Minnesota Landlord Selling the House
Minnesota rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: When a landlord's interest ends by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord's successor takes on all of the landlord's rights and obligations for the security deposit. Minn. Stat. §504B.178, subd. 6
The rules in Minnesota
| If the landlord sells the property | When a landlord's interest ends by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord's successor takes on all of the landlord's rights and obligations for the security deposit. If the tenant gets written notice of the deposit amount being transferred or assumed (with a stamped envelope addressed to the successor) and does not object within 20 days, the successor's duty to return the deposit is limited to the amount stated in the notice. The subdivision read does not address whether the lease itself continues after the sale. Source: Minn. Stat. §504B.178, subd. 6 |
|---|---|
| Tenants in foreclosure | After a foreclosure redemption period ends, the successor must give a tenant at least 90 days' written notice to vacate. A bona fide lease running more than 90 days past redemption must be honored to the end of its term, unless the new owner will live there (then 90 days). Contract-for-deed cancellation requires 2 months' notice. A landlord that has received a foreclosure or contract-for-deed cancellation notice may sign only short leases (no longer than the redemption period) and must tell prospective tenants in writing before taking rent or a deposit ($500 penalty). Applies only if the tenant pays rent and follows the lease. The 'bona fide lease' definition mirrors the federal PTFA. |
Related questions
Minnesota vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | When a landlord's interest ends by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord's successor takes on all of the landlord's rights and obligations for the security deposit. If the tenant gets written notice of the deposit amount being transferred or assumed (with a stamped envelope addressed to the successor) and does not object within 20 days, the successor's duty to return the deposit is limited to the amount stated in the notice. Minn. Stat. §504B.178, subd. 6 | After a foreclosure redemption period ends, the successor must give a tenant at least 90 days' written notice to vacate. A bona fide lease running more than 90 days past redemption must be honored to the end of its term, unless the new owner will live there (then 90 days). Contract-for-deed cancellation requires 2 months' notice. A landlord that has received a foreclosure or contract-for-deed cancellation notice may sign only short leases (no longer than the redemption period) and must tell prospective tenants in writing before taking rent or a deposit ($500 penalty). Minn. Stat. § 504B.285, subd. 1a, 1b; § 504B.151 |
| Iowa | When a landlord's interest ends (for example, by sale), the landlord must within a reasonable time either transfer the rental deposit (minus lawful deductions) to the successor and tell the tenant the new owner's name and address, or return the deposit to the tenant. The successor then has the landlord's rights and duties for the deposit; if the tenant does not object within 20 days after written notice of the amount transferred, the successor's duty is limited to that amount. A landlord who sells in good faith to a bona fide buyer is released from liability under the lease for events after giving the tenant written notice of the sale, unless otherwise agreed. Iowa Code §§ 562A.12(5)-(6), 562A.16(1) | Not verified yet |
| North Dakota | When a landlord sells the rental, the security deposit and any interest it has earned must be transferred to the buyer, and the seller stays liable for the deposit until it is transferred. Whoever owns the landlord's interest when the lease ends is bound by the deposit-return rules even if that owner never received the deposit. A buyer of property subject to a lease gets the same remedies for rent and lease breaches that the seller had, and a tenant has the same remedies against the landlord's successors (assigns) that the tenant had against the original landlord. N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-07.1(5), 47-16-28, 47-16-29 | No statute — North Dakota adds no tenant protections beyond the federal PTFA. After a foreclosure sale and the end of the redemption period, the buyer may evict the occupant under the eviction chapter. N.D.C.C. § 47-32-01(5); chs. 47-16, 47-32 checked |
| South Dakota | South Dakota has no state law in its lease chapter (SDCL 43-32) that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer or to notify tenants of the sale. The chapter provides that a tenant has the same remedies against the landlord's assignees (such as a buyer of the landlord's interest) for breach of the lease as against the original landlord, except on covenants against encumbrances or relating to title or possession. SDCL ch. 43-32 (reviewed); SDCL 43-32-21 | No statute — South Dakota adds no tenant protections beyond the federal PTFA. After a mortgage or execution sale, once the redemption period expires and the deed is delivered, the buyer may bring an FED action against an occupant who stays. SDCL 21-16-1(5); chs. 21-16, 43-32 checked |
| Wisconsin | A landlord's interest can be transferred (for example, by sale) unless the lease expressly restricts it, and the lease's terms that are not personal to the original parties stay enforceable by and against the new owner. A new owner is liable for, or can recover for, breaches that happen while it owns the property, and the same court remedies apply between the tenant and the new owner. The statute does not set a specific security-deposit transfer procedure. Wis. Stat. § 704.09(1), (3), (4) | No statute — neither the landlord-tenant chapter (ch. 704) nor the real estate foreclosure chapter (ch. 846) contains tenant-specific foreclosure protections. The federal PTFA (90-day notice; bona fide leases honored to term, with exceptions) governs. Wis. Stat. ch. 704; ch. 846 (checked) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Minnesota rental law
- Minnesota Security Deposit Law
- Minnesota Eviction Laws
- Minnesota Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Minnesota
- Minnesota Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Minnesota Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Minnesota
- Squatters' Rights in Minnesota
- Minnesota Rental Fee Rules
- Minnesota Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Minnesota Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Minnesota Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Minnesota Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Minnesota Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Minnesota landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Minnesota
Compare landlord selling the house in all 50 states and DC →
Minnesota Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Minnesota?
When a landlord's interest ends by sale, assignment, death, receivership or otherwise, the landlord's successor takes on all of the landlord's rights and obligations for the security deposit. If the tenant gets written notice of the deposit amount being transferred or assumed (with a stamped envelope addressed to the successor) and does not object within 20 days, the successor's duty to return the deposit is limited to the amount stated in the notice. (Minn. Stat. §504B.178, subd. 6)
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Minnesota?
After a foreclosure redemption period ends, the successor must give a tenant at least 90 days' written notice to vacate. A bona fide lease running more than 90 days past redemption must be honored to the end of its term, unless the new owner will live there (then 90 days). Contract-for-deed cancellation requires 2 months' notice. A landlord that has received a foreclosure or contract-for-deed cancellation notice may sign only short leases (no longer than the redemption period) and must tell prospective tenants in writing before taking rent or a deposit ($500 penalty). (Minn. Stat. § 504B.285, subd. 1a, 1b; § 504B.151)
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.