Sources checked:
Quick answer. Minnesota: no deposit cap in the law read; deposit returned within 21 days; 14-day notice for unpaid rent; 24-hour entry notice; $20,000 small claims limit. 21 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 2 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- No cap in the law read
- Deposit back within
- 21 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 1 period
- Unpaid rent notice
- 14 days
- Entry notice
- 24 hours
- Filing fee
- Varies by county
- Time to answer or appear
- At the hearing
- Judgment to writ
- Up to 7 days
- Writ to lockout
- 24 hours
- Small claims limit
- $20,000
Security deposit (6 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: Minn. Stat. 504B.178.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No maximum in 504B.178.
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within three weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions; within five days if the tenant leaves because the building is legally condemned (subd. 3).
Building legally condemned: 5 days
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written statement showing the specific reason for withholding (subd. 3).
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedInterest on the deposit
Simple, noncompounded interest of 1% a year (subd. 2).
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
Held by the landlord for the tenant; 504B.178 names no account type (subd. 2).
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
A penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest (subd. 4); bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit (subd. 7).
Source: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 504B.178, checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | If the lease is silent, written notice the other side receives at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy (the day before the last rent payment is due). Late notice is void. Same rule for both sides. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, ending the tenancy, checked November 2026 (Minn. Stat. 504B.135) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | If the lease is silent, written notice the other side receives at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy (the day before the last rent payment is due). Late notice is void. Same rule for both sides. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, ending the tenancy, checked November 2026 (Minn. Stat. 504B.135) |
| Rent increase notice | Periodic tenancy: proper written notice of one rental period plus one day. No increase during a fixed-term lease unless the lease allows it. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, during the tenancy, checked November 2026 |
| Unpaid rent notice | Since January 1, 2024, the landlord must give a detailed 14-day written notice, with information on financial and legal resources, before filing an eviction for unpaid rent. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, other important laws, checked November 2026 (Minn. Stat. 504B.321, subd. 1a) |
| Entry notice | Only for a reasonable business purpose, with at least 24 hours' notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. unless agreed otherwise. The right can't be waived in a lease. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, during the tenancy, checked November 2026 (Minn. Stat. 504B.211, subd. 2) |
| Late fee limits | Only if agreed in writing; at most 8% of the unpaid rent. | Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, during the tenancy, checked November 2026 (Minn. Stat. 504B.177) |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (8 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Since January 1, 2024, the landlord must give a detailed 14-day written notice, with information on financial and legal resources, before filing an eviction for unpaid rent.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
Eviction cases are heard in Housing Court under the rules for district courts.
eviction cases are heard in “Housing Court” governed by General Rules of Practice for District Courts
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedFiling fee
About $325, per the Attorney General's handbook; the court's fee schedule has the current amount.
the filing fee (now about $325)
Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, Other Important Laws, checked November 2026
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
A tenant who disagrees must appear in court at the hearing.
they must appear in court at the time of the hearing
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24), checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
The hearing is set 7 to 14 days out (5 to 7 on an expedited request), and service must be complete at least 7 days before.
Service of the Summons and Complaint must be completed at least 7 days before the hearing date.
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24), checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
The court issues the writ immediately on judgment, but stays it for a reasonable period of up to seven days in most cases.
immediately issue a writ of recovery of premises and order to vacate
Source: Minnesota Statutes 504B.345, checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
The writ must be given to the tenant at least 24 hours before the eviction, which only a law enforcement officer can carry out.
must be provided to the tenant at least 24 hours before the actual eviction.
Source: Minnesota Attorney General: Landlords and Tenants handbook, Other Important Laws, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The landlord takes the writ to the sheriff, who acts if the tenant doesn't move.
authorizing the sheriff to take certain actions if the tenant does not move voluntarily.
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
When nonpayment is the only ground, the tenant can 'pay and stay' by bringing the past-due rent, interest, court costs and a capped attorney fee to the hearing.
redeem or “pay and stay”
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Answer or appear | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Judgment | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Writ or warrant of possession | Monday, March 8, 2027 |
| Earliest lockout | Tuesday, March 9, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Statewide Self-Help Center, 651-435-6535.
More: Minnesota eviction process · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$20,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
General claims of $20,000 or less (Minnesota Judicial Branch conciliation court page). The branch's 2022 hearing booklet still shows the earlier $15,000 figure.
Source: Minnesota Judicial Branch: Conciliation Court, checked November 2026
More: Minnesota small claims court
Still to confirm
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24)
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Minnesota Judicial Branch: Instructions, Eviction Action Complaint (HOU101, rev. 1/24)
Minnesota kit
Minnesota Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Minnesota return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Minnesota?
No maximum in 504B.178.
How long does a Minnesota landlord have to return a deposit?
Within three weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions; within five days if the tenant leaves because the building is legally condemned (subd. 3). What goes with it: A written statement showing the specific reason for withholding (subd. 3).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Minnesota?
From the landlord: If the lease is silent, written notice the other side receives at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy (the day before the last rent payment is due). Late notice is void. Same rule for both sides. From the tenant: If the lease is silent, written notice the other side receives at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy (the day before the last rent payment is due). Late notice is void. Same rule for both sides.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Minnesota?
Since January 1, 2024, the landlord must give a detailed 14-day written notice, with information on financial and legal resources, before filing an eviction for unpaid rent.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Minnesota?
Only for a reasonable business purpose, with at least 24 hours' notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. unless agreed otherwise. The right can't be waived in a lease.
How long does an eviction case take in Minnesota?
Time to answer or appear: At the hearing. Hearing after filing: 7 to 14 days. Judgment to writ: Up to 7 days. Writ to lockout: 24 hours. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
What does it cost to file an eviction case in Minnesota?
About $325, per the Attorney General's handbook; the court's fee schedule has the current amount.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords