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Tenant Repair Laws in Minnesota

In Minnesota, a tenant may deposit rent with the court in a rent escrow action if the landlord does not correct a violation within 14 days of written notice, and a court may let the tenant make repairs and deduct the cost.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Minnesota at a glance

Repair and deduct
Only by court order
A judge may order the tenant to fix the violation and deduct the cost from rent.
Rent withholding
Court rent escrow
While the case is pending the tenant must pay rent to the court or landlord and may not simply withhold it.
Landlord repair deadline
14 days after written notice
For code violations cited by an inspector, the inspector's repair deadline applies instead.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Minnesota

Can a tenant repair and deduct the cost from rent in Minnesota?

Only by court order. Repair and deduct in Minnesota: only by court order. A judge may order the tenant to fix the violation and deduct the cost from rent.

Can a tenant withhold rent or pay it into escrow for repairs in Minnesota?

Court rent escrow. Rent withholding in Minnesota: court rent escrow. While the case is pending the tenant must pay rent to the court or landlord and may not simply withhold it.

How long does a landlord have to make repairs after notice in Minnesota?

Landlord repair deadline in Minnesota: 14 days after written notice. For code violations cited by an inspector, the inspector's repair deadline applies instead.

Where do the Minnesota tenant repair laws come from?

The rules above come from Minn. Stat. 504B.385, Minn. Stat. 504B.395 and Minn. Stat. 504B.425. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Section 504B.385 was amended in 2024 (c. 118) and 2025 (c. 32), and section 504B.395 in 2025 (c. 32).

What this means in practice

Give notice in writing and keep a copy. Tenant repair remedies usually start running only after the landlord has received notice of the problem, and a dated letter or email is the easiest way to prove when that happened.

Document the condition before and after. Photos, videos, inspection reports from a local code office and receipts for any repair work help show that the problem was serious and that any amount deducted or withheld matches the actual cost.

Stay current on everything else. Repair remedies generally protect only tenants who are not otherwise behind on rent and who did not cause the damage, and using a remedy the state does not allow can be treated as nonpayment of rent and lead to an eviction case.

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