Can You Evict Your Tenant In Winter?

In 1996, Prince famously told Oprah Winfrey he would always live in Minnesota, “because it keeps the bad people out.”

What the cold does not do, however, is keep housing providers from evicting tenants.

The Minnesota Legislature developed the Cold Weather Rule to protect tenants from having their heat permanently disconnected in winter. Many landlords and tenants believe this same rule applies to evictions.

The law applies to natural gas and electric utilities to residents, provided the customer has made payment arrangements with the utility.

However, per the Minnesota Landlord Tenant handbook, it does not prevent a landlord from either not renewing a lease or evicting a tenant during the winter.