Minnesota required lease disclosures: names, a posted notice and the inspection orders tenants must see

Whom must you name?

504B.181, subd. 1: "There shall be disclosed to the residential tenant either in the rental agreement or otherwise in writing prior to commencement of the tenancy" the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of the landlord or an agent authorized to accept service of process and to receive and give receipt for notices and demands.

Subdivision 2(a) requires a printed or typewritten notice with that information in a conspicuous place on the premises, though notices posted under other statutes or ordinances satisfy it if they carry the same information. Under 2(b), unless section 471.9995 requires a posted notice, you also post a notice that a copy of the statement required by 504B.275 is available from the attorney general on request.

What happens if you do not disclose?

• Subd. 3: if a person wanting to serve process does not know the landlord's name and address, a caretaker, manager or the person to whom rent is paid is deemed an agent to accept service and receive notices, and must pass them to the landlord personally or by certified mail.
• Subd. 4: no action to recover rent or possession can be maintained unless the information was disclosed as the section provides, or was known to or disclosed to the tenant at least 30 days before the action started. Failure to post the attorney general notice does not stop an action.
• Subd. 5: a tenant who leaves or subleases without 30 days' written notice voids the section as to that tenant.
• Subd. 6: the section binds successor landlords and whoever collects the rent.

Example a made-up St. Paul landlord files for unpaid rent but never named a manager or agent in the lease, and the tenant never learned the information. The case can be stopped under subd. 4 until the landlord shows the disclosure was made at least 30 days before filing.

What inspection orders must you hand over?

Section 504B.195, subd. 1(a): a landlord, agent or person under the landlord's control must provide a copy of all outstanding inspection orders for which a citation has been issued and that the housing inspector identifies as threatening tenant health or safety, and all outstanding condemnation orders and declarations that premises are unfit for habitation. The recipients are: a tenant, by delivery or postage-prepaid mail within 72 hours after the citation is issued; a person before signing a lease or paying rent or a deposit to begin a new tenancy; and a person before obtaining ownership of the property subject to the order.

If an order with a citation does not involve a health or safety threat, you post a summary in a conspicuous place in each affected building with a notice that the order is available for review on request (1(b)). Exceptions in subd. 3 cover an initial order to repair, a repair period that has not expired or has run less than 60 days, and repairs completed on time. A tenant cannot waive the section (subd. 5), and the remedies include those in section 8.31, subd. 3a.

Anything else to add?

Minnesota's covenants in 504B.161 mean the lease cannot waive fit-premises duties, so do not draft around them. Add the federal lead paint pamphlet and disclosure for covered older housing (42 U.S.C. 4852d).

How DoorKeeping helps in Minnesota

DoorKeeping keeps the lease, the move-in report and the deposit details together for each unit, so you can ask Claude or ChatGPT which disclosures a lease is missing before you send it. Anything that goes to a tenant waits for your one-tap approval. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it. This is general information, not legal advice: check the current statute and your own lease.

Sources

1. Minnesota Statutes 504B.181, Landlord or agent disclosure (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), read Oct 30, 2026
2. Minnesota Statutes 504B.195, Disclosure required for outstanding inspection and condemnation orders (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), read Oct 30, 2026
3. Minnesota Statutes 504B.161, Covenants of landlord or licensor (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), read Oct 30, 2026
4. 42 U.S. Code 4852d, Disclosure of information concerning lead upon transfer of residential property (Cornell Legal Information Institute), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

What must a Minnesota landlord disclose before the tenancy starts?

The name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of the landlord or an agent for service, in the lease or otherwise in writing (504B.181).

Must Minnesota landlords give inspection orders to tenants?

Yes, outstanding orders with a citation that threaten health or safety, within 72 hours of the citation, and to prospective tenants before they sign (504B.195).

What if a Minnesota landlord skipped the disclosure?

An action to recover rent or possession can't be maintained unless the information was disclosed or known to the tenant at least 30 days before the action (504B.181, subd. 4).