How some Minnesota cities are slowing evictions
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Officials in several Minnesota cities want to give tenants even more time to catch up on rent before their landlord can file an eviction case.
Why it matters: New state and local laws are designed to slow down an eviction process that, until recently, was one of the fastest in the nation.
- Once an eviction hits Minnesota's court system, the case often moves faster than county programs can send emergency funds to help tenants cover the rent.
Catch up quick: Since January, a new state law has slowed this process, requiring landlords to give 14 days' notice before taking the case to court.
Driving the news: This week, the Minneapolis City Council will vote on a proposal that would go further, requiring landlords to give 30 days' notice.
- Proponents say that timeline is more realistic since Hennepin County rental assistance funds often take more than two weeks to arrive.
Context: The move would follow St. Louis Park, where council members approved a 30-day notice requirement last week.
- Brooklyn Park has had a similar requirement since 2022.
What they're saying: "The idea is to prevent evictions from ever being filed, because that's good policy for landlords and tenants," Daniel Suitor, housing attorney and tenant advocate for HOME Line, told Axios.
- Evicted tenants rarely pay back landlords unless they settle out of court. A longer timeline incentivizes both parties to agree on a repayment plan, Suitor argued.
- When tenants don't have the money to settle, they can move out before a case is filed — which lets them avoid the blot on their rental record and allows landlords to re-rent the unit, Suitor said.
The other side: The longer timelines are already squeezing landlords, who now risk losing up to three months' rent, Cecil Smith of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association said.
- "It is infeasible for renters to stay in a unit for free," Smith told the Minneapolis council, "while property owners have financial responsibilities such as mortgage payments, utilities and other financial obligations."
- "Not all landlords are liquid enough to weather periods of non-payment," Lynette Dumalag, the lone St. Louis Park council member to vote against the city's new ordinance, said last week.
By the numbers: Statewide filings through August were down nearly 18% from the same period in 2023, according to Eviction Lab data — a dip that Suitor believes shows the new law is working as intended.
Stunning stat: Evictions often lead directly to homelessness.
- Researchers found that an evicted resident of Hennepin County was 55% more likely to enter a shelter.