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Early Lease Termination Laws in Minnesota

In Minnesota, a tenant who fears imminent violence after domestic abuse, criminal sexual conduct, sexual extortion or harassment can end a lease with advance written notice and a qualifying document, and a tenant found by a medical professional to need to move into a medical care facility can end a lease with at least two months' written notice.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Minnesota at a glance

Domestic violence victims
Yes, written notice plus qualifying document
No fixed notice period. A sole tenant owes rent for the full month in which the tenancy ends.
Senior, disability or medical
Yes, two months' notice
Applies when a medical professional finds the tenant needs to move into a medical care facility. Notice is effective on the last day of a calendar month. Added in 2023, amended in 2024.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Minnesota

Can domestic violence or sexual assault victims end a lease early in Minnesota?

Yes, written notice plus qualifying document. Domestic violence victims in Minnesota: yes, written notice plus qualifying document. No fixed notice period. A sole tenant owes rent for the full month in which the tenancy ends.

Can seniors or tenants with a disability or medical need end a lease early in Minnesota?

Yes, two months' notice. Senior, disability or medical in Minnesota: yes, two months' notice. Applies when a medical professional finds the tenant needs to move into a medical care facility. Notice is effective on the last day of a calendar month. Added in 2023, amended in 2024.

Where do the Minnesota early lease termination laws come from?

The rules above come from Minn. Stat. 504B.206 and Minn. Stat. 504B.266. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

The domestic violence termination statute was amended in 2024 and 2025 (the 2025 change concerns the landlord's duty to keep the tenant's information confidential).

What this means in practice

Read the lease first. Many leases contain an early termination clause, a buyout fee or a sublease option that may be easier to use than a statutory right. A statutory right usually applies even if the lease says nothing about it, and a lease generally cannot waive it.

Statutory early termination rights usually come with conditions. Common ones are written notice to the landlord, a minimum notice period, and proof such as a protective order, police report, military orders or a doctor's statement. Keep copies of everything you send and note the date and method of delivery.

If you leave without a statutory right, you may still owe rent until the unit is re-rented or the lease ends. Where a landlord has a duty to mitigate, it must make reasonable efforts to find a new tenant, and the amount you owe is reduced by rent the landlord collects or reasonably could have collected. Returning keys and documenting the condition of the unit can help limit disputes.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.