Freqently Asked Questions - Landlord Resources

There are a few different programs that may offer rent assistance. Each program has different rules about eligibility. Contact the organizations below for more information. You can also call 211 to learn about available housing resources.

County rent assistance: Your county or tribal human services office may offer emergency housing assistance. Click the link for contact information.

City rent assistance: Some cities have created special programs to help pay rent. Check your city’s website or call your city office for more information.

Even if your houseguest never signed a lease or paid rent, it is possible that they may still be considered a tenant under MN law. If you have established a landlord-tenant relationship with your houseguest, then you will need to go through the eviction process to remove the tenant.

If you have not established a landlord-tenant relationship, there may be other non-court options you could try. See the Guests Who Stay Too Long Fact Sheet for more information.

If there have been incidents or threats of domestic abuse, you may be able to ask the court for an Order for Protection. See the Domestic Abuse and Harassment Help Topic for more information.

Talk to an attorney if you don't know whether you have established a landlord-tenant relationship, or for advice about starting an eviction.

It depends. If you have a written lease, read through the terms to see whether it requires a specific kind of notice.

If you plan to bring an eviction case because the tenant has broken terms of the lease that are not related to payment of rent or another financial obligation, you generally do not have to give notice before starting the case. However, if the tenant has not broken the terms of the lease, notice is usually required. If you give the tenant a proper written notice to vacate and they do not leave by the date in your notice, you may be able to bring an eviction case based on their failure to leave.

If you plan to bring a residential eviction case because of nonpayment of rent or another unpaid financial obligation, a written notice must be served on the tenant at least 14 days before you can file the eviction. The MN Judicial Branch has created a Written Notice of Possible Future Eviction Action for this purpose.

Some city ordinances may have specific notice requirements. If your local government requires a longer notice period than 14 days, follow those rules instead.

To learn more, read the Notices to Vacate and Ending a Lease fact sheet and the Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities booklet.

Notice requirements can be complicated. If you are not sure whether notice is required or what kind of notice to give, talk to a lawyer for some legal advice.

It depends on your lease, and also on why you are evicting your tenant. If your lease does not have a notice requirement and the tenant has not broken any terms of the lease, the statute states that you generally have to give the tenant notice of at least one month's rental period plus one day before starting an eviction proceeding.

See "Do I need to give my tenant notice before starting the eviction process?" above for more information on notices and timing when the tenant has broken terms of the lease.

To figure out exactly how much notice you have to give your tenant, talk to a lawyer. If you do not provide proper notice to your tenant before starting the eviction process, your case could be dismissed.

If you require or allow a tenant to pay rent and other charges using a digital payment platform, you must offer another way to pay if the platform is not working. You cannot charge a fee for use of the alternative payment method.

You also cannot take any negative action against a tenant like starting an eviction or charging late fees, if rent or other charges were not paid because both the digital payment platform and the alternative payment method were not working for the tenant. See Minnesota Statutes section 504B.118, subdivision 3.

If you do not follow these requirements, a tenant may have an affirmative defense if you file an eviction case based on nonpayment of rent. If it is shown you violated these requirements, the eviction case will be dismissed, and you will be responsible for paying the tenant’s attorney fees and any other relief the judicial officer decides is appropriate.

As a landlord, you have a duty to make sure that the apartment or rental unit is fit to live in, kept in reasonable repair, and kept up to the standard of state and local housing codes. You have 14 days to make repairs after your tenant serves you with a notice to repair. Keep in mind you have to give your tenant advance notice that you will be coming to make repairs.If you do not make the needed repairs, your tenant can start a court action called a "Rent Escrow.” In this type of a case, the tenant can pay their rent to the court instead of to you. After you show proof that the repairs have been made, the court will release the rent to you.

The filing fee for an eviction case depends on the county you are filing in. See Fees to learn about eviction filing fees in your county. Choose the county in the drop-down menu and select the Search button.

If you cannot afford the court filing fees, you can ask the judge for a waiver of the filing fee. See the Fee Waiver Help Topic to learn how to ask for a fee waiver. This option is not available for businesses.

No. It may be against the law to list a minor child of a tenant as a defendant in a residential eviction case.However, if a minor is the only person renting the unit, you may list the minor as a defendant in a residential eviction complaint against the minor.

If you unlawfully list a minor as a defendant, you may be ordered to pay the tenant actual damages or $300, whichever is greater.

If you believe your tenant is a minor who is emancipated, talk to a lawyer for advice about whether you can evict.

It depends. Natural persons (non-businesses) can represent themselves in court. Businesses are generally required to be represented by an attorney, with a few exceptions that only apply in Hennepin and Ramsey County Housing Courts.

In Ramsey County Housing Court, an agent may appear on behalf of: an individual, a sole proprietorship, or an association.

In Hennepin County Housing Court, an agent may appear on behalf of: an individual, a sole proprietorship, an association, a corporation, a limited liability company, or a partnership.

In order for an agent to appear on behalf of a business in Hennepin or Ramsey County Housing Courts, a Power of Authority in Eviction Action must be attached to the complaint at the time of filing for it to be effective. Otherwise, businesses must be represented by an attorney.

You can ask for an expedited (faster) hearing if your residential tenant is acting illegally or behaving in a way that seriously endangers the safety of other residents, assaults you or your employees or contractors, or intentionally and seriously damages your property or a tenant’s property.

To request an expedited hearing, fill out and file the Affidavit in Support of Request for Expedited Hearing. A judicial officer (a judge or referee) will decide whether your case can be expedited. For more information about this process, see the instructions.

If the judicial officer determines that you do not meet the requirements for an expedited hearing, you will be fined a civil penalty of up to $750 for abusing this process.

An eviction summons and complaint must generally be personally served (hand delivered) to the tenant to start the case. For residential tenants, at least two attempts at personal service, with one attempt between the hours of 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, must have been made before you can move on to serving them in a different way that is called service by mail and post.

For more detailed instructions on personal service, see Instructions - Eviction Action Complaint. For more information on serving by mail and post, see Instructions - Service by Mail and Post.

You generally have to store your tenant's personal property for 28 days after receiving a notice of abandonment, after it has become reasonably apparent that the unit has been abandoned, or after the tenants move because they have been served a Writ. You have a claim against your tenant for the cost of moving, storing, and caring for their property. For more information, see the Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities booklet.

Generally, you can keep the security deposit to cover any unpaid rent. For damage, a tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear of the premises. However, if the damage left behind is more than normal wear and tear, you may be able to use the security deposit (or part of the security deposit) to pay for the damage. If you do withhold any of the security deposit, you have to give the tenant a written explanation as to why the deposit is not being returned within 21 days after the tenancy ends. For more information, see the Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities booklet.

Yes, you can talk to your tenant and see if you can work out a solution that you are both comfortable with. You can ask your tenant to go to mediation before you file an eviction, before you go to court, or at any time before the judge makes a final decision in your case. There are many different mediation resources. You can find more information about these options on the Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation Help Topic and the Settle Out of Court Help Topic.

Landlord Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

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Landlord Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there options for tenants to get help with paying rent?

I let someone stay at my home and now they won't leave. How do I get them out?

Can I evict my spouse?

Can I rent a room in my home and collect rent?

What is the "Cold Weather Rule" and how does it affect me?

Do I need to give my tenant notice before starting the eviction process?

How much notice do I need to give my tenant before starting the eviction process?

How do I serve my tenants with the notice to vacate?

Can I evict my tenant if I accept partial rent?

Can I bring an eviction action if the tenant failed to pay rent because the digital payment platform is not working?

Can I change the locks on my tenant without going through the eviction process?

How does foreclosure affect my duties as a landlord?

How much time do I have to make repairs after being served a notice to repair, and what happens if I do not complete them?

Can I file for eviction if my tenant fails to pay rent into court on a rent escrow?

Where do I file an eviction?

How much does an eviction case cost?

Can I evict someone living in my property if I do not know their name?

Do I need to list minor children as defendants in an eviction case?

Do I have to be represented by an attorney?

How can I speed up the eviction proceeding?

How do I serve my tenants with the eviction summons and complaint?

What do I do with personal property left behind by my tenant?

When can I keep my tenant's security deposit?

How do I recover unpaid rent from my tenant?

Do I need to respond and come to the court hearing when a former tenant files for an eviction expungement?

Can I try to settle with the tenant or go to mediation?

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