | Only if agreed in writing; no more than 8% of the overdue rent | Minn. Stat. 504B.177 |
| Entry notice | At least 24 hours, with a time window, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. | Minn. Stat. 504B.211 |
| Rent control | Banned unless approved by voters at a general election | Minn. Stat. 471.9996 |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Minnesota?
For a tenancy at will, Minnesota requires written notice at least as long as the time between rent payments, or three months, whichever is less. With rent due monthly, that is one full month. Either the landlord or the tenant can end the tenancy this way.
Many Minnesota leases set their own notice terms for month-to-month renewals, so read the lease first. A fixed-term lease ends on its own terms, and an automatic renewal clause can bind both sides to notice rules spelled out in the lease.
Ending a tenancy is not the same as evicting a tenant. If a tenant stays after proper notice, you still need a court eviction action and a writ of recovery to get the unit back.
The 14-day notice for unpaid rent
Before filing an eviction for nonpayment, a Minnesota landlord must give the tenant written notice and then wait 14 days. The notice must state the total amount due, itemize unpaid rent, late fees and other charges, and name the person authorized to receive payment. It must be delivered in person or by first-class mail to the tenant at the unit.
If the tenant pays or moves out within the 14 days, there is no eviction to file. The pre-filing notice was added by the 2023 housing law (Laws 2023, chapter 52, article 19) and is one of the main reasons Minnesota evictions take longer than they did a few years ago.
Security deposit rules in Minnesota
Minnesota sets no maximum security deposit. What it regulates closely is the return. Within three weeks after the tenancy ends, and once you have the tenant’s mailing address, you must return the deposit with interest or give a written statement of why you kept part of it. If the building is condemned, the deadline is five days.
Deposits earn 1% simple interest a year. A landlord who fails to follow the return rules owes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, and a court can add up to $500 in punitive damages for bad-faith retention. Retention is presumed to be in bad faith if you miss the deadline, unless you return the deposit within two weeks after the tenant sues.
Late fee and entry rules
A Minnesota late fee is allowed only if the landlord and tenant agreed to it in writing and the agreement says when it applies. In no case may it exceed 8% of the overdue rent payment.
To enter a unit, a landlord must give at least 24 hours’ notice and name a time or window of entry, and entry must be between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless the tenant agrees to another time. No notice is needed when immediate entry is needed to prevent injury to people or property, to check a tenant’s safety, or to comply with certain local ordinances. A tenant can recover up to a $500 civil penalty for each violation plus attorney fees.
The Minnesota eviction process and timeline
An eviction in Minnesota is a court case called an eviction action, heard in district court, or housing court in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. For unpaid rent, a typical case takes about three to six weeks from the 14-day notice to the sheriff’s lockout.
- Day 0: serve the 14-day pre-filing notice for nonpayment.
- Day 15 or later: file the eviction complaint. The court sets a first appearance not less than 7 nor more than 14 days after the summons issues.
- Hearing: if the landlord wins, the court issues a writ of recovery immediately, but it must stay the writ for up to seven days if the tenant shows hardship, except in illegal-activity or serious-endangerment cases and default judgments.
- Writ: the sheriff serves or posts it, and occupants can be removed 24 hours later, according to the Ramsey County Sheriff. The writ is valid for 30 days.
- Expedited cases: for breaches of the statutory covenant against illegal activity (504B.171) or behavior that seriously endangers others, the appearance is 5 to 7 days after the summons issues. From August 1, 2026, assault on a landlord or its staff also qualifies.
Does Minnesota have rent control?
Minnesota bans local rent control unless voters approve it. Minn. Stat. 471.9996 bars cities and counties from adopting rent controls on private residential property, but the ban does not apply where a rent control measure is approved in a general election. That exception is how the Twin Cities got where they are today.
St. Paul voters approved a rent stabilization ordinance on November 2, 2021. It limits increases to 3% in any 12-month period. A landlord can ask for more based on a reasonable return, measured by maintaining 2019 net operating income adjusted by 100% of CPI, and after a vacancy for just cause the landlord can raise rent by CPI plus 8%. Affordable housing whose rents are otherwise regulated by government is exempt, and so are buildings whose first certificate of occupancy was issued after December 31, 2004. The city’s amendments took effect January 1, 2023 and June 13, 2025.
Minneapolis is different. Voters approved a 2021 charter amendment letting the City Council regulate rents, and a work group made recommendations in 2023, but the city has not adopted a rent control ordinance. The city’s page says any ordinance would also need voter approval on a ballot.
Selling a Minnesota building with tenants in place
Leases survive a sale in Minnesota. The buyer takes the building subject to every lease, including the rent, term and any St. Paul rent stabilization limits that apply to the units.
Deposits have their own rule. Within 60 days after your interest ends, or by the time the buyer must return or account for a deposit if that is sooner, you must either transfer each deposit with interest, less lawful deductions, to the buyer and tell the tenant the buyer’s name and address, or return the deposit to the tenant. Doing either one ends your liability. The buyer then takes on the deposit obligations, limited to the amounts in your notice if the tenant does not object within 20 days.
- Give the buyer a current rent roll, copies of every lease and a deposit ledger with interest.
- For St. Paul buildings, gather the certificate of occupancy date and any exception approvals from the city.
- Settle any open eviction cases or agree in the contract who will finish them.
Minnesota landlord-tenant law changes in 2025 and 2026
The biggest recent changes came from a 2026 housing law and from St. Paul’s 2025 amendments.
- Laws 2026, chapter 81, signed May 12, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026: a written receipt for cash rent is due immediately when paid in person, or within three business days otherwise. A landlord who uses a digital payment platform must offer a no-fee alternative way to pay when the platform is not working. No late fees, eviction filings or other adverse action are allowed when both fail, and a violation is a defense to a nonpayment eviction.
- Same law: a tenant’s minor child may not be named as a defendant in an eviction complaint unless the minor is the only renter. A tenant can recover actual damages or $300, whichever is greater.
- Same law: assault against the landlord or its employees or contractors is now a ground for an expedited eviction, and the penalty for abusing the expedited process rises from $500 to $750.
- Laws 2026, chapter 88, repealed 504B.345, subdivision 2, the rule that limited stays of the writ in actions under 504B.291 tied to the forfeiture statute.
- St. Paul rent stabilization amendments took effect June 13, 2025; the city now exempts buildings first certified for occupancy after December 31, 2004.
Selling a Minnesota apartment building
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Minnesota, including rent-stabilized buildings in St. Paul and buildings with tenants in place anywhere in the state. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. We take over the leases and deposits as they stand.
For the tax side of a sale, see Minnesota capital gains tax on real estate and our page on the property tax rate in Minnesota.
