House passes renter protection bill

By MSR Online

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to increase lease transparency and protections for renters.

“Students, low-income individuals, and immigrants are disproportionately impacted by housing policies that are designed to favor landlords over renters,” said Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL – Minneapolis), who authored the bill. “Stable housing is fundamental to living a productive, affordable life. This consumer protection measure will bring much-needed transparency to the housing market.”

The bill would require landlords to disclose the unit being rented; require the lease start and end dates be put on the first page of a lease; prevent a tenant from getting charged a full month’s rent when they are required to move out before the month has ended; and prohibit landlords from providing notice to quit the premises or increase rent in a time period that is less than what the lease allows the tenant to provide notice of an intention to quit the premises.

The bill is now set for a Senate hearing.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.