What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Minnesota?
Before filing for nonpayment, the landlord must deliver a written notice with the amount due and required statements; the landlord may file only if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days (longer if a local law requires).
Before filing a Minnesota nonpayment eviction, the landlord must deliver a written notice with the amount due and required statements. The landlord may file only if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days (longer if a local law requires).
Worked example for Minnesota
Example: You deliver the written notice, with the amount due and required statements, on May 1, 2026. Unless a local law requires a longer period, you may file only if the tenant does not pay the total amount due or move out within 14 days, by May 15, 2026.
Minnesota timelines and limits
Notice before filing
A written notice with the amount due and required statements
When the landlord may file
Only if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days, or a longer period if a local law requires it
Minnesota FAQ
How much notice does a Minnesota landlord have to give before filing for nonpayment?
A written notice, and the landlord may file only if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days (longer if a local law requires), under Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subd. 1a.
What must the notice include?
The amount due and required statements.
Can a local law require more than 14 days?
Yes. The landlord may file only if the tenant does not pay or move out within 14 days, or a longer period if a local law requires it.
This is general information, not legal advice. The verified rule and official sources above control. Check the source or a local attorney for your situation.
Related Minnesota rules
Eviction court process & timeline
The landlord files a complaint, and the court sets the first appearance 7 to 14 days after the summons is issued (expedited hearings are available for certain serious conduct).
A Minnesota eviction action is started by filing a complaint with the district court, and the court administrator charges the plaintiff (the landlord) the standard civil filing fee of $310 when the first paper is filed. A defendant who files a paper in the case pays the same first-paper fee unless it is waived. Statute text: "In every civil action or proceeding in said court, including any case arising under the tax laws of the state that could be transferred or appealed to the Tax Court, the plaintiff, petitioner, or other moving party shall pay, when the first paper is filed for that party in said action, a fee of $310" (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1); § 504B.321, subd. 1(a)).
Intentionally ousting a tenant, or cutting electricity, heat, gas or water to force a tenant out, is a misdemeanor. A tenant who is unlawfully removed or kept out in bad faith may recover treble damages or $500, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees, and may petition the court to regain possession.
A tenant has a defense to eviction if the termination was meant to penalize a good-faith attempt to enforce rights or a good-faith report of code violations to a government authority. If the notice to quit came within 90 days of that act, the landlord must prove it was not retaliatory. Retaliatory rent increases or service cuts are also a defense to eviction for nonpayment.
If a tenant stays after the lease expires without the landlord's express agreement, the only tenancy implied is one for the shortest rent-payment interval under the old lease (for example, month-to-month).
Instead of paying the landlord, a tenant may deposit the rent with the court administrator to force repairs. For a code violation, the deposit can be made once the repair deadline in the inspector's written notice has passed. For other violations, the tenant first gives written notice and waits 14 days.
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