Tenant's Remedies Act

Under the Minnesota Tenant's Remedies Act, a tenant can sue a landlord for a health or housing code violation, a violation of the landlord's obligation to keep the unit in reasonable repair, or a violation of an agreement or term of the lease. Before going to court, the tenant should talk to the landlord and give him or her an opportunity to correct the problem. If the landlord does not correct the problem and there are local inspectors, the tenant should contact them, as described above. A written report from an inspector will describe the problem and give the landlord a number of days to fix it. If there are no inspectors, the tenant should give the landlord written notice of the problem at least 14 days before filing a lawsuit. If the required amount of time passes and repairs have not begun, the renter can bring an action in state district court.