1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to housing; creating a statewide landlord database; creating a civil penalty
1.3 for a failure to register with the statewide landlord database; providing civil
1.4 remedies; providing attorney general enforcement;amending Minnesota Statutes
1.5 2024, section 8.31, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.6 Statutes, chapter 462A.
1.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 8.31, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.9 Subdivision 1.Investigate offenses against provisions of certain designated sections;
1.10 assist in enforcement. The attorney general shall investigate violations of the law of this
1.11 state respecting unfair, discriminatory, and other unlawful practices in business, commerce,
1.12 or trade, and specifically, but not exclusively, the Nonprofit Corporation Act (sections
1.13 317A.001 to 317A.909), the Act Against Unfair Discrimination and Competition (sections
1.14 325D.01 to 325D.07), the Unlawful Trade Practices Act (sections 325D.09 to 325D.16),
1.15 the Antitrust Act (sections 325D.49 to 325D.66), section 325F.67 and other laws against
1.16 false or fraudulent advertising, the antidiscrimination acts contained in section 325D.67,
1.17 the act against monopolization of food products (section 325D.68), the act regulating
1.18 telephone advertising services (section 325E.39), the Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act
1.19 (sections 325F.68 to 325F.70), the requirements of the statewide landlord database (section
1.20 462A.45), and chapter 53A regulating currency exchanges and assist in the enforcement of
1.21 those laws as in this section provided.
2.1 Sec. 2. [462A.45] STATEWIDE LANDLORD DATABASE.
2.2 Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
2.3 the meanings given.
2.4 (b) "Landlord" has the meaning given in section 504B.001, subdivision 7.
2.5 (c) "Residential building" has the meaning given in section 504B.001, subdivision 11.
2.6 (d) "Tenant" means a residential tenant as defined in section 504B.001, subdivision 12.
2.7 Subd. 2.Database established. The commissioner of the Housing Finance Agency must
2.8 establish and maintain a statewide landlord database that collects and retains the information
2.9 required in this section. The commissioner must make the database available to the public
2.10 at no cost. The commissioner must not charge a fee to a landlord for submitting information
2.11 to the database. The database must be searchable and allow tenants and prospective tenants
2.12 to report rental units or landlords who cannot be found in the database.
2.13 Subd. 3.Annual submission required. (a) Before renting a residential building in the
2.14 state or within 60 days of renting a rental unit in the state, a landlord must provide the
2.15 following information to the statewide landlord database:
2.16 (1) the complete legal names of the owners of the residential building and, if the property
2.17 is owned by a company or group of investors, the complete legal names of each natural
2.18 person who has a property interest in the residential building;
2.19 (2) the business address of each natural person who has a property interest in the
2.20 residential building;
2.21 (3) the name, address, and contact information for the landlord or manager of the
2.22 residential building;
2.23 (4) the rent for each rental unit in the residential building on the first day that the unit
2.24 is rented or on January 1 of the year of the filing for a renewal; and
2.25 (5) if the residential building has a rental license, the date of issue, the date of expiration,
2.26 and the jurisdiction issuing the license.
2.27 (b) A landlord must annually update a submission for each rental unit or residential
2.28 building that the landlord is renting by February 1 or, if a unit is vacant, before or during
2.29 the first 60 days that the rental unit is occupied.
2.30 (c) A landlord who fails to comply with this subdivision is subject to penalties under
2.31 subdivisions 4 and 5.
3.1 Subd. 4.Tenant remedies; civil action; retaliation. (a) A tenant or prospective tenant
3.2 who is unable to locate a landlord in the statewide landlord database may notify the agency
3.3 that the landlord, the residential building, or the rental unit could not be found, and the
3.4 tenant or prospective tenant must provide their contact information, the residential building
3.5 or unit address, and the contact information for the landlord. The agency must send a letter
3.6 to the landlord with information on the database and a notice that the landlord must provide
3.7 the landlord's annual submission to the database within 60 days of the date that the landlord
3.8 received notice of the letter. The agency must send the tenant a copy of the letter. An
3.9 enforcement action under subdivision 5 may not be brought until 61 days after the date the
3.10 letter was sent under this paragraph.
3.11 (b) A tenant or prospective tenant may bring a civil action against a landlord who has
3.12 not provided the information required under this section 61 days after the date of the
3.13 notification under paragraph (a) for injunctive relief, costs, and reasonable attorney fees.
3.14 In addition, the landlord is liable to the tenant or prospective tenant for a civil penalty of
3.15 up to $5,000 if the court finds that the landlord has repeated knowing and willful violations
3.16 of this section.
3.17 (c) A landlord must not refuse to rent to a prospective tenant, increase rent, decrease
3.18 services, alter an existing lease with the tenant, file a complaint against the tenant, seek to
3.19 recover possession of the premises, or commit any other act or failure to act, in whole or in
3.20 part, in retaliation after a tenant exercises a right under this section. A tenant or prospective
3.21 tenant may bring a civil action against a landlord who violates this paragraph seeking
3.22 damages, costs, reasonable attorney fees, injunctive relief, and any other equitable relief
3.23 the court deems appropriate.
3.24 Subd. 5.Attorney general enforcement. The attorney general may enforce this section
3.25 under section 8.31. The court may award a civil penalty of up to $5,000 if the court finds
3.26 that the landlord has repeated knowing and willful violations of this section.
3.27 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective January 1, 2026, and applies to causes
3.28 of actions accruing on or after that date.
