Minnesota Landlord-Tenant Law
Know your rights as a renter in Minnesota. This guide covers security deposits, landlord entry, rent increases, eviction protections, and more under Minnesota law.
Legal basis: Minnesota landlord-tenant law — Minnesota Statutes
21
Days to Return Deposit
No statewide limit
Max Deposit
24h
Entry Notice
Not Required
Deposit Escrow
What Minnesota law says about deposits
Maximum Deposit
No statewide limit
Return Deadline
21 daysafter the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address
Penalties, interest & late-fee rules under Minnesota law
If your deposit is wrongfully or late returned
Penalty with no bad faith needed, so recovery can reach double the amount withheld: a landlord who misses the 3-week deadline (5 days if the tenant left because the building was condemned) to return the deposit or send the written statement, after receiving the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, owes the amount wrongfully withheld plus interest AND, as a penalty, an amount equal to the portion withheld plus interest (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 4). Bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit, presumed if the deadline was missed unless the deposit is returned within two weeks after the tenant sues (subd. 7).
Interest on your deposit is required
Simple noncompounded interest at 1% per annum, computed from the first day of the next month following full payment of the deposit until the landlord returns it; interest amounts less than $1 are excluded.
Grace period
No mandatory grace period
Must be in the lease
Yes — a late fee is only enforceable if it is written into your lease
Your privacy protections
Required Notice Period
24 hours
8 a.m.–8 p.m. unless agreed (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211)
In Minnesota, your landlord must give this notice before entering your rental unit, except in genuine emergencies. This protects your right to privacy and peaceful enjoyment of your home.
Exceptions: Landlords may enter without notice in cases of emergency (fire, flooding, etc.) or if you've abandoned the property.
No set days; not shorter than your move-out notice
Legal basis: Minn. Stat. § 504B.147, subd. 3
14 days after written notice
Legal basis: Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.161, 504B.381, 504B.385
90 days protected
Legal basis: Minn. Stat. § 504B.441
Not free: full month's rent
Legal basis: Minn. Stat. § 504B.206
Self-help illegal
Legal basis: Minn. Stat. § 504B.225
Important facts about Minnesota rental law
Minnesota has no statewide limit on security deposits.
Minnesota landlords must return deposits within 21 days of move-out.
Minnesota landlords must pay 1% simple interest a year on security deposits, paid when the deposit is returned.
Minnesota tenants have strong 'repair and deduct' rights for habitability issues.
Something else? Contact our team
Minnesota does not have a statutory limit on security deposits.
Minnesota landlords must return security deposits within 21 days after you move out (after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address).
In Minnesota, landlords must give 24 hours' notice before entering your rental unit (8 a.m.–8 p.m. unless agreed (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211)).
Late fees in Minnesota: 8% of the overdue rent payment (the tenant's share if rent is subsidized). No mandatory grace period.
No set days; not shorter than your move-out notice. No Minnesota statute sets a number of days for a rent-increase notice. The landlord's rent-increase notice cannot be shorter than the notice your lease requires from you to move out (Minn. Stat. § 504B.147, subd. 3). No statewide cap; a city may adopt rent control only if voters approve it (Minn. Stat. § 471.9996). Source: Minn. Stat. § 504B.147, subd. 3.
14 days after written notice. Landlord must keep the home fit and in reasonable repair, treat pests, meet health and safety codes, and provide heat of at least 68°F from October 1 to April 30; these duties cannot be waived (Minn. Stat. § 504B.161). Give written notice; if not fixed within 14 days, you can pay your rent to the court instead of the landlord (rent escrow) (Minn. Stat. § 504B.385, subd. 1(c)). If an inspector cited code violations, wait for the repair time the inspector set before filing (Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.185, 504B.385, subd. 1(b)). For emergencies like no heat, water, hot water, electricity, or toilets, or a serious infestation, try to notify the landlord 24 hours ahead, then ask the court for an emergency order (Minn. Stat. § 504B.381). The court can order repairs, reduce rent, release escrowed rent for repairs, or let you repair and deduct (Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.385, subd. 9, 504B.425). Keep paying rent into escrow while the case is pending, not to the landlord and not withheld (Minn. Stat. § 504B.385, subd. 1(d)). Source: Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.161, 504B.381, 504B.385.
90 days protected. Strong protections. 90 day protection period. Cannot evict for complaints. Source: Minn. Stat. § 504B.441.
Not free: full month's rent. A tenant who fears imminent violence after domestic abuse, criminal sexual conduct, sexual extortion or harassment may end the lease on a date the tenant chooses. Give signed, dated advance written notice with a qualifying document: an order for protection, a no-contact order, a court or law enforcement writing, or a qualified third party's statement. You owe rent for the full month the tenancy ends and give up the security deposit. A lease cannot waive this right. Source: Minn. Stat. § 504B.206.
Self-help illegal. Self-help evictions illegal. Court process required. Utility shutoffs prohibited. Source: Minn. Stat. § 504B.225.
Minnesota tenants have rights including security deposit protections, notice requirements for landlord entry, habitability standards, and protections against retaliation. Use Honestkey to analyze your specific lease against Minnesota law.
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