Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Minnesota
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Minnesota.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Minnesota maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Minnesota's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Minn. Stat. §504B.178 does not cap the amount of a residential security deposit. The statute governs interest, the return deadline, and penalties, but it leaves the amount to the rental agreement.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Minnesota renters get wrong
Minnesota is one of the few states that requires a landlord to pay interest on your security deposit: one percent simple interest per year, set by Minn. Stat. §504B.178. The clock on getting your money back starts only after two things happen, the tenancy ends and you give the landlord a mailing address or delivery instructions. From that point the landlord has three weeks to return the deposit with interest or send a written statement explaining what was kept and why. A short five-day deadline applies instead if you had to move out because the building was legally condemned. Minnesota puts no cap on how large the deposit can be, so the amount is set by your lease. If the landlord keeps money in bad faith, you can recover the wrongfully withheld amount, a matching penalty, and punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit.
Common questions
Does my Minnesota landlord have to pay interest on my security deposit?
Yes. Minnesota law requires simple, noncompounded interest at one percent per year on a residential security deposit. It runs from the first day of the month after you pay the deposit in full until the landlord returns it. Interest amounts under $1 are not owed.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Minnesota?
Three weeks after the tenancy ends, but the clock only starts once you give the landlord your mailing address or delivery instructions. Within that time the landlord must return the deposit with interest or send a written statement listing the specific reasons for keeping any part of it. If you had to leave because the building was legally condemned, the deadline is five days.
Is there a limit on how much a landlord can charge for a deposit in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota sets no statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. The amount is set by your lease, though the landlord still owes you one percent annual interest on whatever you pay.
What can I do if my Minnesota landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus interest, and the same amount again as a penalty. If the landlord acted in bad faith, you can also recover punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit. When the landlord did not follow the return rules, bad faith is presumed unless the deposit is returned within two weeks after you file suit. You can sue in conciliation (small claims) court in the county where the property sits or where the landlord lives.
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.