Source: https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/breaking-a-lease-in-minnesota
Timestamp: 2020-05-29 14:03:24
Document Index: 163129194

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504', '§ 504']

Breaking a Lease in Minnesota [2020]: ALL Legal Reasons
Breaking a Lease in Minnesota
Find out when a tenant can legally break a lease in Minnesota, when they can’t, and whether or not a landlord is required by Minnesota law to make reasonable effort to rerent.
Before we address the legally acceptable reasons to get out a lease early without penalty, it’s important to know the notice requirements in Minnesota to end a tenancy in general.
Lease Termination Notice Requirements in Minnesota
In Minnesota, a tenant is not required to provide notice for fixed end date leases, the lease expires on the last day of the lease (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.145). Minnesota tenants have to provide written notice for the following lease terms:
Notice to terminate a week-to-week lease. The time of the notice must be at least as long as the interval between the time rent is due or three months, whichever is less. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.135)
Notice to terminate a month-to-month lease. The time of the notice must be at least as long as the interval between the time rent is due or three months, whichever is less. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.135)
Conditions for Legally Breaking a Lease in Minnesota
There are a handful of scenarios where a tenant can legally break a lease in Minnesota without penalty. We’ll go through each of them below.
In Minnesota, the term “servicemember” means a member of the armed forces, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the activated National Guard.
Every state has specific health and safety codes that provide minimum standards for rental units, and Minnesota is no different.
If those standards are not met, proper notice is given by the tenant and the repairs/fixes are still not made within the allowable time period, a tenant would be considered “constructively evicted”. As a result, the obligations of the tenant under the lease are no longer required, given that the landlord has not met their own responsibilities under Minnesota landlord-tenant law.
According to Minnesota state law (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.161), landlord duties to provide habitable premises include the following:
Fit for Use. The landlord is required to ensure that the premises and all common areas are fit for the use intended by the parties.
Maintenance. The landlord should keep the premises in reasonable repair during the term of the lease or license, except when the disrepair has been caused by the willful, malicious, or irresponsible conduct of the tenant.
Energy Efficiency. The landlord should make the premises reasonably energy-efficient by installing weather-stripping, caulking, storm windows, and storm doors when any such measure will result in energy procurement cost savings, based on current and projected average residential energy costs in Minnesota.
Comply with Laws. To maintain the premises in compliance with the applicable health and safety laws of the state, and of the local units of government where the premises are located during the term of the lease or license, except when violation of the health and safety laws has been caused by the willful, malicious, or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or licensee or a person under the direction or control of the tenant or licensee.
Landlord entry. In Minnesota, landlords must give “reasonable notice and reason” before entering a unit ((Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.211 (Subd 2)). Reasonable reasons include:
Showing the unit to a prospective buyer
Showing the unit to officials inspecting the property
Checking on a tenant causing a disturbance within the unit or a tenant the landlord believes is violating the lease
Performing housekeeping work in a seniors’ housing unit
Changing the locks. In some states, if the locks are changed by a landlord without the tenant’s permission or without the protection of specific language in the lease agreement, this can qualify as being “constructively evicted”, and could relieve the tenant of their duties of the lease. In Minnesota, landlords are not allowed to lockout tenants. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.225, §§ 504B.375)
Minnesota provides tenants who are victims of domestic violence with special rental provisions for their protection. If you are confronting a domestic violence situation (this can also be stalking), and want to move, check with local law enforcement regarding special state laws that may apply in domestic violence situations. Some statutes the state of Minnesota provides for victims of domestic violence include:
Proof of Status. The landlord is entitled to verify the claim of Domestic Violence status. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.206 (Subd 1(b)))
Termination of Lease. The tenant can terminate the lease with written notice delivered before the termination of the tenancy by mail, fax, or in person, and be accompanied by an order for protection or no-contact order. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.206 (Subd 1(b)))
Safeguarding of Information. A landlord must not disclose information provided to the landlord by a tenant documenting domestic abuse. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.206 (Subd 2))
Responsibility of Rent. Tenant is responsible for the rent payment for the full month in which the tenancy terminates and an additional amount equal to one month’s rent. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.206 (Subd 3))
Multiple Tenants. Termination of the lease for a victim of Domestic Violence does not terminate the lease for any remaining tenants. (Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 504B.206 (Subd 4))
Examples of Insufficient Justification for Lease Breaking in Minnesota
Since state landlord-tenant laws vary, the following reasons may legally permit a tenant to terminate their tenancy early in other states but are not applicable in Minnesota:
Minnesota state law does not require landlords to take reasonable steps to rerent their unit when a tenant breaks their lease.
Tenant’s Right to Sublet in Minnesota
Additional Resources for Minnesota Tenants & Landlords: