A Minnesota Rental Application is a document landlords use to vet potential tenants properly before signing a lease agreement.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non-refundable
- Fee Limits – No limits (no statute)
- Security Deposit – Maximum payment equal to one month’s rent for unfurnished properties and one and a half months’ rent for furnished properties.
Application Fees
- No Charging When No Units: Don’t charge a screening fee if you know there are no available units now or in the near future.
- Receipt Requirement: Always provide a written receipt for the fee upon request—this can be part of the application form.
- Fee Handling: Don’t use, cash, or deposit the fee until you’ve screened all prior applicants and either rejected them or they’ve declined the unit after an offer.
Refunding Fees:
- Automatic Refunds: Return the fee if the applicant is rejected based on criteria not disclosed upfront, or if an earlier applicant accepts the rental offer.
- Partial Refunds: If those steps weren’t taken, refund any portion of the fee not used for checks or reports.
- Refund Method: Refunds can be mailed, voided (if paid by check and requested), or made available for pick-up.
Before Accepting Fees – Disclosures:
- Screening Service Details: Disclose the name, address, and phone number of any screening service used, or note if none is used.
- Rental Criteria: Clearly outline the criteria used to decide on tenant applications.
Penalties for Violations:
- For Landlords: If you violate these rules, you owe the applicant the fee back, plus up to $100, court filing costs, and attorney fees.
- For Applicants: Providing false or omitting important information can mean you owe the landlord damages, up to $500, court costs, and attorney fees [1] .
Fair Housing Protections
It’s important to know that discriminatory practices in dealing with real estate are illegal. Here’s what owners, lessees, and agents must avoid [2] :
- Discrimination: It’s not allowed to deny or withhold property from anyone based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or familial status.
- Unfair Treatment: Terms, conditions, and privileges of property transactions must not discriminate for the same reasons listed above. However, rules for protecting minors’ safety are permitted.
- Advertising: Any promotions or inquiries that directly or indirectly imply discrimination are prohibited. An exception exists for “adults-only” housing under certain conditions.
Security Deposits
- Security Deposit Collection: No legal limit on the amount that can be charged for a security deposit in Minnesota.
- Return of Security Deposit: The security deposit with annual non-compounded interest must be returned within three weeks after the lease ends.
- Retention of Deposit for Damages or Unpaid Charges: Allowed to keep part or all of the deposit for damages beyond normal wear and tear, and for outstanding utility charges or rent.
- Handling of Security Deposits: Considered best practice (though not explicitly required by Minnesota law) to keep the security deposit in a separate, interest-bearing account to simplify repayment and interest calculation [3] .
Pet Deposits
Minnesota allows landlords to charge a pet deposit to cover any damages made to the property by the animal, as long as the amount is reasonable. Service animals are exempt.
Sample
Download our Minnesota rental application form below for free. You can also use our step-by-step document builder to create a custom filled-out document.
