Written by a licensed professional who actually treats you, such as your therapist or doctor, with their name, license and contact information. Says you have a disability and explains how the animal helps with it, without listing your diagnosis or medical history. Covers a specific animal.
Twin Cities Renter Guide
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Across the River: renting in Minneapolis vs. Saint Paul
Welcome back.
StatewideThe rules that go with youMinnesota law sets a floor for every renter: your deposit back within three weeks, 14 days' notice before an eviction filing for unpaid rent, heat at 68° from October through April, and the right to organize.
Minneapolis
More to look up
Every rental license gets a public tier, and you can look up a landlord by name. Saint Paul? No citywide violation data, and no owner search.
Saint Paul
More to stand on
Most rent increases in older buildings are limited to 3%, and unpaid-rent eviction filings need 60 days' notice through 2026. Minneapolis? No rent cap at all.
More to stand on
Most rent increases in older buildings are limited to 3%, and unpaid-rent eviction filings need 60 days' notice through 2026. Minneapolis? No rent cap at all.
Your rights as a renter depend on which side of the river you live on. The rules are scattered across two city codes, state law, inspection records and years of council minutes. This guide puts them in one place: what each city requires of landlords, how to check a building before you sign, what to do when the rent goes up or the heat goes out, and how your council member votes.
Renters are the majority in both cities: 56% of Minneapolis households and 52% in Saint Paul, per the 2020 census. Council races here have come down to a few hundred votes, so it's worth getting informed.
Where do you rent?
This is the statewide edition of the Twin Cities Renter Guide. It covers the renter rules in Minnesota law that apply everywhere in the state. Rent in Minneapolis or Saint Paul? Pick your city above to switch to the full Twin Cities guide, which adds each city's own rules.
Showing both cities next to each other.Not in Minneapolis or Saint Paul? Choose "Elsewhere in MN" to see only Minnesota state law.Telling out-of-town friends you live in "the Twin Cities" is fair. But if your lease actually says Falcon Heights, St. Louis Park or Maplewood, this guide doesn't cover your city's own rules. This view shows only what Minnesota law gives every renter in the state. Your city may add more, so check its website for rental licensing and inspections.
Looking for help?
Rent increases, repairs, eviction notices, moving in and out, and pets.pets, and manufactured home parks.
Check my rent increase
Enter your rent before and after the increase. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Write my repair notice
Fill this in and copy the letter. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Use this after you've already asked. This form is meant for use after you have made a formal repair request through your apartment portal or by contacting your landlord directly. Keep proof of that first request. This letter follows up on it in writing.
The short version
- Ask first through your rental portal or by contacting the landlord directly, and keep proof. Use the letter below as your written follow-up.
- Don't stop paying rent or take repair costs off it on your own. That can count as unpaid rent and put you at risk of eviction.
- If the landlord doesn't fix it, you can report code problems to the city or use rent escrow, which state law allows anywhere in Minnesota.
Eviction timeline
For an eviction over unpaid rent. Enter the date you got a notice from your landlord to see the earliest each step can happen. Real cases usually take longer, because court dates depend on the court's calendar.
The short version
- Notice before an eviction filing for unpaid rent: 14 days under state law, 30 days in Minneapolis, and 60 days in Saint Paul through 2026 (30 after that).
- You can pay to stay: paying what you owe plus interest, court costs and up to $5 in attorney fees ends a case that is only about unpaid rent, any time before the landlord gets the unit back.
- Only a court order and a sheriff can remove you. Lockouts and utility shutoffs are illegal.
How much notice before a court filing
For unpaid rent, your landlord has to give written notice and wait this long before filing in court.
Looking for a place
Where to look for a rental, how to check what tenants say about it, what a landlord can and can't charge you to apply, renters insurance, and registering to vote at your new address.
Where to look
- HousingLink: the Twin Cities nonprofit listing affordable rentals and open waiting lists for subsidized housing. Start here if you need income-restricted housing.
- U of M off-campus listings: for students near campus.
- Zillow, Apartments.com and Craigslist: the biggest general listing sites. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace have the most small landlords and the most scams.
Check before you apply
- City records. In Minneapolis, look up the building's rental license and tier by address or owner name. For both cities, see How to check out a building.
- Tenant reviews. Read Google Maps reviews and ApartmentRatings for the building and the management company. Look for patterns in recent reviews, like slow repairs or kept deposits, not a single angry post. Reviews can be faked in both directions.
- The owner's other buildings. Search the owner's name in Minneapolis's license list, then check those addresses too. See Slum Lord Millionaires for the biggest owners and their records.
- Ask current tenants. They'll tell you about heat, pests and how fast repairs happen.
Application fees: your rights
1
In writing firstWhich screening company they use and the criteria they'll judge you on.
2
No unit, no feeThey can't take a fee if nothing is available.
3
Not cashed yetNot until earlier applicants are turned down.
$
Money backIf they rent to someone else first, or reject you for a reason they didn't list.
Under Minnesota law, before taking an application fee a landlord must tell you in writing which screening company they use and what criteria they'll judge you on. They can't charge a fee if no unit is available, can't cash it until earlier applicants are turned down, and must refund it if they rent to someone else first or reject you for a reason they didn't list. They also can't deny you over an eviction case that's pending, sealed or didn't end in an order to move out.
Renters insurance
- Do you need it? Your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your things. If there's a fire, a burst pipe or a break-in, renters insurance is what replaces your stuff. State law doesn't require it, but a lease can, so check before you sign. Minnesota Commerce Department
- What it covers. Your belongings, if they're damaged, destroyed or stolen. Liability, if you cause an injury or damage someone else's property. Some policies also pay for a hotel or other housing if your place becomes unlivable. Premiums usually run $15 to $30 a month. Commerce Department
- Shopping for a policy. Get quotes from more than one company and compare the same deductible. Replacement cost coverage pays what it costs to buy new; actual cash value pays what your old things were worth, which is often a lot less. Roommates may each need their own policy. Commerce Department
- Before anything happens, take photos or video of what you own and keep a list with prices and serial numbers somewhere other than your apartment.
- Fees in the lease. Any fee you can't opt out of has to be listed in the lease and added into the "Total Monthly Payment" on the first page. Minn. Stat. 504B.120
- Trouble with a claim? File a complaint with the Commerce Department: 651-539-1600. File a complaint
After you move: register to vote
Minnesota asks you to vote from the address where you live on Election Day, so a move means updating your registration. You can register online until 21 days before an election. After that, register at your polling place. A photo ID plus a residential lease valid through Election Day counts as proof of address, and so does a rent statement dated within 30 days of the election.
Don't wait for a flyer from your landlord. Minneapolis (2016) and Saint Paul (2018) once required landlords to give new tenants voter registration information. A federal judge struck down both rules in March 2020, ruling that they forced landlords to speak in violation of the First Amendment, and permanently blocked the cities from enforcing them. We found no record of an appeal.
Courthouse News, March 2020 · Minnesota Lawyer, March 2020Spot a scam
The Attorney General warns about rent far below market, pressure to pay within hours, requests for money before you see the place, payment by wire or gift card, and the same photos or phone number showing up in other listings. Never pay before you've seen the unit and met the landlord or manager in person.
Furry friends: renting with pets
Renting with a cat, a dog or an assistance animal: what landlords can and can't do, the city rules, and where to get help so you never have to choose between your home and your pet.
Pets: the basics
- No-pet buildings are legal. Many landlords can ban pets or charge pet fees, so get the pet policy in writing. The exception: public housing tenants, and seniors or people with disabilities in subsidized housing, generally have a right to keep a pet. LawHelpMN
- No declawing demands. Under a 2023 state law, a landlord who allows animals can't require you to declaw or devocalize a pet, refuse to rent to you over it, or advertise that requirement. Lease terms that do are void.
- Deposits. Both cities cap security deposits at one month's rent. Saint Paul says its cap doesn't stop a separate pet deposit. Every deposit is due back within three weeks of move-out, and normal wear and tear can't be deducted. Saint Paul
City licenses and limits
| Topic | Minneapolis | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| License required | Dogs and cats over 4 months: $30 a year fixed, $40 not. Ferrets: $20 | Dogs over 3 months: $20 a year fixed, $80 not |
| Extra permit needed | More than four pets | More than three dogs or three cats |
| Source | City of Minneapolis | City of Saint Paul |
Breeds, banned animals and exotics
- Dog breeds. Minnesota cities can't regulate dogs as dangerous based only on breed. That rule covers cities, not landlords, so check your lease for breed or size limits before you sign.
- Banned statewide. Big cats, bears and nonhuman primates are illegal to keep as pets in Minnesota, with narrow exceptions for zoos and sanctuaries.
- Saint Paul. Some animals are banned outright, including roosters and wolf hybrids, and others, like chickens, rabbits, ferrets and bees, need a permit.
- Minneapolis. Venomous reptiles and amphibians are not allowed, large snakes, lizards and turtles need a permit, and chickens and other birds need a fowl permit with neighbor consent.
Fish, reptiles and other small pets
Many leases count any animal as a pet, so get your landlord's OK in writing before bringing home a tank, terrarium or cage, and ask about size limits for large aquariums. If you keep turtles, snakes or other reptiles, buy from a breeder or store: most native Minnesota turtles can't be sold as pets, and wild snakes, lizards and salamanders can't be collected. Never release a pet outdoors.
Rules change and have exceptions. Before getting an unusual animal, ask the city: Saint Paul Animal Services, 651-266-1100, or Minneapolis 311.
Service and support animals
| Topic | Pet | Service or support animal |
|---|---|---|
| No-pet building can say no? | Yes | No, unless that animal is a direct threat or causes major damage |
| Pet fees, rent or deposit? | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Paperwork? | Pet policy in writing | A letter from a licensed professional, unless your need is obvious or already known to the landlord |
| Damage? | You pay | You pay |
Service and emotional support animals follow different rules from pets, even in a no-pets building. Under Minn. Stat. 504B.113 and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights:
- The landlord can't charge pet rent, fees or deposits for it. You're still responsible for any damage the animal causes.
- The landlord can ask for documentation from a licensed professional, unless your disability and need are obvious or already known. They can't demand your medical records or your provider's contact information.
- No certification or registration is required, and buying one doesn't count as documentation.
- A landlord can say no only for a specific reason, like that particular animal posing a direct threat or causing major damage. Breed and size stereotypes don't count.
- Since 2025, landlords who charge pet fees must say in the lease that those fees don't apply to service or support animals.
Real ESA letter or fake?
A certificate, ID card, vest or "registry" number. Bought from a website after a quick quiz or short video call with someone who doesn't otherwise treat you. A provider not licensed in Minnesota and with no existing treatment relationship. Under Minnesota law, online certification sellers don't count.
Knowingly giving a landlord fake documentation is against Minnesota law, and a landlord can deny the application or the request. If you need a letter, ask the provider who already treats you. The federal HUD guidance on assistance animals from 2020 was withdrawn in 2025; Minnesota's law still applies.
Help for you and your animal
Animal Humane Society Pet Helpline
Behavior, vet, housing helpFree advice on behavior problems, plus referrals for vet care, pet-friendly housing and low-cost spay and neuter. Call before you think about giving up a pet.
Helpline: 952-435-7738animalhumanesociety.org
Feline Rescue
Cats, Saint PaulCat shelter and foster network on Fairview Avenue since 1997, with claw-clipping clinics and trap-neuter-return help.
MN SNAP
Low-cost spay and neuterLow-cost spay, neuter and vaccines in north Minneapolis and at a mobile clinic.
Pet Haven of Minnesota
Food, vet and rehoming helpFoster-based rescue that also helps owners with food, vet care, supplies and safe rehoming if it comes to that.
The Bond Between
Rescue and clinicsDog and cat rescue, formerly Secondhand Hounds.
Can Do Canines
Free assistance dogsTrains assistance dogs for mobility, hearing, seizure, diabetes and autism needs, at no cost to the people who receive them.
Minneapolis Animal Care & Control
City shelterLicenses, lost pets, adoptions, and low-cost vaccines and microchips.
Phone: 612-673-6222minneapolismn.gov
Saint Paul Animal Services
City licensingDog licenses and permits for keeping more animals.
Phone: 651-266-1100stpaul.gov
Moving out
How much notice to give, when you can leave a lease early, and how to get your security deposit back. Most of this is state law; the cities add their own deposit rules.
The short version
- Month to month: your written notice has to reach the landlord at least one full rental period before your last day.
- With a lease end date, you generally owe rent through the end, though the landlord has to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit, and some situations let you leave early.
- Put every notice in writing and keep a copy with the date you sent or handed it over.
Giving notice
- Month to month. If your lease doesn't say otherwise, your written notice has to reach the landlord at least one full rental period before your last day. To leave at the end of June, the landlord needs it by May 31. If your notice is late, it won't end your tenancy on the day you wanted, so plan on owing at least another month.
- A lease with an end date. You generally owe rent through the end of the lease. Read it for a notice requirement: leases that renew automatically usually need written notice 30 to 60 days ahead. If a renewal would run two months or more, the landlord has to remind you first or can't enforce it.
- Put it in writing and keep a copy with the date you sent or handed it over.
Leaving a lease early
- If you just need to go. You may owe rent for the rest of the lease, but the landlord has to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit, and once a new tenant moves in you stop owing rent. Some leases let you pay a fee to break them.
- Domestic violence or sexual assault. If you fear imminent violence, you can end the lease with signed written notice and a qualifying document, like a protection order or a statement from an advocate. You owe rent for that month and give up the deposit, but nothing after that. The landlord has to keep it confidential.
- Moving into care. If a medical professional says you need to move into a nursing home, assisted living or similar facility, you or your representative can give two months' written notice with the medical paperwork and proof of your application or acceptance.
- Military orders. Servicemembers with orders to move or deploy for 90 days or more can end a lease with written notice and a copy of the orders. For monthly rent, it ends 30 days after the next rent due date, with no early-termination fee.
- When a tenant dies. The landlord or the tenant's personal representative can end the lease with two months' written notice.
Move-out checklist
- Ask for a move-out inspection. Your landlord has to tell you in writing that you can request one and be there for it. It can happen no earlier than five days before you leave.
- Take dated photos and video of every room, inside cabinets and appliances, after you clean.
- Give your forwarding address in writing. The deposit clock doesn't start until the landlord has your mailing address.
- Return every key and write down when and to whom.
- Pay your last month's rent. You can't skip it and tell the landlord to keep the deposit instead.
Getting your deposit back
1You move outand give the landlord your forwarding address (in writing is safest)
21Three weeksdeposit back with 1% yearly interest, or a written statement explaining anything kept
!Missed it?they owe what they kept plus the same again, up to $500 more for bad faith
- Three weeks. Within three weeks after your tenancy ends and they have your address, the landlord has to return the deposit with 1% yearly interest, or send a written statement explaining what they kept. If the building was condemned, it's five days.
- What they can keep. Only unpaid rent or other amounts you owe under the lease, and the cost of damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. The landlord has to prove it.
- If they miss the deadline, they owe you the amount they kept plus a penalty of the same amount. Keeping it in bad faith can add up to $500 in punitive damages.
- If they missed the deadline and you sue, the law presumes they kept it in bad faith unless they return it within two weeks after you file. 504B.178, subd. 7
- Where to go. Deposit disputes usually go to conciliation court, which handles claims up to $20,000. HOME Line can help you first.
City deposit rules
State law sets no cap on deposits. Both cities add one.
Minneapolis
- Deposits are capped at one month's rent, or 1.5 months if you were referred by a government agency or nonprofit.
- If the landlord asks for more than one month up front, like first and last month's rent, the deposit drops to half a month, and you can pay it in up to three installments.
- When the landlord returns your deposit, they have to include copies of the state deposit law (Minn. Stat. 504B.178) and the city's (Minneapolis Code 244.2040).
Saint Paul
- Deposits are capped at one month's rent, and prepaid rent at another month.
- A landlord can ask for one extra month only from an applicant they could have turned down.
- A separate pet deposit is allowed. Getting your deposit back follows state law, covered above.
Write my deposit demand letter
Nothing you type leaves this page. This isn't legal advice; HOME Line can review your situation for free.
Make my fridge sheet
Answer a few quick questions and download a one-page "who to call" sheet for your fridge: your landlord, your utilities, your people and the help lines every renter should have. Skip anything you like. Nothing you type leaves this device.
Phone numbers were checked against each company's or agency's own website. If a number on your sheet looks wrong, tap ? below and tell us.
Who to call
Answer three questions and get the groups most likely to help, with phone numbers and websites. Legal hotlines answer questions about your rights. Tenant unions help you and your neighbors push the landlord together.
Manufactured home parks
If you own your home but rent the lot it sits on, a separate state law covers you: Minnesota Statutes chapter 327C. It applies to year-round manufactured home parks in Minnesota and sets rules on rent notice, fees, evictions and what happens when a park is sold or closed. If you rent a home the park owns, regular tenant law (chapter 504B) also applies. If your park is a resident-owned co-op, check your co-op's bylaws and occupancy agreement too. This is general information, not legal advice.
Lot rent increase60 dayswritten notice, no more than two increases in 12 months; no cap on the amount
Entrance fee$0a park can't charge one
Park closing12 monthsnotice before a park closes (9 for some condo-type conversions)
Moving help$12,500at most for a multisection home if a park closes; up to $7,000 for single-section
Lot rent and fees
- Rent increases. The park has to give you 60 days' written notice, and can raise your rent no more than twice in any 12 months. It can't raise rent to pay a penalty the park owner was fined. State law doesn't limit how much rent can go up. Minn. Stat. 327C.06
- Only rent, with a few exceptions. A park can't charge fees beyond your lot rent except ones the law allows, including: a reasonable late fee if your agreement includes one; up to $4 a month per pet; a security deposit of up to two months' rent; utility charges under the rules below; and, if you skip required upkeep after proper written notice, the reasonable cost of the work plus up to $10. If the park collects the state's yearly $15 relocation-fund assessment monthly, it's no more than $1.25 a month, listed separately. There's no entrance fee. Minn. Stat. 327C.03 · 327C.02
- Utilities. If the park bills you for utilities, it can't charge more per unit than it pays, and can't add administrative, disconnection, reconnection or late fees for passing them through. If water and sewer were included in your rent and the park starts billing for them separately, it can't raise your lot rent for 13 months after billing begins, and has to give you a sample bill in each of the three months before. Minn. Stat. 327C.04
Park rules
- Rules have to be reasonable. A park can't adopt or enforce unreasonable rules. Rules that ban "for sale" signs or make you use a particular vendor or broker are presumed unreasonable. Minn. Stat. 327C.05
- New rules. The park has to give 60 days' written notice of a rule change. A rule adopted after you moved in can be enforced against you only if it's reasonable and not a substantial change to your deal. Raising your security deposit counts as a substantial change; a reasonable rent increase doesn't. Minn. Stat. 327C.02 · 327C.015
- Your rights notice. The park has to give you a written notice of your rights with your application and post it in the park. You also get a copy of your signed agreement with the park's storm shelter or evacuation plan attached. Minn. Stat. 327C.02, subd. 5 · 327C.025
Evictions and your rights
- Only for listed reasons. A park can end your tenancy only for reasons the law lists. For unpaid rent or utilities, it has to give you 10 days' written notice to pay first. For a rule violation, you get 30 days after written notice to fix it. Other grounds have different notice periods, including endangering others or causing substantial damage or annoyance (30 days' notice to leave) and required park improvements (90 days). Minn. Stat. 327C.09
- Organizing is protected. A park can't ban residents from peacefully organizing, assembling, canvassing or leafletting for noncommercial purposes, though it can set reasonable limits on time, place and manner. Minn. Stat. 327C.13
- No retaliation. A park can't raise rent, cut services, change your agreement or move to evict because you complained in good faith, used your legal rights or joined a residents' association. If it does within 90 days, the park has to prove it wasn't retaliation. Minn. Stat. 327C.12
Selling your home
- Residents have the right to sell in place. The park can turn down a buyer only under written, reasonable criteria applied to everyone and given out with the application. It has to decide within 14 days of a complete application, and can charge up to $25 to process it. Minn. Stat. 327C.07
- Time to sell. A home for sale can sit vacant for 90 days, or longer unless park rules prohibit it, as long as rent stays current and the home and lot are kept up. The park can inspect the lot and the outside of the home before approving a sale, without charging for it, but generally can't demand you meet rules adopted after you moved in if that would make selling much harder or costlier. Minn. Stat. 327C.07
If the park is sold or closed
12Months' noticebefore a park closes (9 for some condo-type conversions)
90Days after the hearingand no sooner: when you can be required to leave
$Relocation payup to $7,000 single-section, $12,500 multisection
- When a park is for sale. If the owner advertises the park or lists it with a broker, every household gets written notice, for information only. If the owner plans to consider an unsolicited offer, it has to notify every household and Minnesota Housing. Minn. Stat. 327C.096 · 327C.097
- If a buyer plans to close it. If a buyer plans to close or convert the park within a year, residents get 45 days' notice. A residents' representative can offer to match the price and terms, and the owner has to negotiate in good faith. Minn. Stat. 327C.095, subd. 6
- When a park closes. The owner has to give at least 12 months' notice and a closure statement, and residents can't be required to leave sooner than 90 days after the public hearing. The state's relocation trust fund pays actual costs, up to $7,000 to move a single-section home or $12,500 for a multisection home within 50 miles, once a neutral third party approves the claim. If the home can't be moved, you can turn over the title instead for a payment based on an appraisal, within limits set by law. Minn. Stat. 327C.095
- Buying your park. A residents' group or nonprofit can make an offer for the park at any time, though outside a planned closure the owner doesn't have to accept or negotiate. CoNorth, founded as Northcountry Cooperative Foundation, helps residents buy their parks and run them as co-ops; it has supported 17 conversions since 2004. Minn. Stat. 327C.097 · Bush Foundation
Get help
- All Parks Alliance for Change, a Saint Paul-based nonprofit founded in 1980 by park residents in Anoka County, has organized manufactured home residents in Minnesota. Its old web address has lapsed and is now for sale, so for current help start with the Attorney General's office below or HOME Line. Wikipedia
- The Attorney General's handbook on manufactured home parks covers rental agreements, rules, fees, evictions, selling your home and the relocation fund. Consumer line 651-296-3353, or 800-657-3787 outside the Twin Cities; Minnesota Relay 800-627-3529. Attorney General
- Storm shelter. Every park needs a storm shelter or an approved evacuation plan, and newer parks with 10 or more homes must have a shelter. See Tornado sirens and shelter under Weather and getting around. Minn. Stat. 327.20
Looking to learn?
Rent limits, how the two cities compare, checking a building, renting with a record, utilities, weather and getting around, the parks, disability rights, and who represents you.
Who represents me at the state
Outside Minneapolis and Saint Paul, most of your rights as a renter come from state law, so the people who write and enforce it matter most: your state representative and senator, the governor, and the Attorney General.
Attorney General
Keith Ellison's office enforces Minnesota's landlord-tenant laws statewide, including the rules for manufactured home parks. It publishes free handbooks for renters, takes complaints, and sues landlords it says break the law. manufactured home parks
A few examples: in 2021 it sued the owner of a Marshall manufactured home park, alleging neglected roads and unsafe homes and late fees above the state cap. In 2022 the owner of a Northfield park agreed to withdraw new leases and rules after the office stepped in. It reached a 2024 settlement with a large single-family rental company, and settlements aren't admissions of wrongdoing.
Consumer line: 651-296-3353 (Twin Cities) · 800-657-3787 (outside the Twin Cities) · File a complaint Attorney General contact page
The governor and the Legislature
- Your legislators write renter law. Each Minnesotan has one state representative and one state senator. Changes to eviction rules, security deposits, repairs and manufactured home park rights go through them. Look yours up by address. Legislative Coordinating Commission
- The governor signs or vetoes those bills. Gov. Tim Walz announced in January 2026 that he would not seek a third term, so voters choose the next governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, election. Associated Press via Boston.com
Who represents me
Who's who on your city council, and how to reach them. Pick your city, then tap your ward or a name. Not sure which ward you're in? Look it up by address:
Tap your ward on the map, or a name below, to see who represents you and how to reach them.
Your city council
Mayor of Minneapolis
Jacob Frey
Jacob Frey has been mayor of Minneapolis since January 2018. He won a third term in November 2025, defeating state Sen. Omar Fateh. He represented Ward 3 on the City Council from 2014 to 2018. A Virginia native and former professional runner, he earned a law degree from Villanova University and worked as an employment and civil rights attorney. minneapolismn.gov · minnesotareformer.com
612-673-2100 · Contact page · City Hall, Room 330
Mayor of Saint Paul
Kaohly Vang Her
Kaohly Vang Her was sworn in as Saint Paul's 47th mayor Jan. 2, 2026, after defeating incumbent Melvin Carter in November 2025. Born in Laos, she represented District 64A in the Minnesota House from 2019 to 2025. Earlier she was Carter's policy director and spent about 15 years in financial services. She is the city's first woman and first Hmong American mayor. Inforum · Wikipedia · Sahan Journal
Contact form · 651-266-8989 (city information line) · 15 Kellogg Blvd. W.
Your county board
County commissioners run much of the safety net renters lean on, including emergency help with rent and utilities. Each county has seven, elected by district. County districts don't match city wards, so look yours up by address.
- Hennepin County (Minneapolis): find your commissioner. The county's emergency rent help is for households in a crisis that could cost them their housing. With an eviction notice, email the Tenant Resource Center at [email protected].
- Ramsey County (Saint Paul): find your commissioner. Emergency Assistance helps with rent, housing costs and utilities: 651-266-4884.
How rent limits work
The short version
- Saint Paul caps most increases at 3% a year in buildings first occupied before 2005. More than that needs the city's approval, and newer buildings are exempt.
- Minneapolis has no cap and no appeal. Any increase is legal at renewal if the notice is long enough.
- State law bars cities from capping rent unless voters approve it. Minneapolis voters did in 2021, and the council hasn't passed a cap.
Saint Paul
3%
Most a rent can rise in 12 months
In buildings that got their first certificate of occupancy before 2005, a landlord who wants more than 3% has to apply to the city first. Newer buildings are exempt.
SPLC ch. 193A · City of Saint Paul
Minneapolis
No limit
No city limit on rent
A landlord can raise rent by any amount when a lease renews, as long as it isn't retaliation and the notice is long enough. Voters gave the council the power to cap rents in 2021. The council hasn't passed a cap.
Minn. Stat. 471.9996 · 2021 ballot results · Minnesota Reformer, May 2025How it works: exceptions, exemptions and what to do
Saint PaulRent stabilization
Going above 3%
- Increases from 3% to 8% can be self-certified by the landlord.
- Anything above 8% needs a staff determination, with no upper limit if the landlord can justify it.
- The city notifies tenants when a landlord applies and again when the request is approved or denied.
- The landlord or the tenant of that unit can appeal within 45 days of the city's decision.
Who isn't covered
- Buildings with a first certificate of occupancy after Dec. 31, 2004, including buildings converted from nonresidential use.
- Affordable units restricted by deed or agreement.
- Units paid for through Housing Support.
When a tenant moves out
After a just-cause vacancy, rent can go up as much as 8% plus inflation for the next tenant. Without just cause, the 3% cap still applies.
SPLC 193A.05 · City of Saint PaulApproval rates
By mid-2023, the city had granted 721 of 844 requests to go above 3%: 190 of 233 self-certifications, 21 of 71 staff determinations, and 510 of 540 vacancy increases.
KSTP, Aug. 2023If your rent went up too much
File a rent stabilization complaint with the city. The form is in English and Spanish. The city's information line is 651-266-8989, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
City of Saint PaulRepairs and rent
If voters approve right to repair on Nov. 3, deducting a repair wouldn't change your rent for rent stabilization purposes. If the repair fixed a health or safety threat, the maximum rent used to calculate future increases would drop by your average monthly deduction over the past 12 months.
Chapter 34A.06MinneapolisNo rent cap
- Minnesota bars cities from capping rent unless voters approve it at a general election.
- Minneapolis voters did that in 2021, passing City Question 3 by 53.21% to 46.79%. It authorized the council to regulate rents.
- The council has not passed an ordinance. In June 2023 it voted against advancing a rent stabilization proposal while three of its supporters were out for Eid.
- State law sets no fixed notice period for a rent increase. A landlord's notice just can't be shorter than the notice the lease requires from the tenant. If you're month to month, that's usually one full rental period, the same notice it takes to end the tenancy. 504B.135
- State law bars raising rent to punish a tenant for complaining about repairs or code problems.
Self-certified8%the most a landlord can get by self-certifying
Exempt2005+buildings built after 2004, permanently since May 2025
Tenant appeals12 of 29won or partly won, May 2022 to Oct. 2025
Minneapolis: no cap and no appeal. There is no limit on how much a Minneapolis landlord can raise the rent, and no city process for challenging an increase. Any increase is legal at renewal as long as the notice is long enough and it isn't retaliation or discrimination. A renter facing a big increase can pay it, try to negotiate or move. That's the biggest gap in renter protection between the two cities: across the river, Saint Paul tenants can appeal an increase to the City Council, and tenants won or partly won 12 of 29 appeals from 2022 to 2025.
Think an increase is retaliation for asking for repairs? Call HOME Line's free tenant hotline, 612-728-5767.
Appeals, year by year
Tenants and landlords can appeal the city's rent decisions to the City Council. City records show 34 appeals from May 2022 through Oct. 2025, 29 of them from tenants. Each case below links to the city's Legistar record, which holds the hearing minutes and council action. Tenants won or partly won 12 of those 29.
Tenant wonPartly wonDeniedDismissed, withdrawn or referredLandlord appeals
*2025 runs through Oct. 31. Source: City of Saint Paul response to a public records request, received Nov. 7, 2025 (PDF · CSV). Landlord appeals include one over a just cause decision. The city's 2023 rows add up to 11 appeals, though its total for the year says 10. We've asked for 2026 records and will add them when they arrive.
- 2022
May 1: the ordinance takes effect.
Sept. 21: the council votes 5–2 to exempt new buildings for 20 years and allow increases of up to 8% plus inflation after a tenant moves out.
October: tenants at Cambric Senior Apartments win their appeal of an 8% increase.
Nov. 9: at the Rayette Lofts, 261 Fifth St. E., billing utilities separately had turned a 2.9% rent increase into one of 11% to 13%. The council votes 7–0 that rent and utilities together can rise no more than 8%.
- 2023
June 14: after an April hearing, the council votes 5–0 to deny four appeals from the Blair Apartments, 400 Selby Ave. "The unfortunate reality is that the rent stabilization we passed last year doesn't do enough to protect tenants," Council Member Russel Balenger said. City records list all nine tenant appeals that year as denied.
RLH RSA 23-1 (23-2 to 23-4 are the same building) · Villager
Aug. 2: at the Cosmopolitan Apartments, 250 Sixth St. E., the owner's worksheet showed a 27.88% "allowable" increase, and the city approved 8%, the most self-certification allows, automatically. The council denies a tenant's appeal on its consent agenda.
- 2024
Oct. 23: at 296 Bates Ave., Housing Hub had filed 26 rent increase applications in August and September 2023 without the rent rolls the city needs, and staff didn't get them until after a March 2024 meeting. The hearing officer recommended granting two tenants' appeals, and the council adopted that 5–0. Tenants won three of four appeals that year.
RLH RSA 24-7 (24-8 is the neighboring unit)
- 2025
May 7: the council votes 4–3 to permanently exempt buildings built after 2004. Interim Council Member Matt Privratsky, appointed a month earlier to fill a vacancy, is one of the four votes.
Sept. 17: the council votes 4–3 to uphold appeals from tenants at 934, 938 and 942 Ashland Ave., represented by the Housing Justice Center, against increases of 28.5% and 52.8%. Noecker, Kim, Yang and Johnson voted for the tenants; Bowie, Jost and Coleman against.
RLH RSA 25-8 (25-9 to 25-17 cover the other units) · Villager
- 2026
July 15: the council unanimously upholds a 1517 Portland Ave. tenant's appeal of a 17.97% increase. It was one of only three rent stabilization appeals on the city's calendar so far that year.
The pattern: tenants who win usually bring evidence about conditions in the unit, like inspection reports, photos and witnesses, and often a lawyer. Since May 2025, rentals in buildings built after 2004 are permanently exempt, which may explain part of the drop in 2026.
How the two cities compare
Twelve things a renter runs into, from the application to the day the building sells. Tap any one for the details and sources. The tag on each row says which city gives renters more. You're seeing only the topics where Minnesota law sets a rule for everyone. City-only rules are hidden.
Minneapolis
Saint Paul
Grey links under each entry are the sources
Rent increasesSaint PaulSaint Paul caps most increases at 3%. Minneapolis has no limit.3% a year in buildings first occupied before 2005.No cap. No city review.
State law: cities may cap rent only if voters approve it at a general election. There's no statewide cap.
Minn. Stat. 471.9996
Minneapolis
No cap. No city review. A landlord can raise rent by any amount at renewal. Details.
2021 ballot results · Minnesota Reformer, May 2025Saint Paul
3% a year in buildings first occupied before 2005. Anything more goes through the city first. Details.
SPLC ch. 193A · City of Saint PaulNotice before an eviction filing for unpaid rentSaint PaulSaint Paul: 60 days through 2026, then 30. Minneapolis: 30.60 days through Dec. 31, 2026, then 30.30 days.
State law: 14 days, delivered in person or by first-class mail. A longer city period replaces it.
Minn. Stat. 504B.321
Minneapolis
30 days, since March 1, 2025. The council voted twice in 2026 to stretch it, first to 60 days and then to a temporary 45 days. Mayor Frey vetoed both, and the council failed to override either veto.
City of Minneapolis · FOX 9, 2025 · Sahan Journal, Apr. 2026Saint Paul
60 days from May 14 through Dec. 31, 2026. It goes back to 30 days after that.
SPLC 193.04 · HOME Line, May 2026Getting repairs madeAbout even, for nowBoth rely on city inspectors and rent escrow. Saint Paul votes on repair and deduct Nov. 3.City inspections or rent escrow. Repair and deduct is on the Nov. 3 ballot.Call 311 or file rent escrow in court.
State law: rent escrow. Don't just stop paying rent; that can get you evicted. First give the landlord written notice, handed over or sent to where you pay rent. If the problem isn't fixed in 14 days, pay your full rent to the court clerk instead and file a short form. A city inspection order works in place of the letter, and the filing fee can be waived if you can't afford it. For no heat, no running water, no electricity or a serious infestation, you can file an emergency case after trying to tell the landlord at least 24 hours ahead.
Emergency relief, 504B.381 · Tenant remedies action, 504B.395
Minn. Stat. 504B.385
Minneapolis
Call 311 or go to court. The city will contact the landlord and won't tell them who called. If that doesn't work, the option is rent escrow.
Minneapolis tiering FAQ for renters · Minn. Stat. 504B.385Saint Paul
Call the city or go to court, for now. Report code problems to the city's Department of Safety and Inspections, or use rent escrow as anywhere in Minnesota. On the ballot On Nov. 3, voters decide whether a renter whose landlord ignores a written request for 14 days could arrange the repair and deduct up to $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is more. How it would work.
Chapter 34A text · MPR News, Aug. 2026Security depositAbout evenBoth generally cap deposits at one month's rent.One month's rent, plus up to one month prepaid.One month's rent, or half a month if you also pay first and last.
State law: returned within three weeks after you move out and give a forwarding address, with 1% simple annual interest.
Minn. Stat. 504B.178
Minneapolis
One month's rent at most, or 1.5 months if the renter was referred by a government agency or nonprofit. If the landlord also wants first and last month's rent, the deposit drops to half a month, payable in up to three installments.
City of MinneapolisSaint Paul
One month's rent at most, plus up to one month of prepaid rent. A landlord can ask for one extra month only from an applicant they could have turned down under the screening rules.
SPLC 193.02Applications and screeningSaint PaulSaint Paul sets lookback limits. Minneapolis offers two screening paths.Set limits on how far back landlords can look.Inclusive criteria or an individual assessment.
Minneapolis
Two paths. Landlords either use the city's inclusive screening criteria or do an individual assessment of each applicant. In effect since 2020.
Renter protection ordinance announcement, Sept. 2019Saint Paul
Set lookback limits. Under the standard criteria, a landlord can look back 3 years for evictions and misdemeanors, 7 years for most felonies and 10 for certain serious ones. Credit score alone can't sink an application. Fees can't exceed the real cost of screening, and a denial has to come in writing within 14 days.
SPLC 193.03 · HOME Line, May 2026A lawyer in eviction courtMinneapolisMinneapolis guarantees one to low-income renters. Saint Paul doesn't.No citywide guarantee.A free lawyer for low-income renters.
State law: a court-appointed lawyer only for public housing tenants facing a breach-of-lease eviction.
Minn. Stat. 504B.268
Minneapolis
Right to counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction, passed unanimously in October 2021 for households under 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
Minnesota Reformer · FOX 9Saint Paul
State law only. HOME Line's 2026 review of new Saint Paul ordinances includes no right to counsel. Eligible renters can get free help from legal aid offices like SMRLS.
HOME Line, May 2026 · SMRLSWhen an affordable building sellsAbout evenBoth protect tenants in affordable buildings for three months after a sale.Three months of protection and relocation help.Advance notice of a sale and three months of protection.
Minneapolis
Advance notice and three months of protection. An owner selling an affordable building of 5+ units has to notify the city and post notice. For three months after the sale, if a new owner ends or doesn't renew a lease without cause, or a tenant moves out because the owner raised rent or started rescreening, the owner owes relocation help equal to three months' rent. In effect since April 1, 2019.
MCO ch. 244 art. XVIII, renter FAQSaint Paul
Three months of protection, three months' rent. If a new owner ends or doesn't renew a lease without cause, rescreens and denies, or raises rent and the tenant leaves, they owe relocation help equal to three months' rent, paid within 30 days.
SPLC 193.05, 193.06 · HOME Line, May 2026Retaliation and immigration statusMinneapolisMinneapolis added immigration-status and retaliation protections in 2026.State law. More repair protection is on the Nov. 3 ballot.Broader protections since May 2026.
State law: if a landlord retaliates within 90 days of a complaint, the landlord has to prove it wasn't retaliation.
Minn. Stat. 504B.285 · 504B.441
Minneapolis
Broader since May 2, 2026. Landlords can't ask about immigration or citizenship status, or reject an applicant for using an ITIN. They can't retaliate for repair requests, code complaints, going to the press, or joining a tenant association.
HOME Line, May 2026 · City council update, Apr. 2026Saint Paul
State law already protects you. Since 2024, a landlord can't raise rent, cut services, sue, try to evict you or contact law enforcement about your immigration status to punish you for asking for repairs, reporting problems, talking to the press or joining a tenant group. Minn. Stat. 504B.212. The right-to-repair measure on the Nov. 3 ballot would also presume any rent hike, cut in services or eviction within 90 days of using it is retaliation, including contacting law enforcement about a tenant's immigration status.
Chapter 34A.08Landlord entrySame in bothState law covers both cities.State law.State law.
State law: your landlord has to try to give you at least 24 hours' notice and come in between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., unless you agree otherwise or it's an emergency. A lease can't waive this, and each violation can cost the landlord up to $500.
Minn. Stat. 504B.211
Late feesSame in bothState law covers both cities.State law.State law.
State law: a landlord can charge a late fee only if you agreed to it in writing, and it can't be more than 8% of the late payment.
Minn. Stat. 504B.177
Rent-setting softwareMinneapolisBanned in Minneapolis. No rule in Saint Paul.No local rule.Banned since March 2025.
Minneapolis
Banned since March 1, 2026. Landlords can't set rents with software fed by competitors' private data. Tenants can sue.
HOME Line, May 2026 · City of MinneapolisSaint Paul
Nothing in city code. HOME Line's 2026 review of new Saint Paul ordinances lists no rule on rent software.
HOME Line, May 2026Checking a building before you signMinneapolisMinneapolis lets you search by landlord. Saint Paul goes one address at a time.Look up fire inspection grades by address.Search license tiers by owner name.
Minneapolis
Search by landlord. The city's license list shows each property's tier, is updated weekly, and can be searched by owner name. A city dashboard shows any property's tier and score. More on inspections.
Active rental licenses · Rental license tiersSaint Paul
One building at a time. A city map shows each building's fire inspection grade, A through D. You can filter it by grade and click an address to see that building.
Certificate of Occupancy map · C of O program detailsHow to check out a building
Both cities license rentals and inspect them on a schedule. More violations mean more frequent visits. Minneapolis shows renters more of that record before they sign.
MinneapolisRental license tiers
10–19 pts · every 8 yrs
220–39 · every 5 yrs
340+ · every year
- Tiers come from two years of inspections, violations and trash cleanups. A building with no routine inspection in over five years is labeled Tier 1D.
- A separate management score tracks how long an owner takes to meet standards, adding points for repeat inspections, late payments and citations. It raises the license fee but doesn't change the inspection schedule.
- The tier is printed on the license certificate, which has to be posted where tenants can see it.
- Rentals with one to four units generally get inspected when they change owners.
- 311 complaints are confidential. The landlord learns a problem was reported, not who reported it.
Saint PaulFire Certificate of Occupancy grades
A<5 pts · every 6 yrs
B5–under 11 · every 4 yrs
C11–under 40 · every 2 yrs
D40+ · every year
Saint Paul's PAULIE system lets you search public records for a property and report a problem. Address lookups for older permits and licenses aren't available yet while records move over from the old system.
Violation records requested. Saint Paul doesn't publish a citywide dataset of code violations. We asked the Department of Safety and Inspections for code enforcement cases, condemnations and certificate revocations on Oct. 17, 2026, and will add a lookup when the records come back.
Open Saint Paul's inspection map- Every residential building except owner-occupied houses and duplexes needs a Fire Certificate of Occupancy.
- One- and two-unit rentals get a provisional certificate until their first inspection.
- The grade comes from the last fire safety inspection, scored by how serious each violation is.
- The map can be filtered by grade, and you can click an address to see its record. You can't search by owner, and there's no separate score for how management responds.
The upshot: in Minneapolis you can look up a landlord by name and see the tier of every building they hold a license for. In Saint Paul you can check the building you're touring, one address at a time.
Renting with a record
An old conviction, an eviction or thin credit doesn't have to keep you out. Both cities limit what landlords can hold against you, and a lot of old records can be cleared or sealed.
What a landlord can't hold against you
How far back a landlord can look
Similar in both cities. Criminal limits count from sentencing; eviction rules differ by city (see the table). Older records can't be held against you unless the landlord does an individualized assessment.
Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors (Saint Paul)
Felonies
Certain serious felonies
Eviction cases
Settled eviction cases (Minneapolis)
3 yrs
7 yrs
10 yrs
3 yrs
1 yr
| Topic | Minneapolis | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal history | Arrests that didn't lead to a conviction. Misdemeanors more than 3 years old, felonies more than 7, and certain serious felonies more than 10, counted from sentencing. Crimes that are no longer illegal, or that were removed from your record. | Petty misdemeanors. Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors more than 3 years old, felonies more than 7, and certain serious felonies more than 10, counted from sentencing. Some drug and federally required exceptions apply. |
| Evictions | Evictions more than 3 years old, cases that were dismissed or that you won, and settlements more than 1 year old. | Pending cases, cases that didn't end with a writ of recovery, and cases filed 3 or more years before you apply. |
| Credit | Your credit score, or a short credit history. | Your credit score alone, or a thin credit history. A credit report can be used to show unpaid rent or utility bills. |
| In effect since | 2020 | May 14, 2026 |
| Source | City of Minneapolis · Owners guide | Chapter 193, 193.03 · City of Saint Paul |
- Stricter landlords have to look at you as a person. In both cities, a landlord can use looser rules than these, or stricter ones only with an individualized assessment: weighing what happened, how long ago, how old you were and what you've done since. A denial must come in writing within 14 days and explain why the extra information you gave wasn't enough. So send it: letters from employers, past landlords or counselors, proof you paid rent on time, and certificates from programs you finished.
Rules everywhere in Minnesota
- Know the rules before you pay. Before taking an application fee, a landlord has to tell you in writing which screening company they use and what criteria they'll apply. If they reject you for a reason that wasn't on that list, they owe you the fee back. Minn. Stat. 504B.173
- No denials over a pending eviction, or over court files that were expunged or aren't public. Attorney General's handbook
- Fresh court checks. Screening companies have to check court records within 24 hours before issuing a report, so a case that was sealed yesterday shouldn't show up. Attorney General's handbook
- Vouchers in Minneapolis. A landlord can't turn you down just because you use a Section 8 or other rental assistance voucher. The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld that city rule in 2025. Attorney General · HousingLink
- Vouchers elsewhere. Minnesota has no statewide ban on refusing voucher holders. A bill to create one died in 2024.
Clear or seal your record
Clean Slate: how long until it's sealed automatically
Years after your sentence ends, with no new conviction.
Petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors
Gross misdemeanors
Fifth-degree drug felonies
Other eligible felonies
2 yrs
3 yrs
4 yrs
5 yrs
- Clean Slate is automatic. Since 2025, many old convictions are expunged without anyone filing anything. The wait, after your sentence ends and with no new conviction, is 2 years for petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors, 3 for gross misdemeanors, 4 for fifth-degree drug felonies and 5 for other eligible felonies. Some offenses, like domestic assault and DWI, don't qualify. Minn. Stat. 609A.015
- Nobody will tell you it happened. The state crime bureau doesn't contact people whose records were sealed. To see what's still on yours, request it from the BCA. A record still visible either didn't qualify or needs individual review. Minnesota BCA
- Everything else takes a petition. You ask a judge and generally have to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that the benefit to you is worth the cost to the public. If your case was dismissed or you were acquitted, the fee is waived and the burden shifts to the state. Low-income filers can ask for a fee waiver. Minn. Stat. 609A.03
- Eviction records. Courts must seal an eviction case, without you asking, if you won, the case was dismissed, both sides agreed to seal it, or three years have passed since the eviction was ordered. If you settled and kept up your end, the court must seal it when you ask. Minn. Stat. 484.014
Free help
- Ramsey County expungement workshop. Fourth Thursday of each month, 1 to 3 p.m., with the Neighborhood Justice Center, Volunteer Lawyers Network and the county law library. You can't be on probation or parole or have new charges, you need to have paid any Ramsey County fines, and it doesn't handle driving offenses. Ramsey County
- 2nd Chance Saturdays, Minneapolis. Volunteer Lawyers Network offers free expungement help at Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St., on the second Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring a copy of your BCA record. Call 612-752-6605 to confirm it's still running. Sabathani
- Turned down anyway? HOME Line's free tenant hotline can tell you whether a denial broke the rules. See Who to call.
Heat, water and lights
Who runs each utility, who's on the hook for the bill in a rental, and the rules that keep your water, heat and power on. It starts with the services that can be shut off.
Only in Saint Paul
Downtown runs on district energy. Since 1983, District Energy St. Paul has piped hot water from a central plant to heat downtown buildings, and it added cooling in 1993. It serves nearly 200 buildings, about 33 million square feet, including apartment buildings and a few hundred homes, and its combined heat and power plant burns urban tree waste, including ash trees cut down after emerald ash borer arrived, alongside natural gas. If you rent downtown, your building's heat may come from it, and your landlord buys that heat. Minnesota's heat rules for renters still apply. Ever-Green Energy · House Session Daily, July 2020 · District Energy 2025 annual report
Heat, Oct. 1 to April 3068°Fminimum in every room, kitchens and baths included
Landlord shuts it off3x or $500your damages, whichever is more, plus attorney fees
Cold Weather Rule plan10%of income at most, for lower-income households
Energy Assistance$1,400toward heating bills, at most
Lost heat, water or power? Two paths
The landlord didn't pay the bill
- The utility has to post a notice in the building first.
- Give your landlord 48 hours' written notice.
- Pay just the current bill, not old debt or late fees.
- Take what you paid off your next rent.
The landlord shut it off
- Tell the landlord in writing right away.
- If it isn't restored, you can sue for 3x your damages or $500, plus attorney fees.
- No heat in winter is an emergency: get help now.
Water and sewer
- Minneapolis. The city bills water, sewer and stormwater, plus garbage and recycling for buildings with four or fewer units. Renters can open the account in their own name with a copy of the lease. Utility Billing: 612-673-1114. If water is shut off for nonpayment, you pay the full balance plus a $90 reconnection fee, call Utility Billing and fill out a release form. Service comes back within 24 hours. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul. Saint Paul Regional Water Services bills the property owner. A tenant gets the bill only if the owner asks for that. Unpaid water and sewer charges become a lien on the property and can be added to the owner's property taxes. Customer service: 651-266-6350. SPRWS 2026 rates
- If the landlord doesn't pay. When the landlord is responsible for a utility bill and falls behind, the utility has to post a notice in the building before shutting service off. You can pay just the current bill, not the landlord's old debt or late fees, after giving the landlord 48 hours' notice. Then take what you paid off your next rent. This covers water and sewer as well as gas and electric, and a lease can't waive it. Minn. Stat. 504B.216
- If the landlord cuts it off. A landlord who shuts off your water, heat, gas or electricity can owe you three times your damages or $500, whichever is more, plus attorney fees. That drops to your actual damages if you never told the landlord, or if they got service back within a reasonable time after you did. So tell them in writing right away. Minn. Stat. 504B.221
Heat and gas
When the heat rules apply
Each bar is half a month. The shutoff protections below run on the same calendar.
- Minneapolis gas: CenterPoint Energy, 800-245-2377. Electricity comes from Xcel. CenterPoint · WCCO
- Saint Paul gas: Xcel Energy provides both gas and electricity. City of Saint Paul
- 68 degrees, Oct. 1 to April 30. Minnesota law requires landlords to heat every living space, kitchens and bathrooms included, to at least 68°F during those months, unless a utility orders the heat turned down. Minn. Stat. 504B.161
- Minneapolis adds shoulder months: 65°F from Sept. 15 to 30 and May 1 to 15, and 68°F from Oct. 1 to April 30. Report no heat to 311 or 612-673-3000, or 911 after hours. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul requires 68°F measured 5 feet above the floor anywhere in the unit (Legislative Code 34.11(6)). Tell your landlord first. If they don't fix it in a reasonable time, call Fire Safety Inspection at 651-266-8989. City of Saint Paul
- Too hot? We found no Minnesota or Twin Cities rule that sets a maximum indoor temperature or requires air conditioning. Some places have one. Montgomery County, Maryland, requires air conditioning in apartments, townhouses and condos that keeps them at 80°F or below from June 1 to Sept. 30, and Oregon bars most landlords from banning portable cooling units. With hotter summers, renters here may want the same. Montgomery County · Oregon SB 1536
- A longer heat season? Bills introduced in 2026 would have stretched the state heat season to Sept. 1 through May 31. We found no record of them passing. HF 4960 · SF 4104
Electricity
- Xcel Energy supplies electricity in both cities. Call 800-895-4999 to start service or ask about payment plans. If the electric bill is in the landlord's name, the shutoff rules under water and sewer apply. City of Bloomington utility contacts
- Your electric company depends on where you live. Check a past bill or ask your landlord which utility serves the building, then call it to start service. If the bill is in the landlord's name, the shutoff rules under water and sewer apply.
Behind on a bill? Shutoff protection
- Cold Weather Rule. From Oct. 1 to April 30, a gas or electric company can't shut off service that heats your home if you set up a payment plan and keep it. If your household earns 50% of the state median income or less, the plan can't take more than 10% of your income. It isn't automatic: call the utility and ask. Minn. Stat. 216B.096
- Renters qualify, but the account has to be in your name and gas or electric has to be your main heat. Fuel oil, propane and wood aren't covered. Public Utilities Commission consumer line: 651-296-0406. Minnesota PUC
- No shutoffs on weekends, holidays or the day before a holiday, or while you're appealing. 216B.096
- Medical protection. If someone in the home has a medical emergency or relies on life-support equipment, a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner can certify it, and the utility must keep or restore service. It lasts up to six months and can be renewed. If you're behind, you still need a payment agreement. Minn. Stat. 216B.098
- Energy Assistance. Renters and homeowners can get up to $1,400 toward heating bills. A family of four earning up to $73,969 a year qualifies. Apply by May 31, 2027, for this winter. 800-657-3710. Minnesota Commerce Department
Trash and recycling
- Minneapolis collects garbage and recycling for buildings with four or fewer units, billed with water and sewer. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul runs organized trash collection for every residential property with one to four units. Questions: 651-266-6101. City of Saint Paul
- In bigger buildings, askAsk the manager how trash and recycling work and whether you pay for it.
Internet
- Who sells it. In Minneapolis, the wired options are Xfinity cable, Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL, and T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T sell home internet over their cell networks. Check your exact address on the FCC's broadband map. BroadbandMap.com
- Discounts. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program ended in June 2024. Lifeline still takes $9.25 a month off internet if you get SNAP, Medicaid or SSI, or your income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. Minnesota Commerce Department
- Xfinity Internet Essentials is a low-cost plan for households in an assistance program. You can't have had Xfinity service in the last 90 days. Help Me Connect (MDH)
Weather and getting around
Snow emergencies, sidewalks, street sweeping, tornado sirens and the bus. The rules that cost renters the most are the parking ones, so they come first.
Minneapolis · do this nowGet snow emergency alerts
Also sign up for street sweeping alerts on the street sweeping page.
Saint Paul · do this nowGet snow emergency alerts
Snow emergencies are declared by 3 p.m. and start at 9 p.m.
Snow emergencies
Minneapolis
- Minneapolis runs three days of rules. Day 1, starting at 9 p.m.: no parking on either side of Snow Emergency routes. Day 2, starting at 8 a.m.: no parking on the even side of other streets or either side of parkways. Day 3, starting at 8 a.m.: no parking on the odd side of other streets. City of Minneapolis
- Getting towed in Minneapolis costs $222 plus $18 a day in storage at the impound lot, 50 Van White Memorial Blvd., on top of any ticket. Impound lot
- Minneapolis alerts: the Mpls Parking app, text alerts (sign up on the snow updates page), or call the snow line at 612-348-SNOW (7669), which has Spanish, Somali and Hmong options. Snow updates · March 2026 notice
- Winter parking restriction. When snow piles up, Minneapolis can ban parking on the even side of non-route streets until April 1. City of Minneapolis
Saint Paul
- Saint Paul declares by 3 p.m., and rules start at 9 p.m. Night Plow Routes, marked with signs, are plowed from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Day Plow Routes are plowed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Move your car off a street before its turn. A snow emergency lasts 96 hours. Snow FAQs · Plow routes
- Getting towed in Saint Paul costs a $56 ticket plus $246 at the impound lot if you pick the car up before midnight, then $15 a day. Lot: 1129 Cathlin St., across from the State Fairgrounds, 651-502-7480. City of Saint Paul
- Saint Paul alerts: text STPAULSNOW to 888777 (other languages available), sign up for email alerts, or call 651-266-PLOW (7569). City of Saint Paul
- Alternate-side pilot. Last winter (Jan. 4 to April 11, 2026), parts of Snelling-University and Selby-Dale switched to weekly alternate-side parking: one week you park on the even-numbered side, the next week the odd side, and snow emergency rules didn't apply there. The winter before, the pilot was in parts of Payne-Phalen and Highland Park. The city hasn't announced a final decision, so check before this winter. City of Saint Paul · KSTP
- About those apps. Saint Paul used to promote a free Winter Parking app, but its snow pages now list only text, email and phone alerts. In Minneapolis, snow emergency alerts now come through the city's Mpls Parking app. If you have an old snow app on your phone, check it against the city's site before you trust it.
Shoveling
- Minneapolis puts sidewalk clearing on the property owner: within 24 hours after the snow stops for houses and duplexes, and within four daytime hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for everything else, apartment buildings included. If it isn't done, city crews clear it and bill the owner. Report an unshoveled walk to 311. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul gives owners and managers 24 hours. The city can send a crew at the owner's expense. Report it at 651-266-8989. City of Saint Paul
- Can the lease make you shovel? Only if the deal is in a conspicuous written agreement and you get something real for it, like lower rent. Even then, the landlord stays responsible for common areas. Minn. Stat. 504B.161, subd. 2
Street sweeping
- Minneapolis posts no-parking signs at least 24 hours before it sweeps a street, and the ban runs 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can sign up for phone, email or text alerts. The fall sweep started Oct. 19, 2026, and takes about four weeks. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul posts signs 24 to 48 hours ahead, and parking is banned 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on sweep day. The fall sweep started Oct. 19, 2026, and takes four to six weeks. City of Saint Paul · Fall 2026 map
Tornado sirens and shelter
- Test day. Minnesota counties, including Ramsey, test outdoor sirens at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine · Ramsey County
- Any other time, sirens mean a tornado warning or winds of 70 mph or more. They're meant for people outdoors: go inside and check the news or a weather app. There is no all-clear siren. Ramsey County · Minnesota HSEM
- Where to go. In a house or apartment, go to the basement, or to a small interior room on the lowest floor. National Weather Service Ask your manager now where the building wants people to go and whether the basement is unlocked.
- Shelter rules. We found no Minnesota law requiring apartment buildings to provide a storm shelter. Manufactured home parks are different: every park needs a shelter or an evacuation plan, and larger parks licensed since 1988 must have a shelter. Minn. Stat. 327.20
Getting around: transit and bikes
- Bus and light rail: $2 a ride, good for 2½ hours. Youth 6 to 12, seniors 65 and up, and Medicare card holders pay $1. Metro Transit
- TAP card: $1 rides for a year. If your income is at or below 50% of the area median, apply online or in person with proof of identity and income. U.S. citizenship isn't required. Metro Transit
- Metro Mobility is a shared-ride service for people whose disability keeps them from using regular buses. Apply with a form that a health care provider signs; a decision comes within 21 days. 651-602-1111. Metropolitan Council
- Biking in Minneapolis. By the end of 2025 the city had 89 miles of trails, 36 miles of curb-protected bikeways, 24 miles of bike boulevards and 140 miles of painted lanes, all on its bikeway map, updated after each construction season. FOX 9 · City of Minneapolis
- The Grand Rounds is a roughly 50-mile loop of parkways and off-street paths connecting the chain of lakes, Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi. Grand Rounds
- Biking in Saint Paul. The city keeps an interactive bike map and a printable PDF, and is building out the Capital City Bikeway downtown. Ramsey County keeps its own trail maps. City of Saint Paul
- Across the metro and state: MnDOT's Minnesota Bikeways map shows routes beyond city lines. MnDOT
- Bike advocates. Our Streets, founded in 2009 as the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, now works on biking, walking, sidewalks and snow clearing across the region. BikeMN, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, works statewide and at the Capitol. The all-volunteer Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition has held monthly meetings.
Getting outside
Both cities have big park systems, and they're run very differently. This covers where to find parks, rec centers and dog parks, and who's in charge. Hours, fees and programs change, so the links go to the park systems' own pages.
Minneapolis185park properties
Minneapolis22lakes
Minneapolis~50recreation centers
Saint Paul186parks and open spaces
Saint Paul120+miles of trails
Saint Paul26city-run rec centers
Sources: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board · City of Saint Paul
Who's in charge
MinneapolisVoterselect ↓Park Board · 9 commissionershires ↓Superintendent
Saint PaulVoterselect ↓Mayor, with the City Counciloversee ↓Parks and Recreation
Worth knowing
Minneapolis parks have their own elected government. Six commissioners are elected by district and three citywide. The board hires a superintendent and runs the parks with its own budget and police. About 18% of city property taxes go to it.
Its races can get political. In 2024, park workers went on the agency's first strike in its 140-year history, and in 2025 almost every sitting commissioner lost the DFL endorsement to challengers seen as friendlier to labor. Park Board seats are on the same ballot as the mayor and council: see the 2025 District 1 results, for example.
Saint Paul Parks and Recreation is a city department, answering to the mayor and City Council like any other. City of Saint Paul
Dogs off leash
Saint Paul: seven off-leash parks and two dog runs (dashed), open sunrise to sunset. City of Saint Paul
Arlington ArkwrightHigh BridgeLilydaleLower LandingLowertownMeeker IslandUŋčí MakháKellogg MallPedro Park
Minneapolis requires a permit for its off-leash dog parks, sold by the year or by the day, with a lower annual price for city residents (who also need a city pet license). Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Renting with a dog? Pet rules, deposits and fees are under I rent with pets.
Find one near you
Minneapolis park searchMaps, rec centers and beaches below
Saint Paul park finderThen the parks map and Como below
- Park maps · Recreation centers · Beaches
- Parks map · Como Regional Park · Como Zoo and Conservatory
- The Grand Rounds is a roughly 50-mile loop of parkways and off-street paths past the lakes, Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi. Grand Rounds Bike maps are under Weather and getting around.
Disability and accommodations
If you have a disability, your landlord has to make reasonable exceptions to its rules, and has to let you make reasonable physical changes, so you can use your home like anyone else. Here's what you can ask for, who pays, and where to go if the answer is no. State law covers most rentals in Minnesota; some owners who rent out rooms in their own home are exempt, so get advice if that's your situation. This is general information, not legal advice.
Time to file1 yearfor a complaint to the state, HUD or your city; 2 years to sue in federal court
Animal fees$0extra fees or deposits for a service or support animal
Built after19914+ unit buildings need basic access features: every unit with an elevator, ground floor without
Who paysYoufor most physical changes in private housing; buildings that get federal funding usually pay
What you can ask for
- Accommodations: changes to rules. A landlord has to make reasonable exceptions to rules, policies, practices or services when you need them because of a disability. Examples: waiving late fees when your disability income arrives after rent is due, or allowing a support animal in a no-pet building. Landlords can't charge for accommodations. Minn. Stat. 363A.10 · Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
- Modifications: changes to the place. A landlord has to let you make reasonable physical changes, like grab bars, a ramp or a wider doorway. In most private housing you pay for them. The landlord can ask you to put the inside of the unit back when you leave, but only where that's reasonable, and normal wear and tear doesn't count. Ramps and changes to shared areas don't have to be undone. The landlord can ask for a description of the work, permits and a professional job, but can't raise your deposit because you asked, and can only rarely require an escrow for putting things back. A private landlord can't make you move to another unit instead. Minn. Stat. 363A.10 · HUD and Justice Department guidance
- In federally funded housing, the landlord usually pays. If the housing provider itself gets federal money, like public housing, structural changes you need are generally its cost, unless that would be an undue financial and administrative burden. That provider may offer another unit that already fits your needs. HUD and Justice Department guidance
- Minnesota's definition is broader. State law also covers people with a record of an impairment, people regarded as having one, and conditions that come and go. Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
How to ask
1Askany time, even during an eviction case. Tip: put it in writing.
2They can checkthat you have a disability and how the request connects to it
?They decideNo answer can be treated as a no.
- No magic words. You don't need a form or special language. Say what you need and that it's because of a disability. You can ask at any point in your tenancy, including during an eviction case, though asking doesn't stop the case by itself, so call HOME Line or legal aid right away. Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
- What they can ask. A landlord can ask you to verify the disability and how the request relates to it, but generally not for the details of your diagnosis. They have to look at each request on its own and talk through alternatives with you, and you don't have to accept an alternative that doesn't meet your need. Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
- When they can say no. If the request would be an undue financial and administrative burden or would fundamentally change how they run the property. State law also doesn't require renting to someone whose tenancy would be a direct threat to others' health or safety, or would cause substantial physical damage to others' property; HOME Line notes the threat has to be one that can't be eliminated or significantly reduced. Not responding can be treated as a denial.
Service and support animals
- No pet fees. A landlord can't charge an extra fee, charge or deposit for a service or support animal you have as an accommodation. You're still responsible for any damage the animal causes. Minn. Stat. 504B.113
- Paperwork. A landlord can ask for documentation for each animal from a licensed professional confirming your disability and your need for the animal, but not if the disability or need is obvious or already known. They can't ask for your medical records or to contact your providers. Letters from businesses that mainly sell animal certifications, common online, generally don't count. Minn. Stat. 504B.113
- No-pet rules don't apply, and no registration is required. A landlord has to judge the specific animal, not ban a breed across the board, but can require you to follow local rules, like vaccination records. Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
Newer buildings
- Built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, buildings with four or more units must meet basic access rules: all units if there's an elevator, and ground-floor units if not. That means accessible common areas and routes, doors wide enough for a wheelchair, reachable switches and thermostats, walls reinforced for grab bars, and kitchens and bathrooms a wheelchair can use. Minn. Stat. 363A.10, subd. 1 and 2
If the answer is no
- Get advice first. HOME Line (612-728-5767) can help you write a request or respond to a denial. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Disability Law Center (1-800-292-4150) also helps; HOME Line says Legal Aid serves people with disabilities regardless of income. Legal Aid presentation, via HOME Line
- Minnesota Department of Human Rights: file within one year of what happened. A charge counts as filed only once the department receives it signed and notarized, so contact them well before the year is up. Discrimination hotline 1-833-454-0148, main line 651-539-1100. MDHR
- Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights: for discrimination in Minneapolis within the last year. File online, through 311, or call the complaint line at 612-673-3012. City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity: for discrimination in Saint Paul, within one year. Call 651-266-8966 or email [email protected]; an investigator drafts the charge at no cost, and you have to sign and return it before the deadline. City of Saint Paul
- Federal: a complaint to HUD has to be filed within one year, and a federal lawsuit within two years; time while a HUD complaint is pending doesn't count against the two. 42 U.S.C. 3610 · 42 U.S.C. 3613
- Retaliation is illegal too. State law bars reprisal against someone who opposes discrimination or files a complaint. Keep copies of what you sent and when. Minn. Stat. 363A.15
Looking to act?
How your council voted, organizing your building, rent help and your neighborhood group.
How they voted
The stronger a ward's color, the more often its council member voted with renters on contested votes about rent limits, eviction notice and tenant protections. Tap a ward to see every vote, the source for it, how close that member's last race was, and how to reach them. Both cities use ranked-choice voting, and each margin shown is the winner's first-choice lead over second place. Ten of the 20 members led by fewer than 2,000 first-choice votes. Renter shares are 2020 census counts.
The mayors
Mayor of Minneapolis
Jacob Frey on renter issues
In office since 2018. His third term began Jan. 5, 2026. In 2026 he vetoed two ordinances that would have lengthened the notice before an eviction filing, saying "I am not convinced that more time will result in improved outcomes." The council's first override attempt fell two votes short, and the second also failed, according to the council record.
Mayor of Saint Paul
Kaohly Vang Her on renter issues
Sworn in Jan. 2, 2026, the city's first woman and first Hmong American mayor. In March 2026 she declined to sign the council's 60-day pre-eviction notice ordinance, saying "I am concerned that this ordinance will produce the opposite result." It took effect May 14 without her signature.
How we scored the votes
- We counted contested votes from 2022 through October 2026 on rent stabilization, pre-eviction notice, renter protections and tenant rent appeals. Each one is backed by council minutes or news reports that name how members voted.
- A vote counts as with renters when it kept or expanded a tenant protection, and against renters when it weakened one or blocked one from moving forward.
- Unanimous votes are listed on each member's card but left out of the score, because they don't separate one member from another.
- Abstentions don't count. Neither do votes from earlier council terms that a member wasn't part of.
- For the two failed Minneapolis veto overrides in 2026, only Ward 11 member Jamison Whiting's votes are confirmed by name, from the voting record his office posts. Other members' override votes are shown as not confirmed and aren't scored.
- The 2026 Saint Paul ballot vote is scored by the vote itself. The council majority said it acted on the city attorney's legal concerns.
Renter shares are 2020 census counts of renter and owner households, added up from every census block inside each ward. The wards drawn in 2022 follow block edges, so no estimating is needed. Each ward card also shows a more recent comparison from Minnesota Compass neighborhood survey data (2020–2024), spread across wards using 2020 household counts. Census counts and block boundaries from the Minnesota Geospatial Commons.
Ward boundaries come from the Minnesota Secretary of State's precinct file (May 2026 snapshot, via civic-data-boundaries-us-mn-precincts), merged by ward and simplified for this page. Confirm your ward with the city lookup linked above each map.
Organize my building
One tenant asking for a repair is easy to ignore. Most of a building asking together is harder to ignore. Minnesota law protects your right to organize, and local groups will help you do it for free.
SinceJan. 2025Minnesota law protects tenant associations
Presumed retaliation90 daysrent hikes, service cuts or eviction filings after you organize
Bad-faith violations$1,000up to that much each, plus attorney fees
You organizeDay 90
Rent raised, services cut or eviction filed in this window? Presumed retaliation. The landlord has to prove it wasn't.
Your right to organize
Since January 2025, Minnesota law lets tenants form associations, hand out flyers in common areas and at each unit, survey neighbors and hold meetings in the building. Your landlord can't require permission first or make rules against peaceful organizing. Raising your rent, cutting services or filing an eviction within 90 days of organizing is presumed to be retaliation, and the landlord has to prove it wasn't. A landlord who breaks the law in bad faith owes up to $1,000 for each violation, plus attorney fees.
Some limits: an organizer who doesn't live in the building has to be with a tenant who does, and your landlord doesn't have to give you anyone's contact info. The law doesn't require landlords to bargain with you. House summary of the 2024 law · HOME Line right-to-organize handout
How to start
- Learn your rights. Call the HOME Line hotline at 612-728-5767 or request a training (HOME Line charges a fee for most groups) for your building.
- Talk to neighbors one at a time. Find out if they have the same problems, and keep a contact sheet. HOME Line's guide
- Hold a first meeting. Bring an agenda and pick a facilitator, a note-taker and someone to run sign-in. HOME Line's meeting zine
- Vote to form your association. A majority vote, secret ballot or petition all work. Adopt a simple operating agreement. MN Renter's Guide to Tenant Organizing
- Pick one or two winnable issues. Write a demand with a deadline, and figure out who can say yes: the owner, the management company or the city. Same guide
- Send a signed, dated letter. Include your demands and HOME Line's handout on your right to organize. HOME Line's guide
- Turn up the pressure if they don't answer. Meet with the landlord, file inspection complaints, contact your council member, go to the press, or take the case to housing court together. HOME Line's guide
Keep meeting notes short and share them only with people who need them, because records can end up with management. MN Renter's Guide
Who can help
Twin Cities Tenants
Tenant union, both citiesA citywide tenant union launched in 2026 by building unions, including Inquilinxs Unidxs and the South Minneapolis Tenant Union. Their sign-up form asks what kind of building you live in, how organized your neighbors are, and what you need: help organizing, research on your landlord, or a connection to other unions.
HOME Line organizers
Free, statewideFree organizers who help tenants form an association, choose their top issues and plan a campaign. They also run a monthly Tenant Coalition meeting.
Hotline: 612-728-5767Email an organizer
Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia
Building unions, MinneapolisUnited Renters for Justice organizes building tenant unions and backed Progress Residential tenants who won rent freezes, refunds and repairs. Office at 3715 Chicago Ave.
Twin Cities DSA
Tenant organizing, metroThe chapter's Twin Cities Tenants working group organizes for tenant unions around the metro.
Tenant Union Federation
National trainingA national federation of tenant unions. Its "Union School" teaches landlord research, organizing, bargaining and strikes to teams of three or more.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
Free lawyers, MinneapolisRepresented the Brentwood Tenants Union in housing court. Call them when your association is ready to go to court over repairs.
Intake: 1-877-696-6529mylegalaid.org
We couldn't find a Saint Paul building union with a public page yet. Twin Cities Tenants and HOME Line both work in Saint Paul.
What organizing has won here
Brentwood Apartments, Minneapolis. The Brentwood Tenants Union won a court order for repairs in 2025, then a $49,500 penalty against the owner in March 2026, with $750 a day more until repairs are done. Legal Aid called it, to its knowledge, "the largest fine ever awarded to a Tenants Union in Hennepin County Housing Court." MPR News, Sept. 2025
Progress Residential homes, north Minneapolis. Renters of single-family homes owned by one of the country's largest corporate landlords organized with United Renters for Justice and won rent freezes, refunds, repairs and moving costs. In January 2023 the City Council approved agreements on timely repairs and protection against retaliation.
LPM Apartments, Minneapolis. Tenants in the roughly 350-unit complex adopted bylaws and elected representatives in 2025. Their rent escrow cases didn't win damages, which is part of why unions keep organizing after a court case ends.
Get or give rent help
Where to apply for help with rent and utilities, and how to back the programs and neighbors keeping people housed. Programs change often; each entry shows when we last confirmed it (October 2026 unless noted).
Saint Paul emergency rent$3,500at most, once every 12 months; apply on the 1st or 2nd, then a lottery
Renter's Credit$2,720at most, on your state taxes, income under $77,570 (tax year 2025)
Energy Assistance$1,400at most toward heat, plus up to $600 in a crisis
Homelessness prevention$40Mfrom the state in 2026, through local agencies; ask 211
Get help
Behind on rent or facing an eviction notice? Apply for every program you might qualify for, and call HOME Line for free advice. Not sure where to start? Dial 2-1-1.
Rent Help Hennepin
Minneapolis · eviction riskCounty emergency rent help for renters at risk of eviction. Check whether you qualify through RentHelpHennepin, linked from the county's eviction prevention page, which also lists free mediation and legal help.
Hennepin County emergency help
Minneapolis · crisis costsShort-term help when a financial crisis threatens your health or safety, including housing costs. Requires a phone interview.
Phone: 612-596-1300hennepincounty.gov
Saint Paul Emergency Rent Assistance
Saint Paul · up to $3,500For Saint Paul renters at or below 80% of area median income with a 30-day notice to quit, a notice of unpaid rent, or a court summons after an unexpected hardship. Check with the program if you're not sure your notice qualifies. Applications open only on the 1st and 2nd of each month, and recipients are chosen by lottery. Pays the landlord directly, once every 12 months. Not available after your court date or once a writ is issued.
Phone: 651-266-6671stpaul.gov/era
Ramsey County Emergency Assistance
Saint Paul · rent and utilitiesHelp with rent, housing costs and utilities. Apply online at MNbenefits, which the county calls the fastest way. Submit only one application. The county warns processing is slower than usual.
Phone: 651-266-4884ramseycountymn.gov
Family Homeless Prevention (FHPAP)
Statewide · $40 million in 2026The Legislature passed $40 million in 2026 for households at risk of homelessness, delivered through local FHPAP agencies. The state expects it to reach about 11,000 Minnesotans. Ask 211 or your county for the provider near you.
Minnesota Renter's Credit
Tax credit · up to $2,720Money back for renters with household income under $77,570 (tax year 2025). Claim it on your state return with Schedule M1RENT and the Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) your landlord must give you by Jan. 31. No CRP? Ask the Department of Revenue for a Rent Paid Affidavit.
Revenue: 651-296-3781revenue.state.mn.us
Energy Assistance
Heat and utilitiesGrants of $200 to $1,400 toward heating bills, plus up to $600 in a crisis, for households at or below 50% of state median income. Apply Oct. 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. Payments depend on federal funding arriving.
Give help
When federal immigration enforcement surged in the Twin Cities in early 2026, neighbors built rent funds fast. By March, 124 groups had given out $8.6 million, $7.1 million of it for rent. By May, donations had dropped sharply while families were still behind. Many of those funds have since wound down, so check before you give.
Wilson Foundation, Mpls Response & Recovery
Give · matchedMatches donations and sends them to vetted nonprofits that pay landlords. Renters can't apply here; social workers, schools and congregations refer families.
Stand With Minnesota directory
Find a groupA volunteer-run directory of Twin Cities groups taking donations, including mutual aid collectives and legal aid groups. It doesn't collect or distribute money itself.
Other ways to help
- Give to your neighborhood. Ask a school social worker, congregation or tenant union which local fund is still paying rent.
- Volunteer at a clinic. HOME Line and legal aid groups need help reaching renters before eviction hearings.
- Push for permanent help. In February 2026, a $50 million rent aid bill stalled on a tied House committee vote, and Twin Cities Tenants pressed the state for a $50 million rent relief fund. The Legislature later passed the $40 million FHPAP boost. Tell your state legislators what you think rent help should look like.
Federal programs
- Section 8 waitlists are closed. Minneapolis's housing authority last opened its voucher waitlist in June 2019. Saint Paul's last opened in November 2024, with 1,200 households drawn by lottery. Watch both agencies and HousingLink for the next opening.
- Proposed time limits and work rules. In February 2026, HUD proposed letting housing authorities set time limits as short as two years and work requirements of up to 40 hours a week for rental aid, exempting older adults and people with disabilities. It was a proposal, not a final rule, when reported.
- Emergency Housing Vouchers are running out. HUD told housing agencies in 2025 to expect no additional funding, with money expected to run out by the end of 2026. If you have one, ask your housing agency what comes next.
Meet your neighbors
Knowing the people around you is a practical safety net. It means someone to borrow a ladder from, trade child care with, check on during a heat wave or cold snap, or compare notes with about the landlord. When a 1995 heat wave killed 739 people in Chicago in one week, sociologist Eric Klinenberg found that many of the victims died alone, and the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory says people in connected neighborhoods prepare for, respond to and recover more quickly from natural hazards. Still, only about 3 in 10 Americans say they know all or most of their neighbors, according to the same advisory, and renters move far more often than owners: 21.7% of renters moved in 2017, compared with 5.5% of owners. WBEZ
Neighbors also get a say in what happens on their streets. Saint Paul's 17 district councils review zoning, land use and development projects and bring residents' input to the city. In Minneapolis, every neighborhood is represented by an independent neighborhood organization that follows city plans and helps residents weigh in. Find your neighborhood group on the map below.
Tap an area on the map to see its neighborhood group and how to reach it.
What these groups are
- Saint Paul has 17 district councils. The city drew 17 planning districts in 1975 and set up a formal way for residents to give feedback on city decisions. Each council is an independent nonprofit with a volunteer board elected by neighbors. They review zoning, land use, transportation and development projects, get notice of new business license applications, and keep a district plan. City of Saint Paul · History
- Minneapolis has 84 neighborhoods served by 66 organizations. Several groups have merged as city money shrank. Midtown Phillips and East Phillips may be next: their boards put the merger to a community vote in April 2026 to combine. City support fell from about $20 million a year to about $4 million after the Neighborhood Revitalization Program ended. City directory, Oct. 2026 · Star Tribune, 2022
- The city's rules include renters. To get city funding, a Minneapolis neighborhood group has to open membership to all residents, renters included, can't charge dues, can't make you attend a set number of meetings before you vote, and has to reach out to people who aren't involved yet, like renters. Part of the money is weighted toward neighborhoods with more poverty and more households paying too much for housing. Neighborhoods 2020 guidelines
- These aren't wards. Your council member represents a ward, which has different lines. See Who represents me for that map.
National Night Out
- When it is. National Night Out is held the first Tuesday in August. In 2026 that was Aug. 4, which Saint Paul marked as its 42nd annual event. It started in 1984 as a project of the National Association of Town Watch, with about 400 communities in 23 states. It now reaches up to 17,000 communities in all 50 states. Saint Paul Police Department · City of Minneapolis · WCCO / CBS Minnesota
- Neighbors plan it, and police visits are optional. Police departments have promoted National Night Out since it began, but in the Twin Cities it has grown into neighbors' own block parties, and many skip the police visit. Each Minneapolis neighborhood plans its own event, and registering is free. Hosts can ask for a police officer on the application or call 311 to request a fire truck, police dog or mounted patrol. In 2021, about 90% of the 1,407 registered Minneapolis parties did not ask for a police visit, the Minnesota Reformer reported, citing the city's National Night Out coordinator. Saint Paul asks every party to register, even one that won't close a street, and hosts request police or fire visits there. City of Minneapolis: Registration details · Minnesota Reformer · Saint Paul Police Department
- How to find or host one. Ask your district council in Saint Paul or your neighborhood organization in Minneapolis, and check neighborhood social media. Some Saint Paul district councils host block parties themselves. To host, register by late July. In 2026 Saint Paul closed registration July 29. Saint Paul allows street closures only on residential roads and requires a petition signed by neighbors plus a map. Minneapolis won't close bus routes or high-traffic streets. Saint Paul Public Libraries' Pop Up Saint Paul lends block party kits. Saint Paul district councils · Minneapolis neighborhood organizations · Saint Paul NNO registration · Minneapolis NNO registration · Saint Paul Police community engagement
Other ways to meet your neighbors
- Open Streets Minneapolis. These events close major streets to cars for a day so people can walk, bike and roll, with free activities and businesses open along the route. In 2026 the city co-hosted events on West Broadway, Nicollet Avenue and Hennepin Avenue in September and October. Our Streets, which organized Open Streets for more than a decade, ran its own events on Lyndale Avenue in June and in Cedar-Riverside in September. Watch for 2027 dates. City of Minneapolis · City of Minneapolis news · Our Streets · Our Streets
- Paint the Pavement (Saint Paul). Residents or groups can paint a mural on a low-traffic residential street, either at an intersection or mid-block. It builds community and reminds drivers to slow down. Public Works traffic engineering and the neighbors next to the site must approve the location. City of Saint Paul Public Works
- Saint Paul street festivals. The West Side's Cinco de Mayo celebration on Cesar Chavez Street has run for more than 40 years. Grand Old Day is a free festival on Grand Avenue in June. Rondo Days, held in July, honors the history of the Rondo neighborhood, which Interstate 94 split in the 1960s. The free Selby Ave. JazzFest marked its 25th year in September 2026. MPR News · The Current · Visit Saint Paul · MPR News
- Art-A-Whirl (Minneapolis). Every May, artists, galleries and businesses in Northeast Minneapolis open their studios to visitors at more than 100 locations. 2026 was the event's 31st year. Minneapolis Art (mplsart.com)
- Block clubs. A block club is a group of neighbors on one block or in one apartment building who look out for each other and work on local problems together. In Minneapolis, start one through your area crime prevention specialist. Saint Paul calls block clubs "a great way to make your community safer by getting to know your neighbors," and its crime prevention staff will come to meetings. City of Minneapolis · Saint Paul Police Department
- Community gardens. As of 2024, Minneapolis parks had 11 free community gardens. Applications ran September through February, and priority went to city residents without other land who plan to grow food. Minnesota Daily
Every group
- District 1, Eastview, Conway, Battle Creek and Highwood Hills: Southeast Community Organization, 651-578-7600
- District 2, Greater East Side: Greater Eastside Community Council, 651-774-2220
- District 3, West Side: West Side Community Organization, 651-293-1708. Runs a renter organizing program, including the West Side Tenant Union. WSCO Housing Justice
- District 4, Dayton's Bluff: Dayton's Bluff Community Council, 651-772-2075
- District 5, Payne-Phalen: Payne-Phalen Community Council, 651-774-5234
- District 6, North End and South Como: North End Neighborhood Organization, 651-488-4485
- District 7, Thomas-Dale/Frogtown: Frogtown Neighborhood Association, 651-236-8699
- District 8, Summit-University: Summit-University Planning Council, 651-228-1855
- District 9, West Seventh/Fort Road: West 7th/Fort Road Federation, 651-298-5599. Has recruited for board seats open to a "homeowner or renter." Villager, Oct. 2024
- District 10, Como Park: Como Community Council, 651-243-1085
- District 11, Hamline-Midway: Hamline Midway Coalition, 651-494-7682. Has a Neighbor and Housing Stability Committee and points renters to HOME Line. Hamline Midway Coalition
- District 12, St. Anthony Park: St. Anthony Park Community Council, 651-649-5992
- District 13, Union Park: Union Park District Council, 651-645-6887. Describes its area as a 50/50 mix of renters and homeowners. Union Park District Council
- District 14, Macalester-Groveland: Macalester-Groveland Community Council, 651-695-4000. Has an at-large renter representative seat on its board and a renter resources page. Board page
- District 15, Highland Park: Highland District Council, 651-695-4005
- District 16, Summit Hill: Summit Hill Association, 651-222-1222
- District 17, Downtown (CapitolRiver): CapitolRiver Council, 651-221-0488
Source: Saint Paul district council directory
- Armatage: Armatage Neighborhood Association
- Audubon Park: Audubon Neighborhood Association
- Bancroft: Bancroft Neighborhood Association
- Beltrami, Northeast Park: Lower Northeast Neighborhoods Association. Renter education and engagement program that pays renters to take part
- Bottineau: Bottineau Neighborhood Association
- Bryant: Bryant Neighborhood Organization. Housing resources page, including emergency rental assistance
- Bryn Mawr: Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association
- Cedar-Isles-Dean: Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Association
- Cedar-Riverside: Cedar-Riverside Community Council
- Central: Central Area Neighborhood Development Org.
- Cleveland: Cleveland Neighborhood Association
- Columbia Park: Columbia Park Neighborhood Association
- Como, Marcy-Holmes, Nicollet Island-East Bank, University: East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership. Renters page with tenant rights, legal aid and eviction resources
- Cooper, Hiawatha, Howe, Longfellow: Longfellow Community Council. Renter resources page
- Corcoran: Corcoran Neighborhood Organization
- Downtown East, Downtown West: Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Assoc.
- East Bde Maka Ska: East Bde Maka Ska Neighborhood Association
- East Harriet: East Harriet Neighborhood Association. Renter Advisory Committee that meets monthly
- East Isles: East Isles Neighborhood Association
- East Phillips, Midtown Phillips: Midtown-East Phillips Neighborhood Association
- Elliot Park: Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc.. Lists tenant rights among its focus areas
- Field, Regina, Northrop: Field-Regina-Northrop Neighborhood Group
- Folwell: Folwell Neighborhood Association
- Fulton: Fulton Neighborhood Association
- Hale, Page, Diamond Lake: Hale, Page, Diamond Lake Community Assoc.
- Harrison: Harrison Neighborhood Association
- Hawthorne: Hawthorne Neighborhood Council
- Holland: Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Jordan: Jordan Area Community Council
- Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park, Wenonah: Nokomis East Neighborhood Association. Renters and housing page
- Kenny: Kenny Neighborhood Association.
- Kenwood: Kenwood Neighborhood Organization
- Kingfield: Kingfield Neighborhood Association
- Lind-Bohanon: Lind-Bohanon Neighborhood Association
- Linden Hills: Linden Hills Neighborhood Council
- Logan Park: Logan Park Neighborhood Association
- Loring Park: Citizens for a Loring Park Community
- Lowry Hill: Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association
- Lowry Hill East: Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association. Renters can vote and run for any board seat
- Lyndale: Lyndale Neighborhood Association
- Lynnhurst: Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association
- Marshall Terrace: Marshall Terrace Neighborhood Organization
- McKinley: McKinley Community
- Near North, Willard Hay: Northside Residents Redevelopment Council
- North Loop: North Loop Neighborhood Association
- Phillips West: Phillips West Neighborhood Organization. Housing support page
- Powderhorn Park: Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association. Renter Support Fund gives cash grants to renters struggling with housing costs
- Prospect Park: Prospect Park Association. Renter resources page
- Seward: Seward Neighborhood Group. Renter engagement program
- Sheridan: Sheridan Neighborhood Organization. Renter engagement and education program
- Shingle Creek, Victory: Shingle Creek Victory Council
- South Uptown: South Uptown Neighborhood Association
- St. Anthony East: St. Anthony East Neighborhood Association. Renters page
- St. Anthony West: St. Anthony West Neighborhood Organization. Renter engagement initiative
- Standish, Ericsson: Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association
- Stevens Square: Stevens Square Community Organization. Rental discount program
- Sumner-Glenwood: Heritage Park Neighborhood Association
- Tangletown: Tangletown Neighborhood Association. Renter resources page
- Ventura Village: Ventura Village
- Waite Park: Waite Park Community Council
- Webber-Camden: Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization
- West Maka Ska: West Maka Ska Neighborhood Council
- Whittier: Whittier Alliance. Housing search help
- Windom: Windom Community Council
- Windom Park: Windom Park Citizens In Action
Source: Minneapolis neighborhood directory, Oct. 9, 2026, which lists contact emails. We link a website only where we confirmed it.
Renter policy and politics
Renter groups, the biggest landlords, housing supply, the landlord lobby, evictions, Housing First and subsidies.
Protect renters or build more?
Can a city protect renters and still get new homes built? A common argument says no: that rent stabilization and right to repair scare off builders and make the shortage worse. We checked that claim against the research and the Twin Cities permit numbers.
Short answer
Saint Paul's law isn't the strict kind of rent control most studies look at. It exempts rentals built after 2004 and lets rent rise more after a tenant moves out, and no study has measured what it did to construction. From 2023 to 2025, permits fell about 70% in both cities, including Minneapolis, which has no rent control. Saint Paul's apartment permits did fall first, in the year after rent control passed, and studies of older, stricter laws do find less rental housing. Repair-and-deduct laws exist in most states, and the only study we found showed no significant effect on rents or supply.
More data coming: our records request
We've asked Saint Paul for every rent stabilization exception request, self-certification and appeal since 2024, with how each one was decided. When the records arrive, we'll sort them, post the results here and share the files on the How this was made page.
Permits fell about 70% in both cities, 2023 to 2025
Saint Paul counts all units; Minneapolis counts units in buildings of five or more. Same source, slightly different measures. 2020 to 2022 aren't shown; Saint Paul topped 2,000 a year in 2020 and 2021.
Saint Paul, all unitsMinneapolis, 5+ unit buildingsNot reported
Permit numbers, year by year
| Year | Saint Paul, all units | Minneapolis, buildings of 5+ units |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Not reported | 4,646 |
| 2020–2021 | Over 2,000 a year | Not listed |
| 2022 | 1,169 | Not listed |
| 2023 | 1,204 | 1,043 |
| 2024 | 404 | 351 |
| 2025 | 357 | 300 |
Both series come from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis but count slightly different things. From 2023 to 2025, Saint Paul fell about 70% and Minneapolis about 71%. Measured from each city's own peak, Saint Paul fell more than 80% and Minneapolis about 94%. Minneapolis Fed on Saint Paul, June 2026 · Minneapolis Fed on Minneapolis, Oct. 2026
Saint Paul's law isn't San Francisco's
The studies that find the biggest supply losses look at strict caps with few exceptions. Saint Paul's law was rewritten in 2022 to exempt new buildings for 20 years, exempt affordable housing, and let rents rise up to 8% plus inflation after a tenant moves out. In 2025 the council permanently exempted rentals built after 2004. More than 1,700 landlords applied for higher increases after a move-out, and the city granted 1,580 requests in 2023 and 2024.
Most U.S. rent laws exempt new construction, so the Urban Institute says any effect on new building "remains speculative". The benefit for tenants is better established: in San Francisco, rent control made covered renters about 20% less likely to move and more likely to stay in the city.
What the Twin Cities numbers show
In the year after Saint Paul passed rent control, its apartment permits fell 48% while Minneapolis's rose 16%. Minneapolis's decline came later. But Minneapolis never passed rent control, and its multifamily permits fell to 300 units in 2025, the lowest since 2008. The Minneapolis Fed cited borrowing, operating and construction costs, weak demand, slow rent growth, city rules and investor worry about possible rent stabilization.
The drop was national. Construction starts in buildings with five or more units fell from about 531,000 in 2022 to about 336,000 in 2024 as the Federal Reserve raised its target rate to 5.25% to 5.5%. Housing production fell in 10 of 12 peer metro areas from 2023 to 2025.
No study has measured what Saint Paul's ordinance did to construction. Libby Starling, a senior community development adviser at the Minneapolis Fed, said its researchers "didn't design an analysis to say what is the causal impact of rent stabilization on housing production." And after Saint Paul permanently exempted newer buildings in May 2025, permits hadn't rebounded by year's end: 357 units that year.
Building more and protecting renters
Minneapolis passed its 2019 renter protections and its 2021 right to counsel during its biggest multifamily permitting stretch in recent history. From 2017 to 2022, its housing stock grew 12% while rents rose 1%, compared with 4% and 14% in the rest of Minnesota, according to Pew. The Minneapolis Fed credits slower rent growth there to both new supply and weaker demand after 2020.
Pro-housing advocates haven't always opposed tenant protections. In 2018, Minneapolis's Neighbors for More Neighbors backed capping yearly rent hikes, just-cause eviction and a right to counsel along with zoning reform. A preliminary University of Minnesota study found no drop in permits after states passed just-cause eviction laws.
There are tradeoffs. One national study linked stronger tenant rights to fewer evictions and higher median rents. An Urban Institute analysis tied rent stabilization to 9.9% less rental housing overall but 42.1% more units affordable to the lowest-income renters.
Is lower turnover a bad thing?
Critics often point out that rent limits make tenants stay put. In San Francisco, covered renters were about 20% less likely to move. Economists call part of that "misallocation": people staying in apartments that no longer fit their needs because moving would cost them their rent. A study of New York put that cost at about $200 per apartment a year in the 1990s.
From a tenant's side, staying put is often the point. Low-income families move far more often than others, and frequent moves are linked to worse health, behavior and school performance for children, according to a Center for Housing Policy review. The San Francisco study found rent control helped covered tenants stay in the city.
Turnover costs landlords too. The National Apartment Association estimates that move-outs cost a typical 225-unit building more than $160,000 a year, and apartment operators increasingly treat keeping residents as a way to raise income.
One wrinkle in Saint Paul: since 2022, rent can rise up to 8% plus inflation after a tenant moves out, so a tenant leaving can bring a landlord a bigger increase than a tenant staying. The city granted 1,580 of those requests in 2023 and 2024.
Right to repair and housing supply
Repair-and-deduct is old and common. Most states recognize some version of it. California's law has been on the books for over a century and lets tenants deduct up to one month's rent, twice a year. Minnesota tenants can repair and deduct only with a court order.
The only study we found, using 1968–72 data, showed repair-and-deduct had no significant effect on rents or supply. Landlord groups argue it adds cost and liability, and the Minnesota Multi Housing Association warned it could push affordable homes off the market. The article cites no data for that. Duluth's version is newer, and local coverage has carried landlord predictions but no reported outcomes yet.
What critics point to
Critics point mostly to studies of older, stricter laws. In San Francisco, landlords whose buildings came under rent control cut their rental housing supply by 15%, mostly by selling to owner-occupants or redeveloping. A 2024 review of the research found that 12 of 16 studies of rental supply found a drop, though its author also found rent control effective at slowing rent growth for covered units.
In Saint Paul, economists estimated that passing the original 2021 ordinance, before it was loosened, lowered property values 6% to 7%, about $1.6 billion. Saint Paul apartment permits fell 48% in a year while Minneapolis's rose 16%, according to the Pioneer Press. Developers said rent control was chilling building at Highland Bridge, and developers interviewed by the Minneapolis Fed in 2026 still named it as a reason.
They also question who benefits. The same Saint Paul study also found the tenants who gained most had higher incomes and were more likely to be white.
What the evidence says
Protections don't build homes, and a rent cap alone won't end a shortage. But the claim that renter protections caused the Twin Cities' construction collapse doesn't fit the numbers. From 2023 to 2025, building fell just as fast in the city without rent control. It fell nationwide when interest rates rose, and it hadn't come back in Saint Paul by the end of the year new buildings were exempted. The research supports building more housing and protecting renters who already live here.
Rent escrow
Rent escrow is a court case that lets a Minnesota renter pay rent to the court instead of the landlord until repairs or other violations are fixed. A judge then decides who gets the money and what the landlord has to do. It works the same in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the rest of the state. Minn. Stat. 504B.385
The short version
- Tell your landlord about the problem in writing and wait 14 days, or wait until a city inspector's repair deadline passes.
- Keep paying rent until you file. Then pay what you owe, and all rent that comes due, to the court.
- Withholding rent without filing, or not depositing all of it, can get you evicted.
Don't just stop paying rent. Unpaid rent can lead to an eviction case even when repairs are overdue. Rent escrow is the safer route: you keep paying, but to the court. LawHelpMN, 2026
Notice first14 daysAfter your written repair request, or once an inspector's deadline passes. 504B.385, subd. 1
Court date10 to 14 daysAfter you file and deposit any rent due. 504B.385, subd. 5
Filing fee, Hennepin County$70Since July 1, 2025. You can ask the court to waive it. Court fees · HOU301
Why it works this way
- Landlords have to keep rentals livable. Minnesota law requires a home in reasonable repair that meets local housing codes. LawHelpMN, 2026
- But you can't just stop paying. Rent you don't pay can be the basis for an eviction, though repair problems may be a defense. With escrow, you pay rent to the court instead, and a judge decides who gets it. LawHelpMN, 2026
- Repair and deduct is local. Duluth has its own rule letting renters make some repairs and take the cost off the rent. Elsewhere, legal aid's advice is not to deduct repair costs on your own. Saint Paul voters decide on a similar rule on Nov. 3. LawHelpMN, 2026
- The goal is repairs. "The main point of a rent escrow case is to get repairs made, not to get rent back." LawHelpMN, 2026
When you can use it, and when it's the wrong tool
- Good fit: repairs the landlord won't make. The problem has to be a violation under state law. That covers housing code violations, broken landlord duties under Minnesota landlord-tenant law, lease violations, discrimination and subsidized-housing rules. HOME Line, 2025
- You need to be current on rent. You have to deposit all rent owed when you file. If you can't, the landlord can ask the court for possession of the unit. HOME Line, 2025 · Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 2
- Emergencies need a faster call. No heat, no power, no hot water, no working plumbing or a notice that the building will be condemned: call legal aid right away at 1-877-696-6529. LawHelpMN, 2026
- Wrong tool: you only want money. Rent escrow is about getting things fixed. For money only, during or after your tenancy, conciliation court is the place, and it can't order repairs. LawHelpMN, 2026
- Wrong tool: the home isn't livable and you want out. Ending a lease over repairs is hard. If conditions are bad enough that a judge could find you were forced out, a different case under the Emergency Tenant Remedies Act may fit. Talk to a lawyer first. LawHelpMN, 2026
How to file, step by step
- Keep paying rent on time to the landlord until you file. LawHelpMN, 2026
- Put it in writing. List the problems, date and sign the letter, and deliver it in person or send it to where you pay rent. Keep a copy. The repair letter tool on this site can draft it. LawHelpMN, 2026 · Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 1
- Call an inspector if you can. Minneapolis is 311 and Saint Paul is 651-266-8989. An inspector's report can back up your case; get a certified copy for court. LawHelpMN, 2026 · HOME Line, 2025
- Wait. File after 14 days from your letter, or after the inspector's deadline passes without repairs. You can file sooner if you think the inspector gave the landlord too much time. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 1
- File at the county courthouse. Bring the Affidavit of Rent Escrow, signed under penalty of perjury, a copy of your letter or the inspector's report, the filing fee or a fee waiver request, and any rent you owe in cash or a cashier's check. Personal checks aren't accepted. Minnesota Judicial Branch, form HOU301 · Rent escrow forms
- Keep paying rent to the court as it comes due while the case is open. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 1
- Go to the hearing with dated photos, the inspection report, texts and emails, and any witnesses. A judge decides; there's no jury. LawHelpMN, 2026 · Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 6
If the landlord fixes everything before the hearing, tell the court in writing. The rent goes to the landlord and the hearing is canceled. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 7
What a judge can order
- Repairs, plus rent paid to the court or reduced until they're done. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 9
- Money back for the time you lived with the problems, called rent abatement. Judges have broad discretion over how much. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 9 · LawHelpMN, 2026
- Escrowed rent used for the repairs, and fines against the landlord. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 9
- Settling often pays off. HOME Line says tenants who settle are more likely to get something beyond repairs, like rent abatement or an end to the lease, and that tenants "almost always win," even without a lawyer. HOME Line, 2025
What happens if it's done wrong
- Withholding rent without filing leaves you open to an eviction for nonpayment. LawHelpMN, 2026 · form HOU301
- Not depositing all the rent owed lets the landlord file a counterclaim for possession, heard 7 to 14 days later, and the court releases the deposited rent to the landlord. If the landlord wins, you may still be able to keep the home by paying what you owe under the state's redemption rules. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subds. 2, 9 and 10
- Procedural mistakes. A 2017 training for lawyers warns against filing before the 14 days or the inspector's deadline, giving notice in a way the law doesn't allow, and not serving both the owner and the manager. Minnesota CLE, 2017 (Labine)
- No violation found: the rent goes to the landlord. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 10
- False statements on the sworn affidavit, or filing to harass or delay, can bring fines or sanctions. LawHelpMN, 2026
Protection from retaliation
- State retaliation protections apply to rent escrow, and your rights under the escrow law can't be waived. Minn. Stat. 504B.385, subd. 11
- 90 days. If a landlord serves a notice to leave within 90 days of a good-faith effort to enforce your rights or a report to inspectors, the landlord has to prove it wasn't retaliation. Minn. Stat. 504B.285, subd. 2
- Free help. HOME Line's tenant hotline: 612-728-5767, or toll-free 866-866-3546. HOME Line
Housing subsidies
Housing subsidies are public programs that lower rent for people with low incomes. Some pay part of your rent, some cap what you pay, and some pay developers to build cheaper apartments. In Minnesota, 70% of renters with extremely low incomes spend more than half of what they earn on housing. Federal funding is not enough to help everyone who qualifies. Only about one in four eligible households gets federal rental help.
Nationwide1 in 4eligible households get federal rental help
Minnesota70%of extremely low-income renters spend over half their income on housing
Twin Cities metro35affordable, available homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households
Renter's Credit$2,720maximum state refund for tax year 2025
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
- How it works. A voucher lets you rent a private apartment. You pay about 30% of your adjusted income (income after certain deductions). The housing agency pays the landlord the rest, up to a limit called the payment standard. If you pick a pricier unit, you pay the extra. HUD · Metropolitan Council
- Who qualifies. Most households must earn below 50% of the area median income (AMI). AMI is the middle income for the region, adjusted for household size. HUD · Minneapolis Public Housing Authority
- Waitlists. You apply through a local public housing agency. You get a voucher only when your name reaches the top of the waiting list. The lists open rarely. In 2024, the Saint Paul PHA took applications for one week and picked 1,200 households by random drawing. HUD · City of Saint Paul
- Minneapolis. MPHA runs nearly 7,500 vouchers. As of this check, its voucher waitlist was closed to new applicants. If you think you are already on the list, call 612-335-4404. MPHA · MPHA vouchers
- Saint Paul. The Saint Paul Public Housing Agency helps more than 5,000 households with vouchers. City of Saint Paul
- Suburbs. Metro HRA covers Anoka and Carver counties and suburban Hennepin and Ramsey counties. It is the largest voucher administrator in Minnesota, serving more than 7,200 households. Its list usually opens every two to three years. Metropolitan Council · Metro HRA
- Can a landlord refuse a voucher? In Minneapolis, a city ordinance bars landlords from refusing to rent because of voucher program rules. The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld it in July 2025. The ordinance does not protect renters outside Minneapolis. Minnesota Attorney General · Minnesota Supreme Court opinion
- No clear statewide rule yet. The state Human Rights Act bars refusing to rent to someone because they receive public assistance. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights says a 2010 court ruling weakened that protection for voucher holders. A 2024 bill to fix this was removed from the housing bill. Sen. Ron Latz opposed it, saying landlords should not have to enter federal contracts. A 2025 bill has stayed in committee. Minnesota Department of Human Rights · Minnesota Reformer · Minnesota Legislature, HF 2021
Public housing and project-based Section 8
- Public housing. Local housing agencies own and run these buildings with federal money. Most tenants pay 30% of their income, after deductions, for rent and utilities. About 771,000 households live in public housing nationwide. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- A shrinking supply. The number of public housing units fell from 1.3 million in the mid-1990s to 860,000 in 2026. CBPP says a lack of repair money has left a large backlog of needed fixes. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- In the Twin Cities. MPHA owns and runs nearly 6,000 rental units in Minneapolis. The Saint Paul PHA owns and manages almost 4,300 units of low-income housing. MPHA · City of Saint Paul
- Project-based Section 8. Private owners sign contracts to rent some or all of their units to low-income households. Tenants pay 30% of their income (at least $25 a month), and the government pays the owner the rest. The program serves nearly 2 million people. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- The key difference. A voucher moves with you. Project-based help stays with the building, so you usually lose it if you move. An exception: people with project-based vouchers can ask for the next open tenant-based voucher after one year. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Section 42 tax credit housing (LIHTC)
- What it is. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC, also called Section 42) gives federal tax credits to help pay for affordable apartments. Investors buy the credits, and the money lowers the cost of building or fixing up the property. National Housing Law Project · Congressional Research Service
- Who gives out the credits. Each state gets a yearly amount. A state housing agency awards it to developers under a written plan. In Minnesota, that agency is Minnesota Housing, along with some local "suballocators." Congressional Research Service · Minnesota Housing
- Income and rent limits. Owners choose a test. Either at least 20% of units go to households at or below 50% of AMI, or at least 40% go to households at or below 60% of AMI. Rent is capped at 30% of that income limit. Congressional Research Service · HUD User
- Not based on your income. Unlike Section 8, LIHTC rent is set by the area income limit, not your own paycheck. So the poorest tenants can still pay a large share of their income. A 2013 NYU Furman Center study found that 86% of extremely low-income LIHTC households without other rental help were cost burdened. National Housing Law Project · NLIHC Advocates' Guide
- How long rents stay limited. Units must stay affordable for a 15-year compliance period, then at least 15 more years (30 in total). An owner can ask to leave early in year 14 through a "qualified contract." If no buyer is found to keep the units affordable, the limits end, but for three years existing tenants cannot be evicted without good cause or face rent increases above the program limits. NLIHC Advocates' Guide · 26 U.S.C. 42(h)(6)(E)(ii)
- Your rights in LIHTC housing. Owners need good cause to evict a tenant or end a tenancy. They also may not refuse to rent to you because you have a voucher. IRS Revenue Ruling 2004-82 · National Housing Law Project · NHLP LIHTC Overview
- Minnesota rules. In 2019, Minnesota Housing changed its rules to limit rent increases in its tax credit buildings to once a year. HOME Line
- Is my building LIHTC? HUD has a public database of tax credit properties that you can search by state, city or county. HUD User LIHTC Database
State and local programs
- Bring It Home. Lawmakers created this state rental assistance program in 2023. It serves households that earn up to 50% of AMI and pay too much for rent. Families with children and incomes at or below 30% of AMI get priority. Minnesota Housing · Minnesota Housing program summary
- How Bring It Home works. Tenants generally pay about 30% of their income, and the program covers the rest. It is paid for by state money and part of the Twin Cities metro sales tax for housing. In August 2025, Minnesota Housing approved more than $123 million for 50 local administrators, to help about 5,000 households. Minnesota Housing · Minnesota Housing news
- Finding Bring It Home help. Local agencies, Tribal nations and nonprofits run the program. Minnesota Housing posts a map of administrators. Minnesota Housing
- Renter's Credit. This state tax credit gives renters back part of their rent. For tax year 2025, the most you can get is $2,720, and renters who earn more than $77,570 do not qualify. In 2024 (for 2023 rent), 311,607 renters got an average of $855. Minnesota House Research
- How to claim it. Your landlord must give you a Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) by Jan. 31. You file it with your state income tax return. If you do not normally file, you have up to three and a half years to claim it. Minnesota Department of Revenue · Schedule M1RENT
- Saint Paul 4d program. Owners of older, unsubsidized buildings get a lower property tax rate if they keep some units affordable for 10 years. In 4d units, rent generally cannot go up more than 3% a year, except when a unit turns over to a new tenant. Questions: [email protected] or 651-266-8989. City of Saint Paul
- Minneapolis 4d program. Owners who keep at least 20% of units affordable for 10 years get help obtaining the lower 4d tax rate, plus small grants. City of Minneapolis
Domestic violence protections
- Federal law (VAWA). In HUD-assisted housing, you cannot be denied housing, evicted or lose your assistance because you are a survivor of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. This includes problems caused by the abuse, such as a bad eviction record or bad credit. HUD
- Which housing is covered. Covered programs include public housing, vouchers, project-based Section 8 and tax credit (LIHTC) properties. WomensLaw.org · Minnesota Housing
- Removing the abuser from the lease. The landlord can split the lease ("lease bifurcation") to remove the abuser while you stay. If the abuser was the only person who qualified for the help, you get time to qualify yourself or to move. HUD · WomensLaw.org
- Emergency transfers. You can ask to move to another safe unit if you reasonably believe you face immediate harm. You can also ask if you were sexually assaulted on the property within the past 90 days. Voucher holders can move and keep their help. WomensLaw.org · HUD
- Proof and privacy. You can usually self-certify with HUD Form 5382. Unless the provider has conflicting information, it generally cannot demand more proof. Your survivor status must be kept strictly confidential. HUD · Minnesota Housing
- Minnesota law: ending a lease early. Any renter who fears imminent violence after domestic abuse, criminal sexual conduct, sexual extortion or harassment can end a lease without penalty. You must give the landlord a signed, dated written notice before you leave. It must include a qualifying document, such as an order for protection, a no-contact order, or a statement from an advocate or health care professional on the state form. Minn. Stat. 504B.206
- What you still owe. If you are the only tenant, you owe rent for the month your tenancy ends, and nothing after that. You give up your security deposit. Rent you owed before you ended the lease is still due. Minn. Stat. 504B.206
- Landlord confidentiality. The landlord may not share your notice, documents, new address or survivor status. A landlord who does can owe you $2,000 plus attorney fees. You cannot be made to give up these rights. Minn. Stat. 504B.206
- Get help now. The Minnesota Day One Crisis Line is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 1-866-223-1111. If you are in danger, call 911. LawHelpMN
Why subsidies matter, and their limits
- Not enough homes. Minnesota has 166,494 renter households with extremely low incomes, but only 41 affordable and available homes for every 100 of them. In the Twin Cities metro, the figure is 35 per 100. NLIHC, The Gap 2026
- Not enough help. CRS estimates only about one in four eligible households gets federal rental help, because funding does not cover everyone who qualifies. Congressional Research Service
- Evidence on vouchers. HUD's Family Options Study tested different kinds of help for homeless families at random. Three years later, families offered a long-term subsidy had less than half as many new episodes of homelessness. They were also more food secure, had less psychological distress and reported less intimate partner violence. HUD User, Family Options Study
- Trade-offs in that study. The same study found some small negative effects on work and earnings compared with usual care. Those effects had narrowed by three years. HUD User, Family Options Study
- Landlords who say no. A 2018 Urban Institute study for HUD found that landlords turned away voucher holders 15% to 78% of the time, depending on the city. Denials were lower in places with laws against voucher discrimination. HUD User / Urban Institute
- Criticisms of LIHTC. NLIHC says the qualified contract process lets many owners end affordability early. It estimates about 143,456 homes awarded tax credits since 1990 lost their affordability limits early, many likely through that process. NLIHC Advocates' Guide
The politics of evictions
After Operation Metro Surge, the Saint Paul City Council voted 7-0 to require 60 days' notice before a nonpayment eviction filing. In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed two longer-notice ordinances, and the council's override attempts failed. Both cities also cleared homeless encampments this year, a practice that public health researchers link to more overdoses and deaths. Separate research finds that children who go through an eviction miss more school and are more likely to become homeless.
Saint Paul60 daysNotice before a nonpayment filing, May 14 to Dec. 31, 2026
Minneapolis7-6May 7 override vote; 9 votes were needed, so 30 days stays
Saint Paul filings-69.8%June 2026 compared with June 2025 (74 filings)
U.S. children2.9 millionChildren threatened with eviction each year
Eviction filings in 2026 vs. 2025, year to date
Saint Paul's 60-day notice took effect May 14. Minneapolis kept 30 days. HOME Line said in June that it will take more months of data to judge the rule's long-term impact.
Jan.–March
+0.7%
+1.7%
Jan.–April
+2.2%
+7.3%
Jan.–May
+0.0%
+6.4%
Jan.–July
-10.7%
+6.3%
Jan.–Aug.
-13.3%
not reported
Saint PaulMinneapolis
HOME Line, March · April · May · June · July · AugustEvicting encampments
- Minneapolis cleared one site over and over. A city staff memo to the City Council said Minneapolis closed 10 encampments in the first half of 2026. Eight of those closures were at the same site in the Phillips neighborhood, over about 10 weeks. Shelter was offered 278 times during outreach and accepted nine times, the memo said. FOX 9
- Frey's stated reasoning. In 2024, Frey said the city needed to close encampments "as quickly as possible" and called it "irresponsible" to leave them open. He described closures as a way to keep people from harm. Adreinne Dorn, president of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, disputed the claim that donations to camps hurt residents. CBS Minnesota
- Saint Paul cleared Pig's Eye. In July, Mayor Kaohly Her's office announced it would begin clearing the city's largest encampments Aug. 5. It cited two overdose deaths, reports of sexual assaults and a string of tent fires. Clearing of the Fish Hatchery camp at Pig's Eye Park began Aug. 5, 2026, and an estimated 100 to 200 people had lived there. Volunteers said a camp near Shepard Road had more than doubled in size. This guide covers the Pig's Eye clearing and the Stop the Sweeps campaign in more detail under Renter Defenders. Hoodline · MPR News
- Request for a pause was declined. About 100 faith leaders signed a letter asking for a 60-day pause. Ramsey County Manager Ling Becker said 30 more days would let the county secure more shelter beds. Council Member Anika Bowie said the mayor turned down her request for a delay. FOX 9
- Modeling study in JAMA. A 2023 JAMA study by Joshua Barocas and colleagues modeled 23 U.S. cities. It estimated that over 10 years, continual involuntary displacement of unsheltered people who inject drugs would cause 974 to 2,175 additional overdose deaths per 10,000 people. It also projected more hospitalizations and fewer starts on opioid use disorder medication. Displacement could account for 15.6% to 24.4% of deaths in that population, the study estimated. RTI International · CU Anschutz
- Health care for the homeless providers. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council says sweeps often destroy medications, mobility devices and identification. It says replacing documents can take six to eight months. The council recommends ending sweeps and redirecting that money to housing. NHCHC issue brief
- Federal guidance. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness published seven principles in 2022, including ensuring access to shelter or housing. The guidance warns that clearings without housing connections tend to make encampments reappear elsewhere or in the same place. USICH
What evictions do to kids and families
- Children are the largest group at risk. An Eviction Lab study in PNAS estimated that about 2.9 million children are threatened with eviction each year and about 1.5 million are evicted. Adults living with children faced a filing rate of 10.4%, compared with 5.0% for adults without children. Eviction Lab
- Homelessness and lost income. A 2024 study in The Quarterly Journal of Economics used court records from New York City and Cook County, Illinois. It found an eviction order raised the chance of using an emergency shelter the next year by 3.4 percentage points, more than a 300% increase. It also cut annual earnings by about $1,300 the first year and $2,400 the second, and increased hospital visits. Yale Tobin Center
- School absences and graduation. A 2025 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper from Chicago and New York found that evicted children missed more school, about 4.3 more days a year. Chronic absenteeism rose 21%, and children were 5.3 percentage points more likely to repeat a grade. High school graduation was 12.5 percentage points lower. The paper has not been peer reviewed. NBER
- Birth outcomes. A 2021 JAMA Pediatrics study by Kathryn Himmelstein and Matthew Desmond looked at births in Georgia from 2000 to 2016. Mothers who received an eviction notice while pregnant had babies who weighed nearly an ounce less. Those mothers were also more likely to have a low-birth-weight or preterm baby than mothers who received a notice before or after pregnancy. NIH (NICHD)
- Young children's health. A 2022 study in Pediatrics surveyed caregivers of more than 26,000 children under age 4. Children in families that had been evicted had higher odds of fair or poor health (odds ratio 1.43) and of developmental risk (1.55). PubMed
Saint Paul vs. Minneapolis in 2026
- Context. In June, Minneapolis estimated that Operation Metro Surge cost the city, its residents and its businesses $700 million. MPR News
- Minneapolis, first try. The council passed a 60-day ordinance called "Pause Evictions, Save Lives" by a 7-5 vote. Frey vetoed it March 11. The override failed, two votes short of the nine required. FOX 9 · Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
- Minneapolis, second try. The council then passed a 45-day version, set to run through August, by an 8-5 vote. Frey vetoed it April 30. The May 7 override vote was 7-6, short of nine, so the city's 30-day notice stayed in place. Sahan Journal · City of Minneapolis
- Saint Paul. The council voted 7-0 on March 25 to extend the pre-filing notice for nonpayment from 30 days to 60 days, from May 14 through Dec. 31, 2026. The city says the ordinance is not an eviction moratorium and does not cancel rent owed. Her let it take effect without her signature. City of Saint Paul · Villager
- Public housing included. The council voted 5-2 against exempting the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency. The agency had said more unpaid rent could affect its federal funding. Sahan Journal
- Park Board. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted 6-3 on Feb. 18 to stop evictions at its own rental properties until it decides Metro Surge has ended. Bring Me The News
What each side argued
- Frey. Frey said rental assistance is "the best way to support renters" and that "eviction extensions and moratoriums will create a larger debt trap." He also said Minneapolis already gives more notice than most U.S. cities. In his April veto letter he wrote, "I am not convinced that more time will result in improved outcomes." FOX 9 · Sahan Journal
- Her. Her raised concerns about the extension and pushed for more emergency rental assistance instead. She let the ordinance pass because the 7-0 vote would likely have overridden a veto, according to the Villager. Villager
- Housing providers. The Minnesota Multi Housing Association said "there is no parallel 60-day grace period from lenders, local government or vendors." The Twin Cities Housing Alliance said the change would not address renters' hardship and could complicate requests for assistance. The association's CEO said rent collection statewide held steady in the first quarter, at about 91% to 97%. Villager · MPR News
- Supporters in Minneapolis. Council Member Robin Wonsley, the lead author, said preventing eviction "is always more cost-effective" than rehousing someone. Council President Elliott Payne called the veto "rooted in cowardice." FOX 9
- Supporters in Saint Paul. Council President Rebecca Noecker said, "This isn't a suspension of rent." Council Member HwaJeong Kim said 30 days "is not enough time to find assistance." HOME Line warned that without more time, the housing stability system would be pushed beyond capacity. City of Saint Paul · Villager
What the numbers show
- Record 2025. HOME Line counted 25,495 eviction filings in Minnesota in 2025. The state averaged 15,200 a year in 2018 and 2019. HOME Line
- Early 2026. Frey's office said Minneapolis had 982 filings as of March 6, compared with 1,040 at the same point in 2025. HOME Line found filings in the city were up 60.3% in March over March 2025. It attributed part of that spike to the timing of the city's 30-day notice rule. FOX 9 · HOME Line
- Saint Paul after May 14. Saint Paul had 74 filings in June, down 69.8% from June 2025, and July filings were down 45%. Through August, the city's filings were down 13.3% for the year. HOME Line said the drop came after the 60-day rule took effect. It also said it will take more months of data to judge the ordinance's long-term impact. HOME Line (June) · HOME Line (July) · HOME Line (August)
- Hennepin vs. Ramsey. Ramsey County filings were down 49.7% in June and 34.9% in July compared with 2025. Hennepin County filings were up 6.9% through August, and Minneapolis filings were up 6.3% through July. HOME Line · HOME Line
- Statewide. Minnesota had 2,295 filings in August, the most for that month in four years. That brought the 2026 total to 16,893, up 1.8% from the same period of 2025. HOME Line
What's next
- Saint Paul reverts Jan. 1. The city says the notice period returns to 30 days on Jan. 1, 2027. City of Saint Paul
- State aid. The Legislature approved $40 million for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program. The governor's office expects it to reach about 11,000 Minnesotans. Minnesota Reformer
- Filing outlook. HOME Line projected 26,220 filings statewide in 2026, which would top 2025. HOME Line
- More camp closures. Saint Paul said it would clear other encampments after Pig's Eye but had not set dates. MPR News
Housing First
Housing First means giving people experiencing homelessness a permanent home right away, without first requiring sobriety or a finished course of treatment. Randomized trials and a CDC-supported systematic review find it reduces homelessness and keeps people housed better than the usual approaches. In those studies, substance use generally did not differ from treatment-first programs, though a CDC-supported review found mixed results. Mental Health Commission of Canada
Canada trial, 5 cities62% vs. 31%Share housed all of the time in the last six months: Housing First compared with usual services
Community Guide review88%Median greater drop in homelessness compared with comparison programs
U.S. cost studies$1.80Median benefit per $1 spent, mostly from averted health care costs
Minnesota, one night10,522People experiencing homelessness on Oct. 26, 2023
Social determinants of health
Economic stabilityJobs, income, debt and stable housing
Neighborhood and built environmentSafe homes, clean air and water, transit
Health care accessInsurance, a regular doctor, medicine
EducationSchools, literacy, early childhood
Social and communityNeighbors, belonging, freedom from discrimination
Healthy People 2030 defines social determinants of health as "the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age" that shape health, functioning and quality of life. It groups them into five domains: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Housing instability sits under economic stability. The federal government's summary of the research says people who are homeless "have an increased risk of premature death," and that chronic disease is more common even among people who have only recently become homeless. Doctors can treat a wound, an infection or an addiction, but those treatments are hard to keep up without a stable place to sleep, store medicine and get mail.
Housed in the last six months of Canada's five-city trial
More than 2,000 people, randomly assigned.
Housing First
Usual services
All of the timeSome of the timeNone of the time
Mental Health Commission of CanadaMinnesotans experiencing homelessness on one night
Wilder Research's statewide study, 1991 to 2023. Starting in 2018 it also counts reservations, so later years aren't a perfect match for earlier ones.
Wilder Research, 2023 counts · Wilder Research, 2015 countsWhat Housing First is
- Housing comes first. The federal homelessness council describes Housing First as "immediate access to permanent affordable or supportive housing" with a "low-threshold for entry." There are no clinical prerequisites such as completing treatment or proving sobriety. U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2016
- Choice and harm reduction. The model began with New York's Pathways to Housing program. That program gave people with mental illness and substance use disorders an apartment right away and built services around consumer choice and harm reduction instead of requiring treatment and sobriety first. American Journal of Public Health, 2004
- A public health recommendation. The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends permanent supportive housing with Housing First for people experiencing homelessness who have a disabling condition. It frames this as a way to promote health equity. Community Preventive Services Task Force
- Minnesota's stated approach. Minnesota's 2018 statewide action plan committed the state to "a person-centered, trauma-informed, Housing First orientation" in its response to homelessness. U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2018
The evidence: people get housed and stay housed
- The original trial. In a randomized trial of 225 New Yorkers, people offered housing with no treatment prerequisites got housed sooner and stayed housed more consistently than people placed in programs that required treatment and sobriety first. American Journal of Public Health, 2004
- The world's largest trial. Canada's At Home/Chez Soi trial followed more than 2,000 people in five cities for two years. In the last six months, 62% of Housing First participants were housed all of the time, compared with 31% of people receiving usual services. Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Moderate-needs participants. In the trial arm for people with moderate needs, which provided rent supplements and case management, 5% of participants were never housed, compared with 31.5% of the usual-care group. In year two, 78% were stably housed at least half the time, compared with 39.3%. JAMA, 2015
- Pooled trials. A meta-analysis of four randomized trials found Housing First participants were about 2.5 times as likely to be housed at 18 to 24 months (risk ratio 2.46). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019
- CDC-supported review. Across studies of people with disabling conditions, Housing First produced a median 88% greater decrease in homelessness and 41% greater housing stability than comparison programs. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 2020 · Community Preventive Services Task Force
Hospitals, emergency rooms and cost
- Fewer emergency and hospital visits. Pooled trial data showed fewer emergency department visits (incidence rate ratio 0.63) and fewer hospitalizations (0.76) among Housing First participants. Total time spent in the hospital did not clearly differ. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019
- Results vary by study. In the Canadian trial's moderate-needs arm, emergency visits dropped significantly at six months, but the difference was no longer significant at 24 months. Hospitalization rates did not differ overall. JAMA, 2015
- People living with HIV. Among clients with HIV, the CDC-supported review found 41% greater reductions in emergency department use, 36% greater reductions in hospitalization, and 63% greater housing stability. Community Preventive Services Task Force
- Benefits exceed costs in the U.S. Across U.S. studies, the program cost a median $16,479 per person per year and produced a median $18,247 in benefits, a benefit-cost ratio of 1.80. Health care made up most of the averted costs. The review also counted police, court, shelter and other costs. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2022
- Canadian savings. In the Canadian trial, every $10 invested saved an average of $9.60 for high-needs participants and $21.72 for the 10% who had the highest service costs when they entered the study. Mental Health Commission of Canada
Substance use: what the evidence does and does not show
- In the original trial, use did not increase. In the original New York trial, the groups did not differ in substance use or psychiatric symptoms, even though the treatment-first group used substance treatment significantly more. The authors concluded people could get and keep housing without their symptoms getting worse. American Journal of Public Health, 2004
- Improvement on both paths. In Canada, substance use problems and mental health symptoms "improved similarly for both" Housing First and usual services. Housing First's main advantage was ending homelessness and improving quality of life. Mental Health Commission of Canada · JAMA, 2015
- Mixed results in reviews. The meta-analysis of trials found no clear difference in substance use. The CDC-supported review called results mixed: in some comparisons alcohol or drug use was lower under Housing First, and in others it was higher. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019 · Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 2020
- Staying in the program. A small New York study of 75 people with serious mental illness compared program types. Housing First clients had significantly lower rates of substance use and were significantly less likely to leave their program than clients in treatment-first programs. Community Mental Health Journal, 2011
- The bottom line. The research does not show that housing by itself gets people off drugs. It does show that people with addictions can stay housed without being required to get sober first, and that, on average, trials have not found their substance use to be worse than under treatment-first programs. American Journal of Public Health, 2004 · Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019
Limits of the evidence
- Housing is clear, health is less so. A 2018 National Academies committee found that permanent supportive housing "increases an individual's ability to remain housed," but it found "no substantial published evidence" that it improves health. Few rigorous trials have tested it. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018
- Study quality. All four trials in the 2019 meta-analysis were rated at high risk of bias. The authors said Housing First "may improve some aspects of health" and that long-term health effects need more study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019
- It depends on actual units. The trial results came from programs that paid for housing, such as scattered-site apartments with rent supplements. Housing First cannot place people without available homes and money to pay for them. JAMA, 2015
- Cost results are not universal. U.S. studies showed net savings. Reviewers could not determine whether benefits exceeded costs in Canada because there were too few studies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2022
How renting connects: eviction and the Twin Cities picture
Eviction filings in Minnesota remain far above pre-pandemic levels
Statewide court filings per year. *2026 is HOME Line's projection from the first half of the year. 2020, 2021 and 2024 aren't shown; HOME Line puts the 2022 to 2024 average at 23,334. Through August 2026, eviction filings in Saint Paul, where a 60-day notice rule took effect in May, were down 13.3% from 2025, while Hennepin County's were up 6.9%. HOME Line says it will take more months of data to judge the rule's long-term effect.
HOME Line, 2019 · HOME Line, 2022 and 2023 · HOME Line annual eviction update, July 2026 · HOME Line, August 2026Hennepin County's one-night count
Sheltered and unsheltered (darker), each January. 2020 and 2021 aren't shown; in 2026 the county counted only people in shelters (2,496).
Hennepin County, 2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 and 2025 · 2026- Eviction feeds homelessness. A study of eviction court cases found that an eviction order raised the chance of using an emergency shelter in the following year by 3.4 percentage points, more than 300% above tenants who were not evicted. Earnings and credit also suffered. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2024
- Prevention upstream. Hennepin County budgeted $9.6 million in 2026 for Rent Help Hennepin to prevent more than 2,500 evictions. It says it is moving toward "an eviction-free community, where homelessness is a rare occurrence." See this guide's eviction and emergency rent help cards. Hennepin County
- Housing long-term homeless residents. Hennepin County reports 1,429 chronically homeless people housed since July 2017, with a 96% retention rate. Hennepin County
- Hennepin's 2025 count. Preliminary results from the Jan. 22, 2025, count showed 2,651 people in shelters and transitional housing and 427 unsheltered. Sheltered families fell from 2,187 to 1,538, which the county attributes partly to moving families into housing quickly and preventing evictions. Hennepin County
- Ramsey County. Heading Home Ramsey, a public-private initiative, serves as Ramsey County's Continuum of Care. It connects people with services as they move through shelter toward permanent housing. Ramsey County
- Statewide. Minnesota's 2023 one-night study counted 10,522 people experiencing homelessness, 7% fewer than in 2018. A third were not in a formal shelter, and 76% had significant health issues. Wilder Research, 2024 · Wilder Research issue briefs
Federal policy shifts, 2025 to 2026
- Executive order. On July 24, 2025, Executive Order 14321 directed HUD and the Department of Health and Human Services, to the extent permitted by law, to end support for "housing first" policies. It also told HUD to increase requirements that participants with a substance use disorder or serious mental illness use treatment as a condition of participation, and it promoted civil commitment. The American Presidency Project
- 2025 funding rules. In November 2025, HUD moved to cap permanent housing at 30% of Continuum of Care funding. A federal judge in Rhode Island blocked the changes in December 2025. In July 2026, the same judge called HUD's actions "the hallmark of unreasoned decision making." CalMatters
- Minnesota joined the challenge. Minnesota was among the states that sued. On April 1, 2026, a federal appeals court refused HUD's request to let the restrictions take effect while the case continued. Minnesota Attorney General
- 2026 competition. HUD's fiscal 2026 funding notice, first released June 1, 2026, steers about 30% of funding ($1.3 billion of $4.04 billion) to new transitional housing and services-only projects. It awards points for providing treatment and recovery services and for requiring participation in supportive services. A court vacated the notice on Aug. 7, 2026, but an appeals panel stayed that ruling on Sept. 16, 2026, so HUD reopened the competition, with applications due Sept. 30, 2026. Plaintiffs asked the appeals court on Sept. 22 to halt it before awards are made; as of Oct. 22, 2026, HUD had announced no awards. HUD · National Alliance to End Homelessness · Congressional Research Service
The landlord lobby
Renters are the majority in both cities, but landlords and real estate groups are better organized and better funded. Here's who they are, what they've spent, and which elected officials have voted their way. Every figure links to a filing or a news report on one.
2021 · Both cities$3.9Mraised to fight rent control in both cities, mainly Saint Paul's, and lost
2023 · Capitol$435Kreported by the Minnesota Multi Housing Association on lobbying
2025 · Minneapolis$72,585from MHA to We Love Minneapolis
Short answer
The Minnesota Multi Housing Association (MHA), the state's landlord trade group, leads the opposition. Realtor groups, the business chambers and large developers back it up. In 2021 they raised about $3.9 million mainly to fight Saint Paul's rent control question, and lost. Since then they've put money into city council and mayoral races in both cities and into lobbying at the Capitol.
Follow the money
More filings requested. We asked Ramsey County on Oct. 21, 2026, for campaign finance reports from the most recent Saint Paul races. The county's online reports are temporarily down and expected back by November 2026 or January 2027 (the county's pages give both dates). We'll add them here once they arrive.
- 2021
Sensible Housing Ballot Committee, chaired by MHA's Cecil Smith: about $3.9 million, including $750,000 from the National Association of Realtors
Opposing rent control in both cities, mostly Saint Paul's. The renter campaign on the other side raised about $213,000.
Same committee, federal filings: $4.9 million in all, with $430,000 from Steven Scott Management and $300,000 from Dominium
The full 2021 rent control campaign
- 2023
Service Saint Paul PAC, formed by Operating Engineers Local 49, the Carpenters and MHA, which together put in more than $220,000. Filings show $10,000 from MHA, plus $85,000 from Weidner Property Management after the election. Ramsey County has taken its report files offline for review; copies are available from its Elections Office at 651-266-2171.
Saint Paul council races. Every candidate it endorsed lost. Ramsey County has taken its campaign finance report listings offline until November 2026 or January 2027 (its pages give both dates), so the report links may not load; copies are available from Ramsey County Elections.
MHA at the Capitol: about $435,000 on lobbying. Minnesota Realtors reported about $573,000, and Housing First Minnesota, the builders' group, about $620,000.
State housing law, the year lawmakers passed a major tenant protection package
- 2025
We Love Minneapolis: $72,585 from MHA. Its top donor in its first-quarter report was The Hornig Companies, $30,000, which owns more than 90 rentals.
Supporting 15 council candidates aligned with Mayor Frey. Axios called it "underwritten by the Downtown Council and landlord groups."
Saint Paul Area Association of Realtors: a $1,000 maximum gift and a National Association of Realtors outside campaign. No dollar amount for that campaign is public.
Electing Kaohly Her mayor of Saint Paul
- 2026
Wake Up Saint Paul, which calls itself "a project of the Domestic Policy Caucus." The caucus's board includes the Saint Paul Area Chamber's director of public affairs, according to its own website.
A campaign against Saint Paul's rent control, covered by the Pioneer Press as "Repeal St. Paul rent control? Allow a downtown data center? Policy org is on it." Its site runs a homeowner survey and blames rent control for higher property taxes, citing the Minneapolis Fed. Libby Starling, a senior community development adviser at the Minneapolis Fed, has said its researchers "didn't design an analysis to say what is the causal impact of rent stabilization on housing production."
Money and votes
Where landlord and real estate money went in each city, and how the people it backed have voted on renter issues since.
Minneapolis
2025 council races
MHA put $72,585 into We Love Minneapolis (per a July 2025 state Campaign Finance Board filing), whose top early donor was The Hornig Companies at $30,000. It backed 15 council candidates aligned with Mayor Frey.
2026 eviction notice votes
Rainville (Ward 3), Vetaw (Ward 4), Warren (Ward 5), Shaffer (Ward 7) and Palmisano (Ward 13), all backed by the committee, voted against the 45-day pre-eviction notice ordinance in 2026; the 60-day version had passed 7–5 earlier over five no votes, including Palmisano's. The vetoes stood: each override failed 7–6, with nine votes needed.
2025 mayor's race
All of Mpls, a committee backing Mayor Frey, spent nearly $344,000 by late September. Its donors included the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce at $60,000 and four property and development firms, among them Bader Property Management, at $65,000 combined. We Love Minneapolis, which also took $35,000 from the Minneapolis Downtown Council, reported $121,823 in independent spending on council races by June.
Result
Frey won a third term in November 2025 and was sworn in Jan. 5, 2026. Within months he vetoed both longer eviction-notice ordinances.
The ask
MHA asked publicly: "We hope that the Mayor will veto this ordinance…"
Before the 2025 campaign money, Palmisano was one of two votes against the city's ban on rent-setting software in March 2025. Jamison Whiting (Ward 11) abstained on the 60-day ordinance and voted for the 45-day one, but voted no on both overrides, citing concerns that broad eviction moratoriums can increase evictions. He wasn't among the candidates We Love Minneapolis backed.
Who in real estate gives to whom
Real estate money given in 2024 and 2025 to the campaigns of Mayor Frey and the 13 sitting council members. Shown: firms and people who gave $500 or more combined, plus two business committees and staff of three business and landlord groups. Source: the city's campaign finance portal (export of Oct. 21, 2026).
We counted a gift only when the donor listed a real estate employer or occupation on it. Relatives who listed other jobs, or "retired," aren't counted, even when they share a firm's name. Couples' joint gifts appear as one gift. "Real estate" means the donor listed real estate without saying what kind. The list may miss donors whose employer didn't make the connection clear. A gift isn't a vote, and several of these recipients voted against what landlord groups asked for.
- Heartland Realty InvestorsInvestorGave to 3 campaigns$7,600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $4,000Rainville $2,400Palmisano $1,200
- Ryan CompaniesDeveloperGave to 4 campaigns$6,850Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $3,500Rainville $2,600Shaffer $150Palmisano $600
- DominiumDeveloperGave to 3 campaigns$6,200Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $2,000Warren $1,200Shaffer $3,000
- Lupe Development PartnersDeveloperGave to 4 campaigns$5,950Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $2,800Rainville $1,100Vetaw $900Whiting $1,150
- Campaign Fund of Minnesota Local Business Alliance PACBusiness lobbyGave to 7 campaigns$5,600A state-registered political committee (No. 41355). Gifts from the committee itself.Frey $1,250Rainville $850Vetaw $850Warren $600Shaffer $600Whiting $600Palmisano $850
- Bader DevelopmentDeveloperGave to 4 campaigns$5,050Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $3,000Warren $600Shaffer $600Palmisano $850
- Hornig CompaniesOwner or managerGave to 4 campaigns$5,050Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $250Vetaw $3,000Warren $1,200Shaffer $600
- Doran CompaniesDeveloperGave to 3 campaigns$4,950Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $3,750Rainville $600Palmisano $600
- Mint PropertiesOwner or managerGave to 6 campaigns$4,250Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $1,250Rainville $600Warren $600Osman $600Shaffer $600Palmisano $600
- Hempel Real EstateDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$4,100Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $3,500Warren $600
- Irving PropertiesReal estateGave to 4 campaigns$4,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $1,000Vetaw $1,200Warren $600Shaffer $1,200
- Edina RealtyAgent or brokerGave to 4 campaigns$3,960Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $2,360Payne $400Warren $600Shaffer $600
- Garden Homes / Gardner DevelopmentDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$3,600Gifts listing Garden Homes or Gardner Development. The same donors listed the Minnesota Vikings on other gifts, which aren't counted. Includes joint gifts from couples.Shaffer $1,800Whiting $1,800
- Coldwell Banker RealtyAgent or brokerGave to 3 campaigns$3,450Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $2,450Wonsley $250Shaffer $750
- Kenwood CommercialAgent or brokerGave to 4 campaigns$3,400Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $1,000Vetaw $600Warren $1,200Shaffer $600
- Swervo DevelopmentDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$3,050Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,250Rainville $1,800
- Minnesota Realtors PACBusiness lobbyGave to 5 campaigns$3,000The Realtors’ political committee. Gifts from the committee itself.Rainville $600Vetaw $600Warren $600Whiting $600Palmisano $600
- Wellington ManagementOwner or managerGave to 3 campaigns$2,900Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $2,500Rainville $150Vetaw $250
- Minneapolis Downtown CouncilBusiness lobbyGave to 4 campaigns$2,650Personal gifts from donors who listed the Downtown Council as employer.Frey $1,150Rainville $450Shaffer $750Palmisano $300
- Diversified Equities Corp.InvestorGave to 3 campaigns$2,500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $2,000Vetaw $250Palmisano $250
- Guardian Property ManagementOwner or managerGave to 5 campaigns$2,300Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $600Rainville $250Vetaw $250Warren $600Shaffer $600
- Redline Property PartnersInvestor$2,250Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. The firm is based in South Carolina.Frey $2,250
- Metis Development GroupDeveloperGave to 3 campaigns$2,100Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $1,250Vetaw $600Warren $250
- Wall CompaniesDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$1,850Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,250Warren $600
- Hillcrest DevelopmentDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$1,600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $1,000Rainville $600
- Oak Management & DevelopmentReal estateGave to 2 campaigns$1,600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000Shaffer $600
- The Cornerstone GroupDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$1,600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000Palmisano $600
- Verve RealtyAgent or brokerGave to 2 campaigns$1,550Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Frey $1,050Rainville $500
- Fine AssociatesDeveloper$1,500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,500
- AckerbergDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$1,500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $1,250Vetaw $250
- CBREAgent or broker$1,500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,500
- ColliersAgent or broker$1,500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,500
- SolhemDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$1,301Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $101Shaffer $1,200
- MWF PropertiesDeveloper$1,250Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,250
- United PropertiesDeveloper$1,250Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,250
- Lion Rock PropertiesOwner or manager$1,250Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,250
- Simek Property GroupOwner or managerGave to 2 campaigns$1,200Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Vetaw $600Warren $600
- Yellow TreeDeveloper$1,200Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Vetaw $1,200
- Maven CREAgent or brokerGave to 2 campaigns$1,200Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Vetaw $600Shaffer $600
- Keller WilliamsAgent or brokerGave to 2 campaigns$1,200Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000Whiting $200
- Brighton DevelopmentDeveloperGave to 3 campaigns$1,150Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name. Includes joint gifts from couples.Rainville $700Shaffer $250Whiting $200
- Cedar 94 PropertyOwner or manager$1,100Gifts from people who listed Cedar 94 Property, an apartment complex, as employer.Osman $1,100
- Real Estate EquitiesOwner or managerGave to 2 campaigns$1,100Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500Warren $600
- First & FirstDeveloperGave to 3 campaigns$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer. Some gifts listed only a job such as "realtor" or "developer" and were matched to the firm by the donor's name.Frey $250Rainville $250Vetaw $500
- Capitol Seniors HousingDeveloper$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- Lumley FamilyReal estate$1,000Listed real estate as employer or occupation.Vetaw $1,000
- Sherman AssociatesDeveloper$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- Paster PropertiesDeveloper$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- eXp RealtyAgent or broker$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- Hyde DevelopmentDeveloper$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- Intercontinental Real EstateInvestor$1,000Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $1,000
- Kleinman RealtyOwner or managerGave to 2 campaigns$850Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Vetaw $250Warren $600
- Charles and Christin MeadowsOwner or manager$700Listed property management as employer or occupation. Includes joint gifts from couples.Vetaw $700
- David WilsonDeveloper$600Listed developer as employer or occupation.Shaffer $600
- Erin Realty LLCReal estate$600Listed real estate as employer or occupation.Vetaw $600
- Thomas and Bianca HendersonReal estate$600Listed real estate as employer or occupation. Includes joint gifts from couples.Vetaw $600
- Majid MashadReal estate$600Listed real estate as employer or occupation.Vetaw $600
- Daniel LinnellAgent or broker$600Listed broker as employer or occupation.Vetaw $600
- Soderberg Apartment SpecialistsOwner or manager$600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Vetaw $600
- MRG Realty PartnersAgent or broker$600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Vetaw $600
- Bret HartleyOwner or manager$600Listed property management as employer or occupation.Vetaw $600
- Margaret LettReal estate$600Listed real estate as employer or occupation.Rainville $600
- Jeffrey JonesReal estate$600Listed real estate as employer or occupation.Rainville $600
- Oaks Properties ServicesOwner or manager$600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Warren $600
- Bigos ManagementOwner or manager$600Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Warren $600
- AlatusDeveloperGave to 2 campaigns$550Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $250Shaffer $300
- Minneapolis Regional ChamberBusiness lobby$500Personal gifts from donors who listed the Chamber as employer.Frey $500
- Cities ManagementOwner or manager$500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500
- Saturday PropertiesDeveloper$500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500
- Duane ArensDeveloper$500Listed developer as employer or occupation.Rainville $500
- Twin RealtyAgent or broker$500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500
- Investoration DevelopmentDeveloper$500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500
- Lakes Sotheby's RealtyAgent or broker$500Gifts from people who listed the firm as employer.Frey $500
- Minnesota Multi Housing AssociationBusiness lobby$250A personal gift from a donor who listed MHA as employer.Vetaw $250
Saint Paul
These pairings show what donors backed and what followed, not that a gift bought a vote. Direct gifts to council campaigns here are small, and several recipients voted the other way; see the note below the votes.
2025 mayor's race
The Saint Paul Area Association of Realtors endorsed Kaohly Her, gave the $1,000 maximum and says the national Realtors group ran an outside campaign for her. Rent control was "top of mind" for members, its government affairs director said.
Mayor
In March 2026 Mayor Her declined to sign the council's 60-day pre-eviction notice ordinance, saying "I am concerned that this ordinance will produce the opposite result." It took effect May 14 without her signature.
2023 council races
Service Saint Paul PAC, formed by MHA, Operating Engineers Local 49 and the Carpenters, put more than $220,000 into council races.
Result
Every candidate it endorsed lost.
Council campaigns
Direct gifts were smaller: $600 from the Realtors PAC to Noecker, $600 from the Chamber's committee to Coleman, and the real estate donors below. The Star Tribune reported the Chamber backed Coleman's 2025 race and that her donors included Ryan Companies executives.
Votes since
May 2025: Bowie, Jost, Noecker and interim member Privratsky exempted newer buildings from rent stabilization, 4–3, a change Mayor Melvin Carter proposed and MHA had praised. Sept. 2025: Bowie, Jost and Coleman voted against the Ashland Avenue tenants, who won 4–3. Aug. 2026: after a city attorney's memo said the measure's language conflicted with state law, Bowie, Noecker, Jost, Coleman and Johnson voted to keep right to repair off the ballot, which MHA opposed as a measure that "hands it to renters who never signed up for it." A Ramsey County judge ordered it back on Aug. 10.
Money doesn't decide every vote. Yang, who drew the single biggest bloc of real estate gifts below, voted with tenants on all three. Noecker, who got $600 from the Realtors PAC, moved to grant the Ashland tenants' appeals. Kim voted with tenants all three times, and Johnson twice. Privratsky was appointed and ran no campaign.
Who in real estate gives to whom
Donors from real estate, development, management and business lobbies who gave $250 or more, in the council campaign reports we have so far (2022 to 2025). Landlord trade groups' bigger money went through the committees above.
| Donor or firm | Bowie | Noecker | Coleman | Kim | Yang | Johnson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB VangDeveloperFour employees, all real estate developers or development managers, gave Feb. 18, 2023. | · | · | · | · | $2,300 | · |
| Heartland Realty InvestorsInvestorIts president and its vice president of acquisitions. | · | · | $1,200 | · | · | · |
| Eric FosterDeveloperSelf-employed real estate developer.Gave to 2 campaigns | $100 | · | · | · | $800 | · |
| Cody FischerDeveloperSelf-employed developer; the Coleman gift is joint with his spouse.Gave to 2 campaigns | $100 | · | $700 | · | · | · |
| Saint Paul Area ChamberBusiness lobbyIts political committee ($600) and a Chamber lobbyist ($50). | · | · | $650 | · | · | · |
| Realtors PACBusiness lobbyThe Realtors' political committee, in Noecker's January 2024 report. | · | $600 | · | · | · | · |
| Peter VangAgent or brokerRealtor. | · | · | · | · | $650 | · |
| Wellington MgtManagementA donor who listed real estate at the firm. | · | · | $600 | · | · | · |
| Tong KhangReal estateSelf-employed, real estate. | · | · | · | · | $600 | · |
| Afton Park DevelopmentDeveloperA donor who listed real estate development at the firm.Gave to 2 campaigns | $250 | · | $250 | · | · | · |
| Grand RealtyAgent or brokerIts broker and co-owner (net of a $200 refund). | · | · | $500 | · | · | · |
| Re/Max ResultsAgent or brokerA real estate agent. | $500 | · | · | · | · | · |
| Sherman AssociatesDeveloperTwo donors who listed the firm, one as a developer.Gave to 2 campaigns | · | · | $300 | · | $25 | · |
Types are based on the occupation and employer donors listed. This is incomplete: we don't yet have every report for every council member, including most of Noecker's and Jost's, and we've asked Ramsey County for the rest. Kim and Johnson had no real estate donors at this level in the reports we read. Source: candidates' reports filed with Ramsey County Elections, which has taken its online reports down until about January 2027; call 651-266-2171 for copies.
What they say
MHA's Cecil Smith called rent control "probably the worst solution one could propose" in 2021. When Minneapolis drafted a 3% cap in 2022, MHA called Saint Paul's rent control an "abject failure" and urged the council to reject the "damaging framework." After the 2023 tenant package passed at the Capitol, Smith told MinnPost the changes could have been improved with his association's involvement: "These were issues that were raised but never addressed."
Developers have argued it too. At the 2022 Saint Paul hearings, a Ryan Companies executive testified that "there is no money for housing with this ordinance in place." For what the research says about that claim, open Protect renters or build more?
How we chose who's on this card: officials are named for how they voted on contested renter measures. A vote isn't proof of landlord influence. Money ties are noted only where filings or reporting document them. Votes come from council records. Money comes from campaign finance filings, or from news reports that cite them.
Slum Lord Millionaires
Who owns the Twin Cities' rentals, whose buildings rack up the most violations, which landlords have ended up in court, and where Wall Street fits in. Every claim links to a public record.
Biggest for-profit owner4,028licensed Minneapolis units, Weidner Apartment Homes, by our tax-bill match
Worst violation rate52violations per 100 units, among private owners with 100+ Minneapolis units, 2024 to 2026 (public housing land excluded)
Citywide~12violations per 100 Minneapolis rental units, 2024 to 2026
Saint Paul data on the way. Saint Paul doesn't publish code violation records, so on Oct. 17, 2026, we asked the city for its code enforcement cases, condemnations, orders to vacate and fire certificate revocations since January 2024. We'll add Saint Paul to these rankings when the records come back.
| Owner (tax bill address) | Units | Mpls | St. Paul |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weidner Apartment HomesKirkland, Wash. | 4,028 | 4,028 | 0 |
| Sherman Associates | 2,828 | 2,440 | 388 |
| Bigos Management | 2,632 | 972 | 1,660 |
| The Hornig Companies | 2,561 | 2,228 | 333 |
| Spiegler / Innovative Properties | 1,741 | 1,024 | 717 |
| Steven Scott Management | 1,117 | 440 | 677 |
| Stuart Companies | 934 | 229 | 705 |
| Dominium | 803 | 257 | 546 |
Not ranked: the largest owners are public, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (5,841 licensed units) and the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (4,265). We left them, nonprofits like Aeon and CommonBond, and colleges off the list. Unit counts are licensed rental units in Minneapolis rental license data and Saint Paul certificate of occupancy data, matched to owners through county parcel records, as of October 2026. Owners may hold more units through addresses we didn't match.
| Owner (tax bill address) | Units | Violations | Per 100 units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Properties, Waterstone and Fairfield Investments14 licenses at Tier 2 or 3 | 208 | 108 | 52 |
| RDA Uptown LLCs8 licenses at Tier 2 or 3 | 154 | 56 | 36 |
| MN Brownstones / 10th Floor Property Management9 licenses at Tier 2 or 3 | 324 | 99 | 31 |
| Millennium Management, NHH Properties and MN Rental Properties Group18 licenses at Tier 2 or 3 | 795 | 187 | 24 |
| Eat Street Portfolio, Blaisdell Portfolio and related LLCsIrvine, Calif. · 9 licenses at Tier 2 or 3 | 600 | 112 | 19 |
Owners with 100 or more Minneapolis units, ranked by housing code violations recorded from January 2024 to October 2026, from an October 2026 export of the city's rental violations data. Tier 2 and 3 are the city's lower ratings for a building's condition and management, which bring more frequent inspections. Across all Minneapolis rentals, there were about 12 violations per 100 licensed units.
One outlier: Heritage Park and Sumner Field in north Minneapolis had 865 violations on 454 units. The land belongs to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and private partnerships run the homes. Saint Paul doesn't publish violation data, so we can't rank its landlords the same way.
Each case below ended in a court ruling, a settlement or a city order. Settlements don't mean the landlord admitted wrongdoing.
Millennium Management
A student-rental company with buildings near the U of M and in Saint Paul. The University of Minnesota's Off-Campus Living office put it on its list of problem landlords in 2017, a list that requires three unresolved student legal cases in a year, and it is still on the university's non-compliance list today. In city records, Millennium shares a tax-bill address with NHH Properties and MN Rental Properties Group. Together their buildings logged 187 Minneapolis code violations since January 2024, and by our match, 6 Saint Paul rentals tied to the group carry a C fire inspection grade in city data.
Stephen Frenz and Spiros Zorbalas
Zorbalas had been banned by the city as a landlord, and the city found he was a business partner in Frenz's properties. In 2017 the city revoked Frenz's rental license (he controlled about 60 properties) and barred him from any interest in a rental license for five years. The two agreed to an $18.5 million settlement with about 5,400 tenants in 2018. In 2019 a jury convicted Frenz of perjury for a sworn affidavit denying he had falsified leases and inspection invoices, and he was sentenced to 60 days in jail, served in two 30-day terms.
Mahmood Khan
The city moved to revoke his rental licenses after about 3,500 code violations across 42 properties. He sued, arguing the city's enforcement unfairly hurt minority tenants, and lost; a federal appeals court ruled for the city in 2019.
Steven Meldahl / S.J.M. Properties
A judge found he knowingly and in bad faith violated the rights of 267 families, including by charging late fees above the legal limit, and ordered a $133,500 penalty. He was later ordered to pay the state $1,072,818 in legal fees and costs.
Investment Property Group
The Attorney General sued Investment Property Group, owner of 13 Hennepin County complexes, including Greenway and Aldrich, over surprise utility fees and evictions. It settled in July 2025 for over $5 million in relief, including a $1.8 million restitution fund. By our match of county tax records, Greenway and Aldrich share a tax-bill address with the Eat Street Portfolio group in the violations table above. The Attorney General doesn't use that name.
Quadrel Realty (Brentwood Apartments)
Represented by Legal Aid, the Brentwood Tenants Union won a 2025 agreement for repairs, which Quadrel then didn't make. In March 2026 a judge fined it $750 a day, more than $49,500 as of March 30, 2026.
Madison Equities (Lowry Apartments)
The city revoked the 134-unit building's fire certificate of occupancy, a court put it in receivership, and it was condemned in December 2024, displacing more than 70 residents.
Housing Hub
Housing Hub mostly doesn't own the buildings. It's a management company that runs rentals for other owners, so it's often the one collecting rent, handling repairs and deciding deposits. It says it manages more than 700 properties with over 3,000 residents. A 2023 Star Tribune article described it as managing 1,500 Saint Paul rental properties.
- Security deposits, 2023. Housing Hub agreed to pay the state $63,000, which the Attorney General said would fund refunds to tenants. The state had alleged charges for normal wear and tear, like carpet cleaning, light bulbs and furnace filters. Under the settlement (Ramsey County, 62-CV-23-1273), it agreed to change those practices. The agreement states that it isn't an admission of a violation.
- Rent stabilization lawsuit, 2023. A tenant sued Housing Hub and the building's owner, alleging they raised her rent past the 3% cap without seeking a city exception. Those are allegations. Collins said the property had passed a city inspection; he didn't directly address the rent claims. We haven't found how the case ended.
- 296 Bates Ave., 2024. Between August and September 2023, Housing Hub filed 26 rent increase applications across its properties, this building's among them, without the rent rolls the city requires. In October 2024 the City Council granted two tenants' appeals 5–0 on its consent agenda. That case is in the appeals timeline under How rent limits work. council minutes
- Its side. Collins said rising utility, insurance and tax costs squeeze owners: "People treat us like we're billionaires, like we're getting rich, but the rental game is tough."
Why managers matter: an owner who lives out of town may never deal with tenants directly. Minnesota law requires your landlord to tell you, in writing, who manages the building and who can accept legal papers for the owner. Ask for both before you sign. Under state law, "landlord" includes both the owner and an agent managing for them, so repair duties don't disappear when a manager is in the middle.
Monarch Investment and Management Group
The Attorney General joined former tenants' lawsuit alleging false certifications to collect about $259,000 in pandemic rent aid. These are allegations; the case is open.
Investors owned just over 42,000 single-family homes in the Twin Cities metro in 2024, up from about 19,300 in 2008. That's less than 1 in 20 single-family homes, but the biggest owners are growing fastest: owners of 50 or more homes held 4,059 homes in 2022, and 81% of those owners are based out of state. A University of Minnesota study found eviction rates 17% higher at private-equity-owned homes than at homes owned by micro-landlords.
The private equity giant bought Home Partners of America for $6 billion in 2021. Home Partners had the most Twin Cities single-family homes of the large investors the Minneapolis Fed tracked, 1,152 in 2022. Invitation Homes held another 1,040.
Pretium's Progress Residential owned 602 Twin Cities homes in 2022. Pretium also owns HavenBrook, renamed Front Yard Residential, which held 215 north Minneapolis homes in 2023. Tenants organized with Inquilinxs Unidxs and won a repair agreement through the City Council in 2023. The Attorney General's lawsuit settled in 2024 with HavenBrook and Progress for a $2.2 million restitution fund and up to $1.99 million in forgiven rent debt.
The country's largest apartment manager runs 34 properties in the Twin Cities and Rochester. In 2025 it settled claims that it used rent-setting software to push up rents: $50 million in a national class action and $7 million in a proposed settlement with nine states, including Minnesota. It also paid $24 million to settle federal and Colorado charges over hidden fees. The $50 million and $7 million deals required court approval, and the companies in the class settlement denied wrongdoing. Minneapolis banned rent-setting software in March 2025.
Often blamed, rarely the landlord. BlackRock is an asset manager, not a home buyer, and fact-checkers, including the AP, have debunked claims that it owns most U.S. homes. It's frequently confused with Blackstone, which does own homes here.
In 2026, bills to cap or ban private equity ownership of single-family homes stalled at the Capitol. The House version stalled in committee when a motion to advance it got 7 votes to 6, with one member excused, and the minutes record that it did not prevail, and a Senate cap was left out of the final housing bill, according to its House author.
Rankings use city license and parcel records, grouped by the address where each property's tax bill goes. Violations are city inspectors' findings, not court judgments, and settlements are not admissions of wrongdoing. How we counted
Renter Defenders
The groups that organize, advise and go to court for Twin Cities renters, what each one does, and what they've won and lost. Looking for help with your own building? See Organize my building.
Start here · statewide · free
HOME Line
A free tenant hotline that also trains renters to form associations and lobbies at the Capitol. It pushed for the 2023 tenant rights package and says organizing requests have "increased exponentially."
Twin Cities DSA
The founding partner of Safe Homes Saint Paul, the 2026 right-to-repair campaign, which says the push for it came from Twin Cities DSA members. Its members also gathered signatures and knocked doors for Saint Paul's 2021 rent stabilization campaign, by the chapter's own account, and its tenants working group organizes tenant unions around the metro.
Safe Homes Saint Paul
The coalition behind the 2026 tenant right-to-repair measure. Twin Cities DSA is its founding partner, and the campaign says the push for it came from DSA members. The measure is modeled on Duluth's. It started collecting signatures in January and qualified with 5,440 valid signatures. When the City Council voted 5–2 to keep it off the ballot, a Ramsey County judge ordered it back on, and the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to block it and sent the city's appeal to the Court of Appeals, where it was pending as of Oct. 21, 2026. Endorsers include the Saint Paul Federation of Educators, the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH) and Twin Cities DSA.
Stop the Sweeps coalition
Advocates and volunteers fighting Saint Paul's homeless encampment clearings, which began after the city said in July 2026 it no longer wanted established encampments. The coalition asked the city to end the policy that makes encampments illegal, close camps only if residents agree, and set up a committee with unhoused people to find solutions, the Villager reported. It and Rising Waters Mutual Aid both support encampment residents, and a speaker at a Stop the Sweeps press conference at City Hall said people need "a housing first approach." After the city cleared the Pig's Eye camp on Aug. 5, officials said only seven former residents used shelter, and an estimated 90 to 100 moved to another camp. In September the city had no dates set to clear the rest. Getting into housing takes time: Ramsey County has more than 1,400 people waiting for permanent supportive housing, and a single adult on the county's housing placement list waits 483 days on average.
Twin Cities Tenants
A metro-wide union launched in January 2026 that brought together members of several tenant organizations, with support from the national Tenant Union Federation and five labor unions. In February 2026 it ran a rent strike pledge drive, and members voted not to strike after falling short of the goal.
Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia
Organized tenants of landlord Stephen Frenz who won ownership of five buildings in 2020 through a land bank purchase, with plans for a co-op. Also organized HavenBrook Homes tenants in north Minneapolis before the 2024 Attorney General settlement.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
Free lawyers for low-income tenants. Represented the Brentwood Tenants Union, winning what it calls the largest fine ever awarded to a tenants union in Hennepin County Housing Court.
ISAIAH
A faith-based organizing group that, with Faith in Minnesota, has backed resident leaders in manufactured home parks. In April 2026 it urged senators to pass a bill with a manufactured home residents' bill of rights, including a 3% cap on yearly lot rent increases. isaiahmn.org
Housing Justice Center
Housing lawyers and policy advocates. Its president helped craft Saint Paul's 2021 rent stabilization ballot proposal, and it contributed to the MN Renter's Guide to Tenant Organizing.
Minnesota Housing Partnership
A housing policy group credited with a "key role" in passing the 2023 housing bill and tenant rights package.
Defend Glendale & Public Housing Coalition
Glendale Townhomes residents who fought the public housing authority's redevelopment plan and won repairs without relocation in 2018.
Housing Equity Now St. Paul (HENS) and Keep St. Paul Home
The coalition behind Saint Paul's rent stabilization. HENS, a coalition led by low-wealth communities and Black and Indigenous people and other people of color with members including the Frogtown Neighborhood Association and The Alliance, turned in 9,100 signatures in 2021. Voters approved the 3% cap that November, after an opposition committee fighting mainly Saint Paul's question, funded largely by landlords and national landlord and Realtor groups, raised nearly $4 million. The campaign won a national organizing award in 2022, and its ballot committee filed its final report that year. The city council weakened the ordinance in 2022 and again in 2025.
Home to Stay
The coalition that pushed Minneapolis's 2021 charter question letting the council pass rent control. It passed with 53% of the vote. A city work group then recommended a 3% cap, Mayor Frey promised a veto, and in June 2023, with three supportive members absent for Eid, the council voted 5–4 not to move it forward.
- 2021Win
Saint Paul voters pass rent stabilization, and Minneapolis voters open the door to it.
- Win
Minneapolis guarantees lawyers for low-income tenants facing eviction.
- 2022Loss
Saint Paul exempts new buildings for 20 years and lets rents jump after a tenant moves out.
- 2023Win
The Legislature passes a tenant rights package: 14 days' notice before an eviction filing, eviction record expungement and a minimum indoor temperature.
- Loss
Minneapolis's rent stabilization proposal stalls in a 5–4 council vote, with three supporters absent.
- 2024Win
Minnesota protects tenants' right to organize, with penalties for landlords who retaliate.
- Win
Progress Residential and HavenBrook tenants win a $2.2 million restitution fund and forgiven rent debt.
- 2025Loss
Saint Paul permanently exempts rentals built after 2004 from rent stabilization.
- 2026
- Loss
Mayor Frey vetoes two longer eviction notice ordinances, and both overrides fail.
- Win
Safe Homes Saint Paul puts tenant right to repair on the ballot. The council voted 5–2 on Aug. 5 to keep it off, and a judge ordered it back on.
Pro-housing groups, often called YIMBYs ("yes in my backyard"), fight for more homes of every kind, and they've won big zoning changes. Their case is that renters are best served by more supply. Renter groups' case is that renters also need power over the homes they live in now. On rent caps, repair rights and landlord accountability, the two have often split.
Ratings reflect each group's public position on rent stabilization and tenant protections, not on building more housing. Pro-renter Mixed Critical
Neighbors for More Neighbors
Friend, at least in 2018. While pushing the Minneapolis 2040 zoning plan in 2018, it backed capping yearly rent hikes, just-cause eviction and a right to counsel. One of its members, a landlord herself, supported rent stabilization in 2021. We found no group statement on Minneapolis's 2021 rent stabilization ballot question.
Sustain Saint Paul
Backed the original law, then pushed to weaken it. The group says it supported the original rent stabilization ordinance, but in March 2025 it announced it would "support amending the policy to unlock new housing construction while gaining even stronger tenant protections," and urged members to speak at the April public hearing. After the council permanently exempted new buildings that May, the group said its members had submitted written comments and testified in person and praised the change. We found no group position on right to repair.
In these records, the splits don't come over building more housing. They come over measures that give current renters leverage over their landlords, like Saint Paul's rent cap and repair-and-deduct. Neighbors for More Neighbors' 2018 platform shows not every pro-housing group draws that line.
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Twin Cities Renter Guide
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