State law · statute quotes
Minnesota security deposit laws for landlords and property managers
The words of Minnesota's security deposit statute on each topic, quoted verbatim with pinpoint citations and links to the official source. No summaries, no interpretation.
Reviewed by Mark Shvaya, licensed California real estate broker (DRE #02243502), who uses ProFlow360 in a rental portfolio Mark manages
Last reviewed
Quoted on this page
- Deposit limit
- Returning the deposit
- Itemized statement
- Inspections and condition reports
- Photographs
- Normal wear and tear
- Interest
- Wrongful withholding
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 · Minn. Stat. § 504B.182
On this page
What this page covers
Minnesota's residential security deposit provisions quoted here come from Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, Minn. Stat. § 504B.182. Below are the statute's own words on 6 topics, each with a pinpoint citation and a link to the official text. This page does not summarize or interpret the law.
What does Minnesota law say about move-in or move-out inspections?
Within a reasonable time after notification of either a landlord or residential tenant's intention to terminate the tenancy, or before the end of the lease term, the landlord shall notify the tenant in writing of the tenant's option to request a move-out inspection and of the tenant's right to be present at the inspection.
What does Minnesota law say about photographs?
(b) In lieu of an initial inspection or move-out inspection under subdivision 2, when a tenant agrees, a landlord may provide written acknowledgment to the tenant of photos or videos of a rental unit and agree to the condition of the rental unit at the start or end of the tenancy.
What does Minnesota law say about returning the deposit?
(a) Every landlord shall: (1) within three weeks after termination of the tenancy; or ... and after receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, return the deposit to the tenant, with interest thereon as provided in subdivision 2, or furnish to the tenant a written statement showing the specific reason for the withholding of the deposit or any portion thereof.
How does Minnesota law refer to normal wear and tear?
(2) to restore the premises to their condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
What does Minnesota law say about interest on deposits?
shall bear simple noncompounded interest at the rate of one percent per annum, computed from the first day of the next month following the full payment of the deposit to the last day of the month in which the landlord, in good faith, complies with the requirements of subdivision 3
What does Minnesota law say about wrongful withholding?
The bad faith retention by a landlord of a deposit, the interest thereon, or any portion thereof, in violation of this section shall subject the landlord to punitive damages not to exceed $500 for each deposit in addition to the damages provided in subdivision 4.
What other Minnesota provisions are quoted here?
Initial inspection
(a) At the commencement of a residential tenancy, or within 14 days of a residential tenant occupying a unit, the landlord must notify the tenant of their option to request an initial inspection of the residential unit for the purposes of identifying existing deficiencies in the rental unit to avoid deductions for the security deposit of the tenant at a future date.
Inspection failure damages
(4) provide the tenant with notice for an initial inspection and move-out inspection as required by section 504B.182 , and complete an initial inspection and move-out inspection when requested by the tenant,
Not quoted on this page
deposit limit, itemized statement. That does not mean Minnesota law is silent on them; other sections or local rules may apply. Read the full statute.
Has Minnesota's security deposit law changed recently?
From our review of the official history notes: 504B.178 recent history: 2023 subd. 4 amended (2023 c 52 art 19 s 85, ties the subd. 4 penalty to the new inspection duties); 2024 subd. 2 amended (2024 c 85 s 105). 504B.182 enacted 2023 c 52 art 19 s 86 (initial and move-out inspection; photo/video acknowledgment alternative). Effective dates of the 2023 provisions not read from the session law. Pages are the '2025 Minnesota Statutes' edition; 2026 session changes, if any, would not yet appear.
How does ProFlow360 help you document a Minnesota tenancy?
ProFlow360 records and organizes inspection evidence; it does not tell you what the statute requires or allows. What it records, for any state:
- Move-in, routine, pre-move-out and move-out inspections with photos timestamped at capture.
- Each move-out photo beside its move-in match, filed under the tenancy.
- Itemized lines with your classification, the amount you entered, and the estimate or invoice attached.
- An issued record that is sealed, shared by a link that expires and can be revoked.
Do this in ProFlow360
Keep the photos, the call and the invoice on the same line
Every deduction line carries the move-in and move-out photos, your classification and its documents, so the record can be followed by someone who was not there.
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MO-29 · Sep 30, 2026Security deposit statutes in nearby states
Sources
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