Minnesota Repair Request Letter to Landlord
A free Minnesota repair request letter to landlord that follows Minnesota law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Minnesota law says
| Repair and deduct | No general statutory right for a tenant to make repairs and deduct the cost from rent on their own. A court can authorize the tenant to make repairs and deduct the cost from rent in a rent escrow or tenant remedies action. |
|---|---|
| Withholding rent | Rent escrow: after written notice of the violation, if the landlord has not fixed it within 14 days (or the time set in an inspector's order has run out), the tenant may deposit the full rent with the court administrator. A hearing is held 10–14 days later. The court can order repairs, abate rent, release escrowed funds to pay for repairs, and fine the landlord. Source: Minn. Stat. § 504B.385 |
| Landlord retaliation | It is a defense to eviction if the landlord's notice or action is, in whole or part, a penalty for the tenant's good-faith attempt to enforce lease or legal rights or a good-faith report of code violations to a government authority. Rent increases or service cuts as penalties are also barred. If the notice to quit was served within 90 days after the protected act, the landlord must prove it was not retaliatory. After 90 days, the burden is on the tenant. |
| Heat | Yes, statewide. The landlord must provide heat of at least 68°F in all places intended for habitation, including kitchens and bathrooms, from October 1 through April 30. The only exception is when a utility company requires and instructs the heat to be reduced. Loss of heat that the landlord is responsible for is an emergency that can support an emergency tenant remedies action. |
| Mold | No statute — no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law. Mold is covered by the general statutory covenants that the unit and common areas are fit for their intended use, kept in reasonable repair, and kept in compliance with state and local health and safety laws. A condition with a serious negative impact on health or safety can support an emergency tenant remedies action, and tenants can also use rent escrow or a tenant remedies action. |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], tenant at [rental address]
I am asking you to repair the following problems at my rental: [describe each problem, where it is, and when it started].
I first reported this on [date first reported] by [phone, text, email, portal or letter].
Please make these repairs by [date]. You may enter to make repairs after giving the notice required by law; times that work for me: [access times].
Minnesota law protects tenants from retaliation for asking for repairs (Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.285, subds. 2-3; 504B.441).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
Repair Request Letter to Landlord templates for other states · All Minnesota landlord-tenant rules · Free legal help in Minnesota
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.