Minnesota Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Minnesota rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: 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. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(1), (2), (4); § 504B.381, subd. 1
The rules in Minnesota
| 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. The landlord's covenants cannot be waived (subd. 1(b)). Local rental-licensing codes may address mold specifically. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | The landlord's statutory duty to keep the premises in reasonable repair expressly includes extermination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests, including bed bugs. The exception is when the problem was caused by the willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or someone under the tenant's control. A serious infestation is an emergency that can support an expedited emergency tenant remedies action. No bed-bug-specific disclosure statute. The covenants can't be waived; tenant-maintenance agreements can't shift these duties (§ 504B.161, subds. 1(b), 2). § 504B.161 was amended in 2024 (Laws 2024, c. 118). |
| 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. This covenant cannot be waived or modified by the lease. § 504B.161 was amended in 2024 (Laws 2024, c. 118). Tenants leaving a building with freezable pipes between Nov. 15 and Apr. 15 must give 3 days' notice (§ 504B.155). |
| Air conditioning | No statute requires landlords to provide air conditioning or sets a maximum indoor temperature. But if AC is included in the lease, a nonfunctioning air conditioner is a listed emergency that the tenant can use to seek an emergency tenant remedies order. The petitioner must generally try to notify the landlord at least 24 hours before going to court (subd. 4). |
| Smoke and CO detectors | Every dwelling unit must have a smoke alarm meeting the State Fire Code. Where the occupant is not the owner, the owner is responsible for maintaining the smoke alarms, and the occupant must tell the owner within 24 hours of discovering a nonfunctioning alarm; willfully disabling an alarm causing damage or injury is a misdemeanor (Minn. Stat. §299F.362). Every dwelling unit must also have an approved, working carbon monoxide alarm within ten feet of each sleeping room. In multifamily buildings the owner must provide and install it and replace any alarm missing or broken from a prior occupancy; the occupant must keep it in good repair and replace it if lost or broken during the occupancy, and no one may remove its batteries (§299F.51). |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Minnesota vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 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. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(1), (2), (4); § 504B.381, subd. 1 | The landlord's statutory duty to keep the premises in reasonable repair expressly includes extermination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests, including bed bugs. The exception is when the problem was caused by the willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or someone under the tenant's control. A serious infestation is an emergency that can support an expedited emergency tenant remedies action. No bed-bug-specific disclosure statute. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(2); § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(i) | 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. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(5); § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(iv) |
| Iowa | No statute — Iowa has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Mold is handled under the landlord's duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable. Iowa Code § 562A.15(1)(a)(1), (2) | No statute — Iowa does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Infestations fall under the landlord's fit-and-habitable and code-compliance duties; tenants must keep their unit clean and dispose of garbage and waste in a clean and safe manner. Iowa Code §§ 562A.15(1)(a)(1), (2), (5); 562A.17(2), (3) | Yes. The landlord must supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water at all times, and reasonable heat — unless the building is not required by law to be so equipped or the heat/hot water is generated by equipment under the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. Heating facilities supplied by the landlord must be kept in good and safe working order. No numeric minimum temperature is set by state statute. Iowa Code § 562A.15(1)(a)(4), (6) |
| North Dakota | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. North Dakota has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with applicable building and housing codes affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' N.D.C.C. § 47-16-13.1(1)(a)-(b) | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas clean and safe applies; the tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit, remove garbage, and not damage the premises. N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-13.1(1)(b)-(c), 47-16-13.2 | Yes. The landlord must supply 'reasonable heat' and keep heating facilities it supplies in good and safe working order, unless the building is not required by law to be equipped for heat or the heat is generated by an installation under the tenant's exclusive control on a direct utility connection. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season is set. N.D.C.C. § 47-16-13.1(1)(d), (f) |
| South Dakota | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. South Dakota has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must keep the premises and common areas in reasonable repair, fit for human habitation and in good and safe working order, except for disrepair caused by the tenant's (or the tenant's invitees') negligent, willful or malicious conduct. SDCL 43-32-8 | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for human habitation applies, except where the condition was caused by the tenant's negligent, willful or malicious conduct. SDCL 43-32-8 | The landlord must maintain heating systems in good and safe working order (unless the tenant caused the disrepair) and keep the unit fit for human habitation. No state statute sets a minimum indoor temperature or heating season. SDCL 43-32-8 |
| Wisconsin | No statute — neither Wis. Stat. ch. 704 nor the rental-practices rule (ATCP 134) mentions mold. Mold is handled under the general repair duty (structural repairs, keeping equipment and landlord-controlled areas in repair, complying with any local housing code) and the pre-lease disclosure rule: before signing or taking a deposit, the landlord must disclose known uncorrected code violations that significantly threaten health or safety, and conditions that are a substantial hazard to the tenant's health or safety. A tenant may also use the untenantability remedies if the premises become unfit for occupancy. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2), (4); Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(2) | No bed-bug-specific statute. If the premises are damaged by an infestation of insects or other pests caused by the tenant's acts or inaction, the landlord may let the tenant remediate or may do the work itself and charge the tenant the reasonable cost (materials, labor, and the landlord's time at a reasonable hourly rate). Infestations not caused by the tenant fall under the landlord's general repair and local housing-code duties. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2), (3)(a) | Partly. The landlord must keep in reasonable repair any equipment it has expressly or impliedly agreed to provide to supply heat, and must comply with any local housing code. Before renting, the landlord must disclose if the heating facilities are not in safe operating condition or cannot maintain at least 67 degrees F (measured at the center of the room, midway between floor and ceiling) in all living areas during all seasons the unit may be occupied. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2)(a)2., 5.; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(2)(b)2. |
City rules that may add to state law
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Minnesota Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Minnesota?
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. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(1), (2), (4); § 504B.381, subd. 1)
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Minnesota?
The landlord's statutory duty to keep the premises in reasonable repair expressly includes extermination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests, including bed bugs. The exception is when the problem was caused by the willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or someone under the tenant's control. A serious infestation is an emergency that can support an expedited emergency tenant remedies action. No bed-bug-specific disclosure statute. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(2); § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(i))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Minnesota?
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. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(5); § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(iv))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Minnesota?
No statute requires landlords to provide air conditioning or sets a maximum indoor temperature. But if AC is included in the lease, a nonfunctioning air conditioner is a listed emergency that the tenant can use to seek an emergency tenant remedies order. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(viii))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Minnesota?
Every dwelling unit must have a smoke alarm meeting the State Fire Code. Where the occupant is not the owner, the owner is responsible for maintaining the smoke alarms, and the occupant must tell the owner within 24 hours of discovering a nonfunctioning alarm; willfully disabling an alarm causing damage or injury is a misdemeanor (Minn. Stat. §299F.362). Every dwelling unit must also have an approved, working carbon monoxide alarm within ten feet of each sleeping room. In multifamily buildings the owner must provide and install it and replace any alarm missing or broken from a prior occupancy; the occupant must keep it in good repair and replace it if lost or broken during the occupancy, and no one may remove its batteries (§299F.51). (Minn. Stat. §299F.362, subds. 3-6; §299F.51, subds. 1-4)
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.