Minneapolis Passes Sweeping Tenant Ordinance

Today the Minneapolis city council passed a sweeping tenant ordinance that makes it more difficult for landlords to deny housing based on a criminal background.

Under the new rule, "landlords can’t deny an applicant on the basis of a misdemeanor if the conviction is older than three years and felonies seven years or older, and in certain cases of arson, assault or robbery, convictions more than 10 years old. The ordinance would not allow eviction judgments to be disqualifying if they happened three or more years earlier."

The law also limits how credit screenings are used, including preventing landlords from denying an applicant because of insufficient credit history. The law also caps the amount landlords can charge for a security deposit at a month’s rent.

Advocates for the ordinance believe this will help make housing more affordable.

Later this month the Council will vote on a proposed ordinance that will give the first right of refusal to tenants when a property owner decides to sell their building. This certainly could play a major impact on future market conditions for multi-family housing in the city of Minneapolis.