One of my top priorities this session is strengthening rights and protections for renters in Minnesota. We are in the middle of a housing crisis, with rental prices soaring and affordable, quality units in short supply. This problem has disproportionately affected communities of color, which tend to have a higher renter rate than white communities. Coupled with fewer and fewer young families being able to afford to purchase a home, residents are in a perfect storm for landlords to take advantage of tenants.
My colleague, Rep. Esther Agbaje, is carrying a bill package to strengthen tenants’ rights, and many pieces of legislation I have authored over my past several terms are included in the proposal. Once passed, this bill will create a host of much-needed protections for renters in Minnesota and put a stop to many predatory practices used by landlords. The list of protections this package will create is long, so I’ll jump right in.
Once signed into law, this bill package will prohibit sellers, landlords, real estate agents, and brokers from discriminating against individuals receiving public assistance. It will require landlords to be upfront about rental prices and prohibits hidden fees. Landlords will be required to ensure units have heat capable of reaching 68 degrees when the outside temperature falls below 60 degrees, as happens most months out of the year in Minnesota.
In Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, and Duluth, landlords will be prohibited from inquiring about lease renewal until the lease has 6 months or less remaining, making student housing more accessible for Minnesota’s learners. Tenants will also gain the right to terminate a lease if they require assistance with daily living and need to enter a nursing home or seek other long-term medical care.
The bill will create a requirement that landlords perform a unit walkthrough before a tenant moves in and inform the tenant in writing of their right to a walk-through inspection upon moveout. By doing this, tenants will have a chance to rectify any damages to the unit themselves instead of losing their security deposit to repair costs. This will benefit both parties, with landlords receiving units back in better condition and renters getting more of their security deposit back.
The bill also addresses privacy concerns, requiring landlords to give a 24-hour notice before entry, and limits that entry to between 8am and 8pm. Landlords will be unable to refuse to rent or require a current renter to declaw or devocalize pets. Finally, the bill empowers and supports tenants to take legal action against landlords that violate their rights.
This bill will affect many people in our district for the better. I am proud and incredibly excited to deliver on this for you and make South Minneapolis a better place to live.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback with me throughout the legislative session. You can reach me by email at rep.hodan.hassan@house.mn.gov.
I am incredibly honored to get to work for you.
In solidarity,
Rep. Hodan Hassan