Library Research Guides: Landlord and Tenant: Tenant

General Housing Information

Moving Into an Apartment - MN Attorney General
Initial and Final Inspection Required - Minn. Stat. 504B.182
Effective January 1, 2024.
Basic Information for Tenants - LawHelpMN.org
Questions About Renting - LawHelpMN.org
Tenant Resources - MN Judicial Branch
Prohibited Fees, Disclosure of Fees - Minn. Stat. 504B.120
Effective January 1, 2024.
Security Deposits - LawHelpMN.org
Minnesota Security Deposit Limits and Deadlines - Nolo.com
Tenant Report Form - MN Attorney General
Tenants' Rights in Minnesota - LawHelpMN.org
Heat Requirement - Minn. Stat. 504B.161 Subd. 1(a)(5)
Effective January 1, 2024.
Emergency Tenant Remedies Action - Minn. Stat. 504B.381
Expanded list of repair emergencies, changes in relief, and filing fees effective January 1, 2024.
Getting a Landlord to Make Repairs - LawHelpMN.org
Emergency Repair Problems - LawHelpMN.org
Renter’s Property Tax Refund - MN Dept. of Revenue
"The Renter's Refund" Property Tax Refund - LawHelpMN.org
Minnesota Landlord-Tenant 101 - Call4JusticeMN
Video (1 hour, 32 minutes).

Legal Stuff - Hennepin County Bar Association
Pages 22-24 cover rental housing.

Emergency Rental Assistance

MNbenefits.mn.gov
You can apply for emergency assistance with shelter payments, such as past due rent, to stop evictions or foreclosure. Emergency assistance can also be used for utilities when there is a threat of disconnection. This application is for all Minnesota counties and Tribal Nations.
Get Help Paying for Rental Housing - MN Housing

Lease Renewal, Vacating, or Ending a Lease

Early Renewal of Lease - Minn. Stat. 504B.144
Effective January 1, 2024.
Vacating Your Apartment - MN Attorney General
Notices to Vacate and Ending a Lease - LawHelpMN.org
Termination of Lease Upon Infirmity of Tenant - Minn. Stat. 504B.266
Effective January 1, 2024; applies to leases entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2024.
Tenant's Right to Break a Rental Lease in Minnesota - Nolo.com
Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Criminal Sexual Conduct: Your Rights in Breaking Your Lease - LawHelpMN
Right of Victims of Violence to Terminate Lease - Minn. Stat. 504B.206
Residential Tenant's Right to Seek Police and Emergency Assistance - Minn. Stat. 504B.205

Utility Help; Foreclosure; Condemnations

Utility Help

Energy Assistance Program - MN Dept. of Commerce
The Energy Assistance Program helps pay for home heating and water costs and furnace repairs for income-qualified households.

Foreclosure

Foreclosure for Tenants - LawHelpMN.org

Condemnations

Condemnations - LawHelpMN.org

Common Issues

Roommates - LawHelpMN.org
Guests Who Stay Too Long - LawHelpMN.org
Can I Keep a Pet? - LawHelpMN.org
Pet Declawing and Devocalization Prohibited - Minn. Stat. 504B.114
Effective January 1, 2024.
Handling a Noisy Neighbor - HOME Line
Residential Tenant's Right to Privacy - Minn. Stat. 504B.211
Changes in subdivisions 2 (entry by landlord) and 6 (penalty) effective January 1, 2024.
Can My Landlord Enter My Home? A Tenant's Right to Privacy - LawHelpMN.org
The Renter's Guide to Tenant Privacy Rights - Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Communicating Your Criminal Background to a Landlord - HousingLink.org
FCRA Remedies When Criminal Records Lead to Rental Denials - NCLC (National Consumer Law Center)
Clients denied housing based on a background check report may have a claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Minnesota's Public and Private Nuisance Laws Information - House Research
Can Your Landlord Allow the Police to Search Your Apartment? - NOLO.com
Not Minnesota-specific.
Cannabis Possession and Use by Tenant - Minn. Stat. 504B.171, Subd. 1(c)
Effective August 1, 2023.

Public Housing and Section 8

Public Housing, Section 8 and Other Housing Programs - LawHelpMN.org
A Guide to Public Housing in Minnesota - LawHelpMN.org
What You Need to Know About How Section 8 Really Works - ProPublica.org
Public Housing Evictions - LawHelpMN.org
Eviction Update for Public Housing - MN NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials)
HUD's Public Housing Program - Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8 - Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
Smoke-Free Public Housing: Reasonable Accommodations - Tobacco Control Legal Consortium
HousingLink - HousingLink.org
Information on affordable rental housing vacancies and waiting list openings in the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota generally.
Saving Section 8 Housing - HOME Line
Frequently Asked Questions - Minneapolis Public Housing Authority

Abandoned Property

Minnesota Statutes

Articles

Getting Property Back After You Move Out - LawHelpMN.org

Student Housing Issues

Legal Questions - Off-Campus Living, University of Minnesota
Information on leases, unit condition and damages, renter's insurance, and occupancy.
Do Your Research - Off-Campus Living, University of Minnesota

Renter Protection Ordinances

Minneapolis

St. Paul

Sober Housing

General

Securing Stable Housing - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Complaint form - MASH (Minnesota Association of Sober Homes, Inc.)
Sample documents, standards, code of ethics - MASH (Minnesota Association of Sober Homes, Inc.)
Covenants; Sober Homes - Minn. Stat. 504B.1715
Cannabis and sober housing. Effective August 1, 2023.

St. Paul

Section 65.161: Sober house - Municode Library

Cold Weather Rule, Extreme Heat Conditions, and Utility Shut-Offs

Cold Weather Rule

Extreme Heat Conditions

Disconnection During Extreme Heat Conditions - Minn. Stat. 216B.075

Utility Shut-Offs

Utility Shut-Offs When Landlord Owes Bill - LawHelpMN.org

Health Hazards

Lead Paint

Smoking

Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (MCIAA): Rental Apartment Buildings - MN Dept. of Health

Freedom to Breathe in Rental Apartment Buildings - MN Dept. of Health

Renters and Smoke-Free Multi-Housing - Live Smoke Free

Bed Bugs

Mold

Mold in Rental Housing - MN Dept. of Health

DISCLAIMER

In our positions as librarians, not lawyers, we can suggest resources but cannot give legal advice (such as which form to file) or legal opinions (such as how a statute might apply to particular facts). To do so could be considered the unauthorized practice of law. Even though we try to suggest materials that will be of help, more research is often required to find a complete and correct answer. For many questions, the best answer may be to consult an attorney.

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