Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws, significantly updated in 2024 under Minn. Stat. § 504B, emphasize tenant protections while imposing strict duties on landlords, making renting more secure but ownership potentially costlier due to compliance burdens. These rules apply statewide to most residential leases, with no major 2025-2026 overhauls noted. Key distinctions affect decisions between renting and buying a home.
Landlord Obligations
Landlords must provide 24-hour written notice before non-emergency entry (8 a.m.-8 p.m.), disclose all nonoptional fees on the first page of leases as “Total Monthly Payment,” and supply heat at minimum 68°F from October 1 to April 30 in non-tenant-controlled units. They also offer optional move-in/move-out inspections within 14/5 days to document unit condition, preventing deposit disputes, and cannot waive these via lease.
Tenant Rights
Tenants gain a right to redeem leases before eviction for nonpayment via government or nonprofit rental assistance guarantees. At-will tenancies require written notice equal to rent interval or three months (lesser). Privacy violations trigger penalties like rent rescission, deposit refunds, $500 fines per breach, and tenant attorney fees.
Eviction Process
Landlords issue 14-day pre-eviction notices detailing amounts due, payment contacts, and aid resources before filing; failure risks dismissal. Emergency tenant relief expanded for habitability issues like utility loss.
Renting vs. Owning Impacts
Renters benefit from stronger safeguards against unfair evictions and entry but face potential fee scrutiny; owners avoid these but handle maintenance without tenant protections. Cities now notify landlords of AG guides upon licensing.
SOURCES
[1](https://winthrop.com/bold-perspectives/minnesotas-revamped-landlord-tenant-laws-top-10-things-all-residential-landlords-should-know/)
[2](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/94/2025/0/SF/1671/versions/latest/)
[3](https://www.lmc.org/news-publications/news/all/fonl-landlord-tenant-guide-notification-requirement/)
[4](https://www.leadingagemn.org/assets/docs/2026_ImplicationsofMNLandlordTenantLawinSenior_Living__CANVA.pdf)
[5](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/handbooks/lt/default.asp)
