Housing & Tenant · Eviction Notice
Eviction Notice in Minnesota
How many days of written notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction in Minnesota, broken down by reason, and what you can do about it, cited to the statute.
Every notice period in Minnesota
The written notice for each reason a landlord can end a tenancy, and what each one means.
| Reason for the notice | Notice in Minnesota | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | Can fix and stay14 days | The notice must state the total due with an accounting breakdown, name who may receive rent, tell the tenant about the right to seek legal help and about free legal help, point to county financial assistance and the 2-1-1 line, and state plainly that the landlord can file if the tenant does not pay or move within 14 days (Minn. Stat. 504B.321). |
| No cause, tenancy at will | The rent interval or three months, whichever is less | A no-cause end of a tenancy at will takes the interval between times rent is due, or three months, whichever is less (Minn. Stat. 504B.135). |
| Local ordinance | Varies | The 14-day period applies unless local law requires a longer period, so Minneapolis and Saint Paul ordinances can extend it. A Minnesota page should carry that pointer rather than present 14 days as the final answer. |
| After the notice | Court | The notice must be delivered personally or by first-class mail to the tenant at the leased premises, and it is a precondition to filing rather than a courtesy. Only a court can order a tenant removed. |
| Statute | Minn. Stat. §504B.321; §504B.135 | The controlling statute for these notice periods. Read the full text through the source link below. |
The mandatory pre-eviction notice and its scripted contents are a recent addition to Minnesota law. Older guides describe a Minnesota eviction being filable with no advance notice for nonpayment, so confirm the effective date when comparing sources.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you have received an eviction notice in Minnesota. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check the notice contains the required help lines
A valid Minnesota 14-day notice must include the total owed with a breakdown, a right-to-a-lawyer line, free legal help, county emergency assistance, and the 2-1-1 phone number. A notice that leaves those out is not a valid basis to file, which can be a defense.
- Pay or move within 14 days
Paying the total amount due within the 14 days heads off the filing. Use the resources the notice must list, including county emergency rental assistance and 2-1-1, if you need help covering it. Keep proof of payment.
- Check your city rules
The 14 days is a floor. Minneapolis and Saint Paul can require a longer period, and the statute concedes this in its own text. If you rent in either city, confirm whether a longer notice applies to you.
- Get local legal help
A local Minnesota legal aid office can confirm the notice requirements and any city-specific rule. Search for legal aid in your area, or call 2-1-1, and act before the case is filed.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What Minnesota renters get wrong
Minnesota is the only state that makes the landlord print the tenant lifeline on the eviction notice itself. The statute scripts the sentences: the total owed with an accounting breakdown, a line telling the tenant they have the right to a lawyer and that free legal help may be available, a pointer to county emergency assistance, and the United Way 2-1-1 phone number (Minn. Stat. 504B.321). A 14-day notice that leaves those out is not a valid basis to file, so the required content is a real check on the landlord, not a formality. Paying the total due within the 14 days heads off the case. The second Minnesota point is that fourteen days is a floor, and city ordinances in Minneapolis and Saint Paul may require longer, which the statute concedes in its own text. This pre-eviction notice is a recent addition, so older guides that describe a Minnesota eviction being filable with no warning are out of date. No-cause endings of a tenancy at will run on their own clock under section 504B.135. After the notice, an eviction action follows, and only a court can order a tenant out.
Common questions
What must a Minnesota 14-day notice say to be valid?
Minn. Stat. 504B.321 scripts the contents: the total amount due with a breakdown, who may receive rent, a right-to-a-lawyer and free-legal-help line, a pointer to county financial assistance, the 2-1-1 phone number, and a plain statement that the landlord can file if you do not pay or move within 14 days.
Is my notice invalid if it leaves out the 2-1-1 line in Minnesota?
The statute makes the scripted help information mandatory, so a notice that omits required content such as the 2-1-1 line and the legal-help language may not be a valid basis to file. Raise it as a defense and get legal advice on your specific notice.
Do Minneapolis or Saint Paul require a longer notice in Minnesota?
They can. The 14-day period applies unless local law requires a longer one, and the statute says so directly. Minneapolis and Saint Paul have their own tenant ordinances, so if you rent there, confirm whether a longer notice applies.
Can the landlord email the notice in Minnesota?
The statute says the notice must be delivered personally or by first-class mail to the tenant at the leased premises. That makes personal delivery or first-class mail the safe channels, so do not assume an emailed notice satisfies the requirement without checking.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.