Minnesota Landlord-Tenant Law 2026: The Complete Handbook

Tenby is an AI-powered property management platform for independent landlords managing 1-50 rental units. Tenby's compliance engine is loaded with Minnesota-specific rules — security deposit deadlines, required disclosures, late fee limits, and eviction notice requirements — automatically enforced for every Minnesota property.

Minnesota's landlord-tenant relationship is governed primarily by Chapter 504B of the Minnesota Statutes. Minnesota is a tenant-protective state with a statutory late fee cap, deposit interest, a fast 21-day deposit return deadline, and a growing stack of lease disclosure requirements — including the first-page "Total Monthly Payment" rule. Here's everything you need to know.

Security deposits in Minnesota

Key details:

• There is no statutory cap on the deposit amount
• You must pay 1% simple annual interest on the deposit (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178)
• Return the deposit with interest, or an itemized statement of deductions, within 21 days — one of the shorter deadlines in the country
• Keep receipts and photos behind every deduction line item

> Check your deposit: Use our free Minnesota security deposit calculator to verify your deposit handling, interest, and return deadline are compliant.

Eviction process in Minnesota

Minnesota evictions follow a formal court process. Self-help evictions (changing locks, removing belongings, shutting off utilities) are illegal.

Step 1: Serve proper notice

Right to cure: Minnesota tenants have a statutory right to cure nonpayment (Minn. Stat. § 504B.321) — paying what's owed within the notice window stops the eviction on that basis.

Step 2: File the eviction action

If the tenant neither pays nor vacates, file an eviction action in the court with jurisdiction over the property.

Step 3: Court hearing

Both parties present their case. Bring the lease, the served notice, and your payment ledger — and make sure your lease itself is compliant (see the disclosure section below; some disclosure failures can bar rent and possession claims entirely).

Step 4: Judgment and execution

If the court rules for the landlord, a writ issues and law enforcement executes it if the tenant still refuses to leave.

Late fees in Minnesota

> Calculate your late fee: Use our free Minnesota late fee calculator to check if your proposed fee is compliant with Minnesota law. Also try our prorated rent calculator for move-in/move-out calculations and rent estimate tool to see if your rent is at market rate.

Minnesota caps late fees at 8% of the overdue rent payment (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177), and the fee must be agreed to in a written lease. Note the cap runs off the amount past due, not automatically the full monthly rent — if a tenant is $500 short, the cap is 8% of $500 ($40), not 8% of the full rent.

Landlord entry in Minnesota

Give tenants at least 24 hours' notice before non-emergency entry (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211), and put the entry procedure in your lease.

Required disclosures in Minnesota

Minnesota's lease disclosure stack is one of the longest in this region:

1. Total Monthly Payment / nonoptional fees — effective January 1, 2024, all nonoptional fees must be disclosed in the lease; the sum of rent plus all nonoptional fees must be stated as the Total Monthly Payment on the first page of the lease; advertised rent must include nonoptional fees; and you must disclose whether utilities are included. Penalty: treble damages plus attorney fees (Minn. Stat. § 504B.120)
2. Landlord/agent identity disclosure — disclose in the lease or otherwise in writing before commencement the person authorized to manage the property AND the landlord or agent authorized to accept service; additionally, a printed notice with the same information must be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises. Noncompliance bars rent and possession actions (Minn. Stat. § 504B.181)
3. Outstanding inspection orders — disclose outstanding inspection orders for which a citation was issued involving health or safety threats (Minn. Stat. § 504B.195)
4. Foreclosure / contract cancellation notice — once you have notice of a contract-for-deed cancellation or mortgage foreclosure, you must give written notice of that fact and the date the cancellation/redemption period ends before signing a lease or accepting rent or a deposit; lease terms are capped accordingly (Minn. Stat. § 504B.151)
5. Shared-meter utility attachment — leases entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 in shared-metered buildings must include the statutory attachment covering apportionment methodology (square footage for gas; occupancy for water/sewer), exclusions, fees, payment-plan and dispute rights; on request you must provide actual utility bills (current plus 2 years) (Minn. Stat. § 504B.216)
6. Lead paint disclosure — for properties built before 1978, including the EPA "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home" pamphlet (federal requirement)

Rent increase rules in Minnesota

• Local rent control exists in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 471.9996) — unlike most states in the region, Minnesota cities can have rent control, so check your city's ordinances before raising rent
• For month-to-month tenancies, the 30-day termination notice effectively sets the notice floor for rent increases
• Cannot raise rent during a fixed-term lease unless the lease includes a rent increase clause
• Remember § 504B.120: advertised rent must include nonoptional fees — you can't quote a low rent and stack mandatory fees on top
• Source of income is protected (Minn. Stat. § 363A.09) — you cannot reject or treat applicants differently for using vouchers or other lawful income sources

Maintenance obligations

Landlord must:

• Maintain the property in habitable condition
• Comply with applicable building and housing codes
• Keep essential systems (plumbing, heating, electrical) in working order
• Keep common areas safe and clean
• Make repairs within a reasonable time after notice — Tenby tracks a 14-day repair window for Minnesota properties

Tenant must:

• Keep the unit clean and sanitary
• Use fixtures, appliances, and systems reasonably
• Not damage or destroy the premises
• Notify the landlord of needed repairs promptly
• Allow reasonable access for necessary repairs (with proper notice)

Tenant rights in Minnesota

Tenants in Minnesota have the right to:

• Habitable housing — the landlord must maintain the premises fit for habitation
• Rent withholding — through Minnesota's statutory rent escrow process for unaddressed violations (Minn. Stat. § 504B.385)
• Repair and deduct — a statutory remedy when the landlord fails to make necessary repairs (Minn. Stat. § 504B.425)
• Right to cure nonpayment — paying within the 14-day notice window defeats a nonpayment eviction (Minn. Stat. § 504B.321)
• 24-hour entry notice — before non-emergency landlord entry (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211)
• Deposit protections — 1% annual interest, itemization, and the 21-day return deadline (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178)
• Honest pricing — all nonoptional fees disclosed, with a first-page Total Monthly Payment (Minn. Stat. § 504B.120)
• Regulated screening fees — applicant screening fees are regulated by statute (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173)
• Source of income protection — voucher discrimination is prohibited (Minn. Stat. § 363A.09)
• Domestic violence protections — under federal VAWA, tenants in certain federally subsidized housing have additional protections

How Tenby helps Minnesota landlords

Tenby's compliance engine handles Minnesota-specific requirements automatically:

• 21-day deposit return tracking with countdown alerts
• 1% deposit interest calculation applied automatically
• 8% late fee cap enforced against the amount past due (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177)
• Total Monthly Payment disclosure checklist — nonoptional fees surfaced at lease creation (Minn. Stat. § 504B.120)
• Required disclosure checklist (identity/posted notice, inspection orders, foreclosure status, shared-meter attachment, lead paint)
• 14-day notice to pay or vacate timeline guidance with cure-period tracking
• 24-hour entry notice reminders for showings and maintenance
• Local rent control awareness — flags city-level rules before a rent increase

The bottom line

Minnesota pairs moderate money rules (no deposit cap, 8% late fee cap) with strict procedure: a 21-day deposit return with 1% interest, a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice with a right to cure, 24-hour entry notice, and a serious disclosure stack — first-page Total Monthly Payment, posted identity notice (miss it and you can't even sue for rent or possession), inspection orders, foreclosure status, and shared-meter terms. Follow Chapter 504B closely, keep your lease disclosures current, and you'll avoid most legal issues.