St. Paul Rent Stabilization 3% Cap: Minnesota Tenant Rights

Short answer: St. Paul tenant rights include something almost no other Midwestern city has: voter-approved rent stabilization that limits most increases to 3% in any 12-month period. Since a June 2025 amendment, buildings first occupied after December 31, 2004 are exempt, and landlords can seek larger increases through a city exception process. A newer city Tenant Protections Ordinance, effective May 14, 2026, caps most deposits at one month’s rent and requires 60 days’ notice before a nonpayment eviction can be filed through December 31, 2026, dropping to 30 days on January 1, 2027. Minnesota law adds 24 hours’ notice before entry, 1% interest on deposits and a dedicated housing court in Ramsey County.

Saint Paul voters approved the Rent Stabilization Ordinance in November 2021. The City Council amended it in September 2022 and again in May 2025, with changes taking effect January 1, 2023 and June 13, 2025. Each round narrowed or reshaped coverage, so a neighbor’s experience from two years ago may not match yours. The first step is always to check whether your building is covered and whether your landlord has asked the city for more than 3%.

St. Paul tenant rights at a glance

Topic	St. Paul rule	Source
Rent stabilization	3% per 12 months; exceptions by self-certification (3% to 8%), just-cause vacancy (8% plus CPI) or staff determination	Saint Paul Legislative Code ch. 193A
Exempt units	First certificate of occupancy after Dec. 31, 2004; deed-restricted affordable housing; certain conversions	ch. 193A.08 (as amended May 2025)
Just cause	No citywide just-cause eviction rule; “just cause vacancy” only affects how much rent can rise for the next tenant	ch. 193A.05
Deposit	City cap: deposit and prepaid rent generally limited to one month’s rent (an extra month allowed if the application could have been denied); returned with 1% simple interest within 21 days	City of Saint Paul; Minnesota Attorney General
Pre-eviction notice (nonpayment)	60 days through Dec. 31, 2026; 30 days from Jan. 1, 2027 (state minimum is 14)	Tenant Protections Ordinance
Entry notice	At least 24 hours; between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. unless agreed otherwise	Minnesota Attorney General
Eviction court	Ramsey County Housing Court (District Court, referee hearings)	Minnesota Attorney General
Key local agency	Department of Safety and Inspections, Rent Stabilization program	City of Saint Paul

How St. Paul rent stabilization works

Section 193A.04 of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance says no landlord may demand, charge or accept a rent increase within a 12-month period of more than 3% of the existing monthly rent, except as the ordinance allows. Any increase above 3% under the exception process cannot take effect until the city issues a final determination.

The city’s page for renters lists the four tiers:

Standard increase: up to 3% without city approval.
Self-certification exception: 3% to 8%, evaluated annually.
Just-cause vacancy exception: up to 8% plus the Consumer Price Index.
Staff determination: no fixed limit, with appropriate justification.

The city notifies tenants by mail when a landlord applies for an exception. No approved increase may take effect until at least 45 days after the city’s determination, and you can appeal a determination to the city’s Legislative Hearing Officer within 45 days, according to the city’s exception flow chart. You can file a complaint, anonymously if you prefer, when a landlord does not follow the ordinance.

Which buildings are exempt

The May 2025 amendment, effective June 13, 2025, rewrote the new-construction exemption in section 193A.08. The rent limit now does not apply to residential rental properties issued their first building certificate of occupancy after December 31, 2004. The same cutoff applies to former non-residential buildings converted to rental housing. Deed-restricted or subsidized affordable housing for very low, low or moderate income households is also exempt, as are reimbursements under the state Housing Support Act.

A landlord whose unit is exempt must tell prospective tenants that the unit is not subject to the 3% limit before the lease is finalized. If you were not told and your building predates 2005, assume the cap applies until the city says otherwise.

Vacancies and utilities

The cap follows the unit, not the tenant. Under section 193A.05, when a tenant leaves for a reason that is not “just cause,” the limit still applies to the next tenant’s rent. When the landlord shows the city that a vacancy was for just cause, such as unpaid rent that the tenant failed to cure or at least three late payments in 12 months after a warning, the landlord can raise the rent by up to 8% plus CPI.

Utilities can be a back door to a larger increase, and the city closes it. If your landlord used to pay utilities and changes the rental agreement so you pay them as a pass-through, the landlord must lower the rent to account for the new monthly cost.

A worked example: Mai in Frogtown

Mai has rented a two-bedroom in a 1962 Frogtown fourplex for three years at $1,200 a month. In April her landlord sends a notice raising the rent to $1,290 starting July 1, an increase of 7.5%. The letter says nothing about the city.

Because the building was occupied long before 2005, the 3% cap applies. Without city approval, the most the landlord can charge is $1,236, an increase of $36. A 7.5% increase falls in the self-certification range, which requires the landlord to apply to the city. If the landlord applies, Mai should receive a letter from the city, and the higher rent cannot start until at least 45 days after the city’s determination.

Mai checks her mail for a city notice, finds none, and pays $1,236 from July. She also files a complaint through the city’s rent stabilization complaint form. If her landlord had previously paid her heat and now wanted her to pay it, the landlord would have to cut the rent to offset the new bill.

Repairs and rent escrow

Minnesota gives tenants a court tool for repairs that many states lack. According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s handbook, Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities, a Rent Escrow Action lets a tenant pay rent to the court instead of the landlord when the landlord will not correct a violation of state tenancy law, including needed repairs. You can file without a lawyer.

The process starts with a written notice to the landlord, or an inspection order from a city inspector. If the problem is not fixed within 14 days of a written notice, you can deposit the full rent due with the court administrator and file a petition. The hearing usually takes place within 10 to 14 days. The handbook warns that if you do not deposit the full rent, the landlord may be able to evict you. A landlord may not retaliate against you for contacting an inspector by filing an eviction, raising rent or cutting services.

In St. Paul, property code complaints go to the Department of Safety and Inspections. Write your first notice with our repair request letter generator, and see landlord retaliation for what to document.

Where St. Paul evictions are heard

Ramsey County has a dedicated housing court. The Attorney General’s handbook explains that housing courts in Ramsey and Hennepin counties hear landlord-tenant disputes, including eviction actions, rent escrow proceedings, rent abatement claims and housing code violations, before a single trained referee. The referee’s recommended findings go to a district judge, and either side can ask the judge to review them by filing and serving a notice within 10 days. The handbook lists the Ramsey County Housing Court’s number as (651) 266-8230.

Before filing for nonpayment, a landlord must give you a detailed written notice. State law sets a 14-day minimum, but in St. Paul the city’s longer notice period controls, as explained below. Self-help lockouts and utility shutoffs are not allowed. For a general walkthrough, see how the eviction process works, and for other cities use the landlord-tenant court finder.

Eviction in St. Paul: the 60-day notice, court clinic and rent help

St. Paul now has its own pre-eviction rule. Under the city’s Tenant Protections Ordinance (Legislative Code Chapter 193), effective May 14, 2026, an owner must give 60 days’ notice before filing a nonpayment eviction through December 31, 2026. The City Council passed that temporary extension on March 25, 2026, and the period returns to 30 days on January 1, 2027. Either way it is far longer than the 14-day state minimum.

The notice must list the total due with an itemized accounting of unpaid rent, late fees and other charges, and name the person or online location authorized to take payment. It must also carry three statements: one pointing to legal help at LawHelpMN.org, one pointing to financial help through 2-1-1 and MNBenefits, and one saying the landlord can file if you don’t pay or move out within the notice period. LawHelpMN’s eviction fact sheet adds that you can ask the court to dismiss and expunge a case filed before the 60-day period is over, or filed on a notice missing the required content.

Use the notice period to look for money. The city’s Emergency Rent Assistance program pays up to $3,500 per household, once a year, directly to the landlord for late rent and associated fees. You need an active St. Paul lease, a 30-day notice to quit or a Housing Court summons (a late-rent notice alone isn’t accepted), and household income at or below 80% of area median income. Applications open on the first two days of each month and recipients are chosen by lottery, so apply in the first window after your notice arrives.

If the case is filed, free advice is available without an income test. The Ramsey County Law Library’s Housing and Conciliation Court Clinic offers up to 30 minutes with a volunteer lawyer by telephone every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. For the full statewide sequence, see our Minnesota eviction process guide.

Your eviction record after Weidner

Minnesota’s expungement statute, Minn. Stat. 484.014, still requires expungement when you win, when the case is dismissed or when both sides agree, and it lets the court expunge other cases that are clearly in the interests of justice. Its clause promising automatic expungement three years after an eviction was ordered is no longer reliable: in Weidner Apartment Homes v. B.F. (Feb. 2, 2026), the Minnesota Court of Appeals held that clause facially unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of powers. Negotiate expungement into any settlement with your St. Paul landlord rather than counting on time, and see our Minnesota eviction record sealing guide.

Who to call in St. Paul

Tenant Protections complaints: file through the city’s Service Request Access portal under “Rental-Tenant Protections,” anonymously if you prefer.
Emergency Rent Assistance: city lottery program for St. Paul tenants with a 30-day notice or summons, up to $3,500.
Ramsey County Law Library clinic: free Tuesday-afternoon phone advice on landlord-tenant cases, no income limit.
Saint Paul Rent Stabilization program (Department of Safety and Inspections): questions, exception notices and complaints. The Rules and Processes page explains how exceptions are evaluated.
Department of Safety and Inspections: property code enforcement and complaint process for repair problems.
Ramsey County Housing Court: (651) 266-8230.
Minnesota Attorney General’s Office: publishes the state landlord-tenant handbook and takes consumer complaints.
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services: free civil legal aid for eligible tenants, with an office on Minnesota Street in St. Paul. See smrls.org.

Minnesota tenant rights baseline

Deposits: Minnesota sets no cap, but St. Paul’s ordinance generally limits a deposit and prepaid rent to one month’s rent. At the end of the tenancy the landlord must return the deposit with 1% simple interest, or give a written explanation of deductions, within 21 days. Deductions are limited to damage beyond ordinary wear and tear and debts related to the tenancy.
Deposit increases: in a periodic tenancy, a landlord can raise the deposit only with proper advance written notice, generally one rental period plus a day. In a fixed-term lease, the deposit cannot change without both sides agreeing.
Entry: only for a reasonable business purpose, with at least 24 hours’ notice, and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. unless you agree otherwise.
Screening: a landlord must notify an applicant within 14 days of rejecting an application and identify the criteria the applicant did not meet. St. Paul adds uniform written criteria given before any fee or deposit, application fees no higher than the actual screening cost, a bar on denials based on credit score alone or on expunged court files, and an individualized assessment when stricter criteria are used.
Nonpayment: 14 days’ detailed written notice statewide before an eviction can be filed; St. Paul requires 60 days through 2026 and 30 days from 2027.

For deposit deadlines and penalties, see the Minnesota security deposit law guide, and compare with other regulated markets on cities with rent control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my St. Paul apartment covered by the 3% cap?

Probably, if the building’s first certificate of occupancy was issued on or before December 31, 2004 and it is not deed-restricted affordable housing. A landlord with an exempt unit must tell you before you sign. When in doubt, ask the Rent Stabilization program.

Can my landlord raise my rent more than 3%?

Only through a city exception: self-certification for 3% to 8%, a just-cause vacancy for up to 8% plus CPI, or a staff determination. The city mails tenants a notice, and no approved increase can start until at least 45 days after the determination.

How much notice do I get before a nonpayment eviction in St. Paul?

Under the city’s Tenant Protections Ordinance, 60 days for notices through December 31, 2026, and 30 days starting January 1, 2027. The notice must itemize what you owe and point you to legal and financial help. A case filed early can be dismissed.

How big can my deposit be, and what interest is owed?

St. Paul generally caps a deposit and prepaid rent at one month’s rent. Minnesota requires 1% simple interest, and the landlord must return the deposit with interest, or explain deductions in writing, within 21 days after the tenancy ends.

Where are evictions heard in St. Paul?

In Ramsey County Housing Court, where a referee hears the case and a district judge confirms the decision. You have 10 days to ask a judge to review a referee’s recommended order.

Where can I get free legal help?

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services provides free civil legal aid to eligible St. Paul tenants. This page is general information, not legal advice; contact SMRLS as soon as you receive a pre-eviction notice or court papers.

Nearby and related city guides: Minneapolis tenant rights. See every city in our tenant rights by city index.