Basics of Lease and Rental Agreement Laws
State laws establish the basic legal framework for entering into landlord-tenant relationships, including security deposit limits and anti-discrimination provisions. The lease document, or rental agreement, is a legally binding contract that confers certain rights and responsibilities on each party. That means either party may be held liable for violations of the contract, whether it's a landlord failing to fix a water pipe or a tenant keeping a cat in violation of the lease.
Leases and Rental Agreement Laws in Minnesota
According to Minnesota statute, landlords are required to return the security deposit (minus amount for cleaning and/or repairs) within three weeks of the lease termination. Failure to do so can result in the landlord being liable for damages equal to the amount being withheld as deposit, including interest. However, there is no monetary limit on the amount of deposit a landlord may require.
While Minnesota law broadly prohibits landlord discrimination against tenants, there are some exceptions. For instance, planned retirement communities may enforce a minimum age; a shelter for abused women is not required to admit men; and someone who owns a two-bedroom home is not required to rent the spare bedroom to a gay applicant.
The following chart provides additional information about Minnesota's lease and rental agreement laws. For more articles and resources, see FindLaw's Rental and Lease Agreements section.
| Code Section | 504B.178; 363A.21, .09; 504B.141 |
| Terms of Leases | Period of the shortest interval between times of payment of rent under expired lease shall be implied |
| Deposits | No limit on deposit; interest on deposit required at 3-4%; deposit must be returned within 3 weeks of termination; landlord must provide a written statement of damages within 3 weeks of termination |
| Discrimination | No discrimination on basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, familial status; housing for older persons exempted; landlords may advertise "adults only" |
| Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act Adopted? | No |
Note: State laws are always subject to change, usually through new legislation, higher court decisions, and ballot initiatives. We do our best to keep these pages updated, but you may also want to contact a Minnesota landlord-tenant law attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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Minnesota Lease and Rental Agreement Laws: Related Resources
