Minnesota Landlord-Tenant Laws: Key Rental Rules (2026)
Security deposits, notice periods, landlord entry, and other key rental rules in Minnesota, each linked to the state law it comes from.
By the ListMyHomes.com™ Editorial TeamPublished Last reviewed
This page summarizes the main landlord-tenant rules in Minnesota. Each rule in the table below links to the law it comes from.
Key rules at a glance
| Rule | Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Where these laws apply | No section of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B, Minnesota's landlord-tenant chapter, limits where it applies by county or population. The chapter's definition of a residential building includes single-family homes, multiple-family units such as apartments, and manufactured home parks. A residential tenant is a person occupying a dwelling in a residential building under an oral or written lease or contract that requires payment of money or exchange of services, plus the other regular occupants of that unit and residents of manufactured home parks. Minn. Stat. ch. 504B; § 504B.001, subds. 11, 12 |
| Security deposit limit | |
| Where deposits are held | No separate-account rule in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. The deposit rules cover any money deposited to secure a residential rental agreement, except a deposit that is only an advance payment of rent. The landlord holds the deposit for the tenant who is party to the agreement; the statute says it is not considered received in a fiduciary capacity within the meaning of section 82.55, subdivision 26. At the start of a residential tenancy, or within 14 days of the tenant moving in, the landlord must tell the tenant of the option to request an initial inspection to identify existing deficiencies and avoid future deductions from the deposit. Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.178, subds. 1, 2; 504B.182, subd. 1 |
| Returning the deposit | Within three weeks after the tenancy ends, and after receiving the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit with interest or give the tenant a written statement of the specific reason for withholding any of it. If the tenant leaves because the building is legally condemned for reasons not due to the tenant's willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct, the landlord has five days from the date the tenant leaves. Mailing the deposit or statement first class, postage prepaid, to the address the tenant gave, within the deadline, is enough. A landlord who misses these deadlines, or does not give the required inspection notices and complete inspections the tenant requests, owes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, on top of the amount wrongfully withheld plus interest; bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit. Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subds. 3, 4, 7 |
| Deposit deductions | Only amounts reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant's defaults in paying rent or other money owed under an agreement, or to restore the unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted. In a dispute over the deposit, the landlord must prove the reason for withholding by a fair preponderance of the evidence. Except under an oral or written month-to-month agreement where neither side has served a notice to quit, a tenant may not withhold rent for the last payment period on the grounds that the deposit should serve as payment. Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subds. 3, 8 |
| Interest on deposits | Required: simple, noncompounded interest of 1 percent a year, from the first day of the month after the deposit is paid in full to the last day of the month in which the landlord, in good faith, meets the return-or-statement requirement, or to the date of judgment in a court action over the deposit, if earlier. Interest amounts under $1 are excluded. Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 2 |
| Landlord entry notice | Except in the cases below, the landlord may enter only for a reasonable business purpose and after a good-faith effort to give reasonable notice of at least 24 hours; the tenant may allow entry on shorter notice. The notice must give a time or expected window of entry, and entry is allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless the landlord and tenant agree to an earlier or later time. A tenant cannot waive, and the landlord cannot require the tenant to waive, the right to prior notice as a condition of the lease. Reasonable business purposes include showing the unit to prospective tenants, buyers or an insurance representative, maintenance work, and inspections by code enforcement officials, among others. No prior notice is needed if the landlord reasonably suspects immediate entry is necessary to prevent injury to persons or property because of maintenance, building security or law enforcement conditions, to determine a tenant's safety, or to comply with local ordinances on unlawful activity in the unit. After entering without notice while the tenant is away, the landlord must leave a written disclosure of the entry in a conspicuous place in the unit. These entry rules do not apply to manufactured home parks. Minn. Stat. § 504B.211, subds. 2-5, 7 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month lease | The statute speaks of a tenancy at will: the tenant holds possession with the landlord's permission but without a fixed ending date. Either party may end a tenancy at will by written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or three months, whichever is less. If a residential lease sets a different notice period for the landlord's notice to quit (including nonrenewal) than for the tenant's notice of moving out, the landlord's notice may not be shorter than the tenant's period, and the tenant may use either period. Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.135, 504B.001, subd. 13, 504B.147 |
| Rent-increase notice | No fixed notice period set by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. If a residential lease sets a different notice period for the landlord's notice of a rent increase than for the tenant's notice of moving out, the landlord's rent-increase notice may not be shorter than the tenant's notice period under the lease. This rule cannot be waived in the lease. Minn. Stat. ch. 504B (no provision); Minn. Stat. § 504B.147 |
| Late fees | A late fee may be charged only if the tenant and landlord agreed in writing that one may be imposed, and the agreement must say when it will be imposed. The late fee may not exceed 8 percent of the overdue rent payment. An earlier date by which paying the rent earns the tenant a discount is not the due date. No grace period in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. Where a federal subsidy program's late-fee rules conflict, the landlord may use a late payment fee schedule that complies with them; under a government housing assistance payments contract, the late fee is calculated only on the tenant's share of the rent. Minn. Stat. § 504B.177 |
| Notice for unpaid rent | Before filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent or another unpaid financial obligation under the lease, the landlord must give the tenant written notice, delivered personally or by first-class mail to the rental address. The notice must state the total amount due, an itemized accounting of unpaid rent, late fees and other charges, the name and address of the person authorized to receive rent, and the statutory statements about legal help, financial help and the 14-day deadline. The landlord may file only if the tenant does not correct the rent delinquency or move out within 14 days of the notice's delivery or mailing, or within a longer period if a local government rule or law requires one. A copy of the notice must be attached to the eviction complaint; without it, the court must dismiss the case without prejudice and expunge the court file. Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subds. 1(d), 1a |
| Rent control | No limit on rent set by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. Cities, counties and towns may not adopt or renew a law to control rents on private residential property, except one approved in a general election, to the extent the city, county or town otherwise has that power. That ban does not apply to a statutory city unless its citizens have authority under other law to vote on rent control. Minn. Stat. § 471.9996; Minn. Stat. ch. 504B (no provision) |
| Required landlord disclosures | In the lease or otherwise in writing before the tenancy starts, the tenant must be given the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of the landlord or an agent authorized to accept service of process and receive notices and demands; the same information must be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises. Before a person signs a lease or pays rent or a security deposit to begin a new tenancy, the landlord must provide copies of outstanding inspection orders with a citation that the housing inspector identifies as threatening tenant health or safety, and of outstanding condemnation orders and declarations that the premises are unfit for human habitation, except as the section provides. The lease must list all nonoptional fees, show rent plus those fees as the Total Monthly Payment on its first page, and say whether utilities are included in the rent; advertisements must also disclose the nonoptional fees and whether utilities are included. A written residential lease must state the lease start and end dates and, if rent is prorated for a move-in or move-out on a day other than the first or last day of the month, the prorated amount, on its first page. A landlord who has received notice of a contract for deed cancellation or a mortgage foreclosure sale must, before entering into a lease and accepting rent or a deposit, tell the prospective tenant in writing, including the date the cancellation or redemption period ends; this does not apply to manufactured home parks. If natural gas or water and sewer service is apportioned among units, leases entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, must include the statutory "UTILITY BILLS" notice as an attachment. Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.181, subds. 1, 2(a); 504B.195, subd. 1(a); 504B.120, subd. 1; 504B.146; 504B.151, subd. 1(b), (c); 504B.216, subd. 10 Federal law: For housing built before 1978 (with limited exceptions): before the tenant is bound by the lease, the landlord must give the EPA lead-hazard pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and any available reports. 42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR 745.107 |
| Fair housing protected classes | Race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, sexual orientation and familial status. Creed, gender identity, marital status, status with regard to public assistance and sexual orientation appear in Minnesota's law but not in the federal list. Minn. Stat. § 363A.09, subd. 1; 42 U.S.C. § 3604 |
What this means for renters
Before you sign, compare the lease's deposit amount, rent due date, and late-fee terms with the rules above. At move-in, record the unit's condition with dated photos. When you move out, give the written notice your lease and the rules above call for, leave a forwarding address, and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
What this means for landlords who manage their own rental
List the unit with its rent, deposit, and lease terms. Screen every applicant by the same written criteria, within fair-housing law. Collect the deposit and give notices following the rules above, and keep records of the unit's condition at move-in and move-out.
List your rental on ListMyHomes.com for one flat fee, or browse rentals in Minnesota listed directly by owners.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Minnesota?
No limit set by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. See the source in the table above.
How long does a Minnesota landlord have to return a security deposit?
Within three weeks after the tenancy ends, and after receiving the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit with interest or give the tenant a written statement of the specific reason for withholding any of it. If the tenant leaves because the building is legally condemned for reasons not due to the tenant's willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct, the landlord has five days from the date the tenant leaves. Mailing the deposit or statement first class, postage prepaid, to the address the tenant gave, within the deadline, is enough. A landlord who misses these deadlines, or does not give the required inspection notices and complete inspections the tenant requests, owes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, on top of the amount wrongfully withheld plus interest; bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit. See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Minnesota landlord give before entering?
Except in the cases below, the landlord may enter only for a reasonable business purpose and after a good-faith effort to give reasonable notice of at least 24 hours; the tenant may allow entry on shorter notice. The notice must give a time or expected window of entry, and entry is allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless the landlord and tenant agree to an earlier or later time. A tenant cannot waive, and the landlord cannot require the tenant to waive, the right to prior notice as a condition of the lease. Reasonable business purposes include showing the unit to prospective tenants, buyers or an insurance representative, maintenance work, and inspections by code enforcement officials, among others. No prior notice is needed if the landlord reasonably suspects immediate entry is necessary to prevent injury to persons or property because of maintenance, building security or law enforcement conditions, to determine a tenant's safety, or to comply with local ordinances on unlawful activity in the unit. After entering without notice while the tenant is away, the landlord must leave a written disclosure of the entry in a conspicuous place in the unit. These entry rules do not apply to manufactured home parks. See the source in the table above.
How much notice ends a month-to-month lease in Minnesota?
The statute speaks of a tenancy at will: the tenant holds possession with the landlord's permission but without a fixed ending date. Either party may end a tenancy at will by written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or three months, whichever is less. If a residential lease sets a different notice period for the landlord's notice to quit (including nonrenewal) than for the tenant's notice of moving out, the landlord's notice may not be shorter than the tenant's period, and the tenant may use either period. See the source in the table above.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Minnesota?
No fixed notice period set by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. If a residential lease sets a different notice period for the landlord's notice of a rent increase than for the tenant's notice of moving out, the landlord's rent-increase notice may not be shorter than the tenant's notice period under the lease. This rule cannot be waived in the lease. See the source in the table above.
How much can a Minnesota landlord charge for late rent?
A late fee may be charged only if the tenant and landlord agreed in writing that one may be imposed, and the agreement must say when it will be imposed. The late fee may not exceed 8 percent of the overdue rent payment. An earlier date by which paying the rent earns the tenant a discount is not the due date. No grace period in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. Where a federal subsidy program's late-fee rules conflict, the landlord may use a late payment fee schedule that complies with them; under a government housing assistance payments contract, the late fee is calculated only on the tenant's share of the rent. See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Minnesota landlord give when rent is unpaid?
Before filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent or another unpaid financial obligation under the lease, the landlord must give the tenant written notice, delivered personally or by first-class mail to the rental address. The notice must state the total amount due, an itemized accounting of unpaid rent, late fees and other charges, the name and address of the person authorized to receive rent, and the statutory statements about legal help, financial help and the 14-day deadline. The landlord may file only if the tenant does not correct the rent delinquency or move out within 14 days of the notice's delivery or mailing, or within a longer period if a local government rule or law requires one. A copy of the notice must be attached to the eviction complaint; without it, the court must dismiss the case without prejudice and expunge the court file. See the source in the table above.
Does Minnesota have rent control?
No limit on rent set by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B. Cities, counties and towns may not adopt or renew a law to control rents on private residential property, except one approved in a general election, to the extent the city, county or town otherwise has that power. That ban does not apply to a statutory city unless its citizens have authority under other law to vote on rent control. See the source in the table above.
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