New Housing Ordinance is First of its Kind in Minnesota

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Bobbie Guidry

Rising rents and apartment shortages are problems around the state, particularly for low-income individuals. The St. Louis Park City Council recently passed a new renter protection ordinance, believed to be the first of its kind in Minnesota, that could impact housing with services members who provide affordable housing to older adults. 

In response to a displacement of tenants when a large property changed hands in 2016, St. Louis Park's city council unanimously passed its first tenant protection ordinance on Monday night. As reported by MPR, the local ordinance requires landlords to pay the moving expenses of low-income tenants if they decide to raise rents, not renew leases, or re-screen tenants within the first three months of owning a property. 

Ordinance Details

• Applies to tenants renting affordable units where at least 18 percent of the units are affordable to renters making 60 percent of the area median income.
• Two-bedroom apartments are considered affordable if they rent for $1,221 per month (including utilities) or less. One-bedroom apartments are affordable if they rent for $1,017 per month or less.
• Requires landlords to pay anywhere from $2,600 in moving expenses to tenants renting studios up to $4,100 for a three-bedroom unit or larger.
• Does not apply to landlords who have owned their properties for longer than three months. 

For more information, see St. Louis Park unanimously passes first-of-its-kind tenant protection.