Minnesota Landlord & Tenant Laws Change

We may not have heard about it, but by the time the Minnesota State Legislature adjourned in May, they had passed a bill that made several changes to the rules for housing providers.

Most become effective on January 1, 2024.

They include:

• Mandatory 24-hour notice from landlords before entering a tenant’s unit unless the two parties agree to a different arrangement. The housing provider must provide the resident with a window of time for entry, and that window must fall between 8 am and 8 pm. While this practice has long been what the public believed to be the law, a simple reasonable attempt to notify was the standard. If you are selling your property, this will make the showing process more challenging.
• Cost transparency – Housing providers will be required to disclose mandatory fees as well as the rent in any ad for a unit for rent, as well as on the first page of the lease.
• Heat – The legislation mandated that landlords set a minimum temperature of 68 degrees from October 1 to April 30 if the tenant does not control the heat.
• Require move-in and out inspections for security deposits. This one is self-explanatory. It should help pre-empt any disputes between landlord and tenant in the event of damages at the end of a lease.
• Prohibits landlords from requiring pets to be devocalized or declawed.
• Pre-Eviction Notice: Housing providers will be required to give delinquent tenants written notice of their intent to file an eviction action 14 days prior to filing. Cities may create more stringent requirements.

There are numerous other minor changes regarding lease renewals, evictions and emergency repairs. Look for the complete changes when the Minnesota Landlords & Tenants handbook is updated on the attorney general’s web site.