North Dakota Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
North Dakota rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: surreptitiously installing or using a device to observe, photograph or record events from another's dwelling, or from a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and may be undressed, with sexual intent, is… N.D.C.C. §§ 12.1-20-12.2, 12.1-15-02
The rules in North Dakota
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: surreptitiously installing or using a device to observe, photograph or record events from another's dwelling, or from a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and may be undressed, with sexual intent, is surreptitious intrusion (class A misdemeanor; felony for repeat offenses or minor victims). Intercepting oral or wire communications without a party's consent is a class C felony (one-party consent). The surreptitious-intrusion statute requires sexual intent; non-sexual hidden cameras inside a tenant's unit may still give rise to civil invasion-of-privacy claims and breach of the tenant's right to quiet possession (§ 47-16-08). Eavesdropping statute: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t12-1c15.pdf. Landlord entry rules are in § 47-16-07.3. |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute on guests vs. tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. Tenants must make persons on the premises with their consent behave so as not to disturb neighbors, and are liable for guest-caused damage. A landlord may not rent the same room as a dwelling to more than one family (double letting). Occupancy limits may come from local codes and federal fair-housing guidance; limits cannot be used to discriminate based on familial status. |
| Service & support animals (state law) | If a rental has a no-pets policy and a tenant asks for a service or assistance animal as a disability accommodation, the landlord may require reliable supporting documentation confirming the disability and the disability-related need, from a physician or medical professional who does not operate in North Dakota solely to certify assistance animals. No documentation may be required if the disability or need is readily apparent or already known. Knowingly making a false disability claim or providing fraudulent documentation is an infraction; after a guilty plea or conviction the landlord may evict and collect a damage fee of up to $1,000. Pet deposits (capped at the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent) may not be charged for a service or companion animal needed as a reasonable accommodation. Federal Fair Housing Act rules also apply. The tenant remains liable for actual damage caused by the animal. |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
North Dakota vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: surreptitiously installing or using a device to observe, photograph or record events from another's dwelling, or from a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and may be undressed, with sexual intent, is surreptitious intrusion (class A misdemeanor; felony for repeat offenses or minor victims). Intercepting oral or wire communications without a party's consent is a class C felony (one-party consent). N.D.C.C. §§ 12.1-20-12.2, 12.1-15-02 | No statute on guests vs. tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. Tenants must make persons on the premises with their consent behave so as not to disturb neighbors, and are liable for guest-caused damage. A landlord may not rent the same room as a dwelling to more than one family (double letting). N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-13.2(6)-(7), 47-16-07.1(3)(a), 47-16-26 | If a rental has a no-pets policy and a tenant asks for a service or assistance animal as a disability accommodation, the landlord may require reliable supporting documentation confirming the disability and the disability-related need, from a physician or medical professional who does not operate in North Dakota solely to certify assistance animals. No documentation may be required if the disability or need is readily apparent or already known. Knowingly making a false disability claim or providing fraudulent documentation is an infraction; after a guilty plea or conviction the landlord may evict and collect a damage fee of up to $1,000. Pet deposits (capped at the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent) may not be charged for a service or companion animal needed as a reasonable accommodation. N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-07.5, 47-16-07.6, 47-16-07.1(2) |
| Minnesota | No landlord-specific statute. It is a gross misdemeanor to enter another's property and secretly install or use a device to observe, photograph or record through the window or other opening of someone's home, with intent to intrude on a household member's privacy. It is also a gross misdemeanor to secretly use such a device in places like hotel sleeping rooms and other places where people reasonably expect privacy while exposed. Recording conversations is legal if the recorder is a party or one party consents (one-party consent). Minn. Stat. § 609.746, subd. 1; § 626A.02, subd. 2(d) | No statute on guests versus tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. By statute, a landlord generally cannot evict or end a lease because of a tenant's, household member's or guest's conduct OFF the premises and curtilage, unless it is a crime of violence against another tenant, a guest, the landlord or staff, or results in a conviction for such a crime. Minn. Stat. § 504B.171, subd. 2a; ch. 504B (checked) | A landlord may require documentation from a licensed professional (doctor, PA, nurse, psychologist, mental health professional, social worker or counselor, including out-of-state licensees with an existing treatment relationship) confirming the disability and the need for a service or support animal. This is not allowed when the need is obvious or already known. Online certification businesses don't qualify. Landlords can't demand medical records. No extra fee, charge or deposit may be charged for a service or support animal, though the tenant is liable for damage. A landlord with a pet fee policy must disclose this ban in the lease. Tenants may not knowingly misrepresent a disability or provide fraudulent documentation; if they do, the landlord may deny the application or animal request. Minn. Stat. § 504B.113 |
| Montana | No landlord-specific camera statute. It is a crime to hide, wait, or loiter in person or by remote electronic device in or near a residence to surreptitiously watch, observe, or record occupants without their knowledge. Landlord entry generally requires 24 hours' notice and may not be used to harass the tenant. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 45-5-223, 70-24-312 | No statute — lease governs. The tenant must require persons on the premises with the tenant's consent to behave so as not to disturb neighbors, and is responsible for damage by family, licensees, or invitees. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-321(1)(f), (2); 70-25-101(2) | A person with a disability with a service animal has full and equal access to housing and may not be charged extra for it, but is liable for damage the animal causes. 'Service animal' means a dog or miniature horse individually trained to assist a person with a disability and expressly excludes emotional support animals. Misrepresenting a service animal can lead to removal and, after a prior written warning, a misdemeanor ($50 first offense; up to $1,000 for third or later). No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals in housing. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-4-203(2), 49-4-214(1)-(2), 49-4-221, 49-4-222 |
| South Dakota | No landlord-specific statute, but installing in any private place, without the consent of the persons entitled to privacy there, any device for observing, photographing, recording, amplifying or broadcasting sounds or events — or using such an installation — is a Class 1 misdemeanor; so is trespassing to subject anyone to surveillance in a private place. Photographing or recording a person without clothing without consent, with intent to self-gratify, harass or invade privacy, is also a crime. Recording a conversation with an eavesdropping device without the consent of a party is a Class 5 felony (one-party consent). SDCL 22-21-1, 22-21-3, 22-21-4, 23A-35A-20 | No statute on guests vs. tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights for residential rentals — the lease governs. The landlord's repair duty does not cover disrepair caused by the negligent, willful or malicious conduct of the tenant or a person under the tenant's direction or control. SDCL 43-32-8; ch. 43-32 checked | South Dakota's landlord-tenant statute defines 'service animal' broadly to include emotional support, therapy and assistance animals. When a tenant asserts a disability requiring such an animal as an accommodation, the landlord may require reliable supporting documentation confirming the disability and its relationship to the need, from a licensed health care provider who does not operate in South Dakota solely to certify service or assistance animals. No documentation may be required if the disability or need is readily apparent or already known. If a tenant knowingly makes a false claim or provides fraudulent documentation, the landlord may evict and collect a damage fee of up to $1,000. SDCL 43-32-33 to 43-32-36 |
More North Dakota rental law
- North Dakota Security Deposit Law
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- Landlord Entry Rules in North Dakota
- North Dakota Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- North Dakota Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in North Dakota
- Squatters' Rights in North Dakota
- North Dakota Rental Fee Rules
- North Dakota Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
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- North Dakota Landlord Selling the House
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- North Dakota Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All North Dakota landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in North Dakota
Compare privacy, guests & animals in all 50 states and DC →
North Dakota Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in North Dakota?
No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: surreptitiously installing or using a device to observe, photograph or record events from another's dwelling, or from a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and may be undressed, with sexual intent, is surreptitious intrusion (class A misdemeanor; felony for repeat offenses or minor victims). Intercepting oral or wire communications without a party's consent is a class C felony (one-party consent). (N.D.C.C. §§ 12.1-20-12.2, 12.1-15-02)
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in North Dakota?
No statute on guests vs. tenants, occupancy limits or roommate rights — the lease governs. Tenants must make persons on the premises with their consent behave so as not to disturb neighbors, and are liable for guest-caused damage. A landlord may not rent the same room as a dwelling to more than one family (double letting). (N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-13.2(6)-(7), 47-16-07.1(3)(a), 47-16-26)
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in North Dakota?
If a rental has a no-pets policy and a tenant asks for a service or assistance animal as a disability accommodation, the landlord may require reliable supporting documentation confirming the disability and the disability-related need, from a physician or medical professional who does not operate in North Dakota solely to certify assistance animals. No documentation may be required if the disability or need is readily apparent or already known. Knowingly making a false disability claim or providing fraudulent documentation is an infraction; after a guilty plea or conviction the landlord may evict and collect a damage fee of up to $1,000. Pet deposits (capped at the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent) may not be charged for a service or companion animal needed as a reasonable accommodation. (N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-07.5, 47-16-07.6, 47-16-07.1(2))
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.