10 of the 10 rules below carry a statute citation that was read at the official source (most recently October 2026), with the controlling text quoted. The rest are conservative reference values from Aptoria's compliance data and are labeled unverified.
Security deposit size: No statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. The deposit statute regulates handling only: it must bear simple non-compounded interest at 1% per year and be returned within three weeks of the tenancy ending under § 504B.178. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, confirmed 2026-10). Returning the deposit: Within 3 weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives a forwarding address, return the deposit with interest (1% simple per year) less any withheld amount, plus a written explanation of any deductions. Bad-faith withholding exposes the landlord to up to twice the amount plus punitive damages. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, confirmed 2026-07).
How Minnesota treats the landlord's core obligations
Late fees: A late fee may be charged only if the landlord and tenant agreed in writing that a late fee may be imposed, and in no case may it exceed 8% of the overdue rent payment. No mandatory grace period. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a), confirmed 2026-10). Application fees: No statutory dollar cap. A landlord may not charge a screening fee when the landlord knows or should know no unit is available; must return any portion of the fee not used for a personal reference check or credit/tenant screening report; must return the fee if the applicant is rejected for a reason not disclosed in advance or if a prior applicant accepts the unit. Violation: liable for the fee plus a civil penalty up to $100, filing costs and attorney fees. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173, confirmed 2026-10).
Nonpayment notice: Before bringing an eviction action for nonpayment of rent or other unpaid financial obligation, the landlord must deliver or mail a written notice stating the total amount due, a specific accounting (rent, late fees, other charges), the payee's name/address, and the required statements including that the landlord can file an eviction if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days. The action may be filed only if the tenant fails to correct the delinquency within 14 days of delivery or mailing; a longer local notice period controls if one applies. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subd. 1a, confirmed 2026-10). Rent increases: No fixed statewide number of days and no statewide rent cap. Under § 504B.147, where a lease specifies a notice period, the landlord may not give notice of a rent increase (or notice to quit/nonrenewal) shorter than the period the lease requires the tenant to give to quit; the rule cannot be waived. For a tenancy at will with no lease period, notice must be at least as long as the interval between rent payments, up to 3 months (§ 504B.135). Saint Paul has a local rent-stabilization ordinance (not verified this session). (Minn. Stat. § 504B.147, subd. 3; Minn. Stat. § 504B.135, confirmed 2026-10). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: Tenancy at will (month-to-month): written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or 3 months, whichever is less — i.e., one full rental period (one month for monthly rent). The AG handbook: notice must be received at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.135(a), confirmed 2026-10). Entry: A landlord may enter only for a reasonable business purpose and after making a good-faith effort to give the tenant reasonable notice of not less than 24 hours in advance of the intent to enter (subd. 2). Entry without notice is allowed only when the landlord reasonably suspects immediate entry is necessary to prevent injury to persons or property, to determine a tenant's safety, or to comply with local ordinances (subd. 4). The right cannot be waived in a lease. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211, subd. 2, 4, confirmed 2026-10).
Minnesota has no statewide rent regulation on file, so any cap on increases would come from a local ordinance. Source-of-income protection is on file statewide, so voucher and benefit income must be treated like any other lawful income in screening and advertising. Card surcharges on rent: allowed within card-network limits. Managing property for others for compensation generally requires a state license: State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Security deposits
What Minnesota allows a landlord to collect up front, how it must be held, and the deadline and paperwork for returning it.
Security deposit limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. The deposit statute regulates handling only: it must bear simple non-compounded interest at 1% per year and be returned within three weeks of the tenancy ending under § 504B.178.
Read the full section; no subdivision limits the amount. The $500 figure in subd. 7 caps punitive damages for bad-faith retention, not the deposit.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The maximum a landlord may collect up front as security against unpaid rent or damage, usually expressed as a multiple of one month's rent. Separate pet, key or cleaning deposits often count toward the same limit.
Deposit return deadline
Source-confirmed 2026-07
Within 3 weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives a forwarding address, return the deposit with interest (1% simple per year) less any withheld amount, plus a written explanation of any deductions. Bad-faith withholding exposes the landlord to up to twice the amount plus punitive damages.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “21 days after move-out”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The window after the tenant vacates in which the landlord must refund the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. Missing the deadline is the most common way a landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Separate pet deposit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statutory cap on the security deposit amount and no statute authorizing or prohibiting a separate pet deposit. Any deposit of money whose function is to secure the rental agreement (other than pure advance rent) is governed by Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, so a refundable pet deposit must be held for the tenant, bear 1% simple interest, and be returned or itemized within three weeks after termination (subd. 3).
“Any deposit of money, the function of which is to secure the performance of a residential rental agreement or any part of such an agreement, other than a deposit which is exclusively an advance payment of rent, shall be governed by the provisions of this section.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Subd. 2: deposits 'shall bear simple noncompounded interest at the rate of one percent per annum'. bad-faith retention exposes the landlord to punitive damages up to $500 per deposit (subd. 7).
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Permitted”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a refundable pet deposit can be collected on top of the security deposit. Even where it is permitted, the combined amount usually has to stay inside the overall deposit limit.
In practice
• Hold the deposit the way the statute requires (separate or escrow account where applicable) and record the account in the file.
• Document move-in condition with a dated, photographed inventory the tenant can sign; it is the only evidence that supports a later deduction.
• Send the itemized statement and any refund by a trackable method, and keep the receipts or estimates behind every deduction.
Rent, late fees and application fees
The fees a Minnesota lease can charge, the statutory ceilings that override the lease, and whether rent increases are regulated statewide.
Late fees
Source-confirmed 2026-10
A late fee may be charged only if the landlord and tenant agreed in writing that a late fee may be imposed, and in no case may it exceed 8% of the overdue rent payment. No mandatory grace period.
“In no case may the late fee exceed eight percent of the overdue rent payment.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Capped at 8% of monthly rent”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Any statutory ceiling on the fee for late rent and any mandatory grace period before it can be charged. Where there is no statutory cap, courts still strike fees they find punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord's cost.
Application fee limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statutory dollar cap. A landlord may not charge a screening fee when the landlord knows or should know no unit is available; must return any portion of the fee not used for a personal reference check or credit/tenant screening report; must return the fee if the applicant is rejected for a reason not disclosed in advance or if a prior applicant accepts the unit. Violation: liable for the fee plus a civil penalty up to $100, filing costs and attorney fees.
“must return any amount of the applicant screening fee that is not used for those purposes”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Same page: 'charge an applicant a screening fee when the landlord knows or should have known that no rental unit is available' is prohibited.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
A cap on what an applicant can be charged to apply, sometimes limited to the actual cost of screening and sometimes prohibited outright. Fee receipts and refund rules usually travel with the cap.
Statewide rent regulation
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Posture (b) with a voter-approval exception: no statewide rent cap; cities, counties and towns may not adopt or renew rent control on private residential property unless the ordinance or charter amendment is approved in a general election (Minn. Stat. § 471.9996). Under that exception, Saint Paul voters approved a rent stabilization ordinance on November 2, 2021 (effective May 1, 2022; amended 2022 and 2025) limiting residential rent increases to 3% in any 12-month period, with city-administered exception processes.
“No statutory or home rule charter city, county, or town may adopt or renew by ordinance or otherwise any law to control rents on private residential property except as provided in subdivision 2.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Subd. 2 permits local rent control 'if the ordinance, charter amendment, or law that controls rents is approved in a general election.' Saint Paul facts from the City's official page https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/rent-stabilization ('approved by voters in November 2021 ... limits residential rent increases to no more than 3% in a 12-month period, however, there are exceptions').
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide rent regulation (check local ordinances)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a statewide law caps annual rent increases or whether rent control exists for covered units. Local ordinances can add limits even where the state has none.
In practice
• State the late fee, the grace period and the application fee in the lease in dollars or a clear percentage; a fee that is not in the lease is rarely enforceable.
• Never charge above the statutory cap even when the lease says more; the excess is unenforceable and can expose the landlord to penalties.
• Keep fee calculations in the ledger so a tenant, a court or an auditor can reproduce them from the rent roll.
Notices, rent increases and termination
How much written notice Minnesota requires before a rent increase, before ending a month-to-month tenancy, and before filing for nonpayment.
Rent-increase notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No fixed statewide number of days and no statewide rent cap. Under § 504B.147, where a lease specifies a notice period, the landlord may not give notice of a rent increase (or notice to quit/nonrenewal) shorter than the period the lease requires the tenant to give to quit; the rule cannot be waived. For a tenancy at will with no lease period, notice must be at least as long as the interval between rent payments, up to 3 months (§ 504B.135). Saint Paul has a local rent-stabilization ordinance (not verified this session).
“The landlord may not give a notice to quit the premises or notice of a rent increase that is shorter than the time period the lease provides for the tenant to give notice of an intention to quit the premises.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
The AG handbook (CH2) describes proper notice for a periodic tenancy as one full rental period plus one day. § 504B.147 contains NO 60-day or 10%-increase rule.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “60 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The written notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy. Fixed-term leases generally cannot be changed mid-term.
Month-to-month termination notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Tenancy at will (month-to-month): written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or 3 months, whichever is less — i.e., one full rental period (one month for monthly rent). The AG handbook: notice must be received at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy.
“The time of the notice must be at least as long as the interval between the time rent is due or three months, whichever is less.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a landlord must give to end a periodic tenancy without cause. Some jurisdictions require longer notice for long-term tenants or require a stated cause.
Pay-or-quit notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Before bringing an eviction action for nonpayment of rent or other unpaid financial obligation, the landlord must deliver or mail a written notice stating the total amount due, a specific accounting (rent, late fees, other charges), the payee's name/address, and the required statements including that the landlord can file an eviction if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days. The action may be filed only if the tenant fails to correct the delinquency within 14 days of delivery or mailing; a longer local notice period controls if one applies.
“If the residential tenant fails to correct the rent delinquency within 14 days of the delivery or mailing of the notice,”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Required statement text on the same page: 'Your landlord can file an eviction case if you do not pay the total amount due or move out within 14 days'.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “14 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a tenant must receive for nonpayment before the landlord can file for possession, and the time the tenant has to pay in full and cure. This is the step most often done wrong in an eviction.
In practice
• Serve notices in the form and by the method the statute names, and keep proof of service with the dated notice.
• Count notice periods the way the statute counts them (calendar days, business days, or "before the next rent due date") and build in a margin.
• Treat a notice to a possibly rent-regulated or subsidized unit as a legal check, because longer periods and extra content requirements usually apply.
Landlord entry
When a Minnesota landlord may enter an occupied unit and how much notice the tenant must receive.
Non-emergency entry notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
A landlord may enter only for a reasonable business purpose and after making a good-faith effort to give the tenant reasonable notice of not less than 24 hours in advance of the intent to enter (subd. 2). Entry without notice is allowed only when the landlord reasonably suspects immediate entry is necessary to prevent injury to persons or property, to determine a tenant's safety, or to comply with local ordinances (subd. 4). The right cannot be waived in a lease.
“after making a good faith effort to give the residential tenant reasonable notice ... not less than 24 hours in advance of the intent to enter”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Subd. 2 was amended by 2023 c 52 art 19 s 87 (the 24-hour floor); the Revisor page shows the amendment history but not an effective date.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “24 hours”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The advance notice required before a landlord enters an occupied unit for repairs, inspections or showings. Emergencies are the usual exception.
In practice
• Give written notice with the date, a reasonable time window and the purpose, and log the entry afterwards.
• Emergencies are the only common exception; document what made the entry urgent.
• A pattern of unannounced entries is a common basis for tenant complaints and counterclaims.
Payments, fair housing and licensing
Operational rules that sit outside the landlord-tenant act but decide how rent can be collected, who can be screened out, and who may manage for others.
Card surcharges on rent
Allowed within card-network limits
Returned-payment (NSF) fee
No statewide statutory cap on file
Source-of-income protection
Protected statewide
Local ordinances can extend protection beyond the statewide rule.
Property-management licensing
License generally required to manage for others
State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Compliance posture values are reference data compiled from public statutes and are not source-confirmed line by line. Confirm with the state agency before relying on them.
Minnesota next to its neighbors
Own units on both sides of a state line? These are the reference values for every bordering jurisdiction. Open a state to see which values carry a citation.
Federal and state disclosures Aptoria's lease workflow surfaces for Minnesota. This is a working checklist from public sources, not a complete legal inventory for a specific property.
• Lead-based paint hazards (pre-1978 housing) — EPA Pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home"
• CRP for renters credit at tax time
Official sources
Primary sources a Minnesota landlord should bookmark. Each link was fetched and read during the October 2026 review; the binding text is always the current official version.
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Minnesota?
No statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. The deposit statute regulates handling only: it must bear simple non-compounded interest at 1% per year and be returned within three weeks of the tenancy ending under § 504B.178. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, confirmed 2026-10).
How long does a Minnesota landlord have to return the security deposit?
Within 3 weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives a forwarding address, return the deposit with interest (1% simple per year) less any withheld amount, plus a written explanation of any deductions. Bad-faith withholding exposes the landlord to up to twice the amount plus punitive damages. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, confirmed 2026-07).
What is the maximum late fee in Minnesota?
A late fee may be charged only if the landlord and tenant agreed in writing that a late fee may be imposed, and in no case may it exceed 8% of the overdue rent payment. No mandatory grace period. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a), confirmed 2026-10).
How many days does a Minnesota pay-or-quit notice give the tenant?
Before bringing an eviction action for nonpayment of rent or other unpaid financial obligation, the landlord must deliver or mail a written notice stating the total amount due, a specific accounting (rent, late fees, other charges), the payee's name/address, and the required statements including that the landlord can file an eviction if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days. The action may be filed only if the tenant fails to correct the delinquency within 14 days of delivery or mailing; a longer local notice period controls if one applies. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subd. 1a, confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice must a Minnesota landlord give before entering?
A landlord may enter only for a reasonable business purpose and after making a good-faith effort to give the tenant reasonable notice of not less than 24 hours in advance of the intent to enter (subd. 2). Entry without notice is allowed only when the landlord reasonably suspects immediate entry is necessary to prevent injury to persons or property, to determine a tenant's safety, or to comply with local ordinances (subd. 4). The right cannot be waived in a lease. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211, subd. 2, 4, confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to raise rent in Minnesota?
No fixed statewide number of days and no statewide rent cap. Under § 504B.147, where a lease specifies a notice period, the landlord may not give notice of a rent increase (or notice to quit/nonrenewal) shorter than the period the lease requires the tenant to give to quit; the rule cannot be waived. For a tenancy at will with no lease period, notice must be at least as long as the interval between rent payments, up to 3 months (§ 504B.135). Saint Paul has a local rent-stabilization ordinance (not verified this session). (Minn. Stat. § 504B.147, subd. 3; Minn. Stat. § 504B.135, confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Minnesota?
Tenancy at will (month-to-month): written notice at least as long as the interval between rent due dates, or 3 months, whichever is less — i.e., one full rental period (one month for monthly rent). The AG handbook: notice must be received at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.135(a), confirmed 2026-10).
Does Minnesota have statewide rent control?
No statewide rent regulation is on file for Minnesota. Local ordinances can still limit increases, so check the city or county where the unit sits before setting a renewal rent.
Is source of income a protected class in Minnesota?
Statewide source-of-income protection is on file for Minnesota. Screening criteria, advertising and income calculations must treat vouchers and benefit income like other lawful income. Local rules can add further protections.
Can a Minnesota landlord add a surcharge for paying rent by card?
Allowed within card-network limits. Where a surcharge is allowed, it must still follow card-network rules and be disclosed before payment.
How this page was verified
Every rule is shown in one of two states. “Source-confirmed” means an editor opened the official statute page named next to the rule on the date shown, read the controlling text, and recorded the excerpt you see; the excerpt is quoted verbatim so you can check it. “Reference value” means Aptoria's compliance engine applies a conservative number for this rule, but nobody has yet tied it to a specific statute section on this page, so it must be checked before you rely on it.
This page meets Aptoria's evidence floor for publication (10 source-confirmed rules and 5 fetched official sources). Statutes change; local ordinances can be stricter; the facts of a tenancy change the result.