Landlord Entering Without Notice in Minnesota: What Are My Rights?
Your landlord in Minnesota needs a real reason and advance notice before coming into your home. Locking you out or shutting off your electricity, heat, gas, or water to force you out is against the law, even without going to court. This page explains your rights and what to do if your landlord breaks them.
-
Except in an emergency, your landlord can only enter your home for a reasonable business reason. Your landlord must try in good faith to give you at least 24 hours notice before coming in. The notice must say the exact time or time window your landlord plans to enter. Your landlord can only enter between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., unless you agree to an earlier or later time.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
You cannot give up your right to notice before your landlord enters your home. Your landlord cannot make you give up this right as a condition of signing or keeping your lease.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Minnesota law lists reasons your landlord may enter your home for business. One reason is to show your home to a future renter. Your landlord can only do this during the notice period before your lease ends, or after you tell your landlord you are moving out. Your landlord may also show your home to a future buyer. Other reasons include repair or maintenance work. City, county, or state officials can also come in to check for health, housing, building, or fire problems.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Minnesota law lists more reasons your landlord may enter your home for business. Your landlord may enter if you are causing a disturbance inside your home. Your landlord may enter if they reasonably believe you are breaking the lease inside your home. Your landlord may also enter if they reasonably believe someone with no legal right to be there is living in your home.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your landlord can come into your home right away, without warning, in some emergencies. This is allowed if your landlord has good reason to think someone could get hurt, or property could get damaged. This only applies to a maintenance, building security, or policing problem in your home. It is also allowed if your landlord has good reason to think you may be unsafe. It is also allowed if your landlord has good reason to think fast action is needed. This is for illegal activity in your home, under a city rule.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
If your landlord enters your home while you are away and gave no notice first, your landlord must leave a written notice about it. Your landlord must put the notice somewhere you will see it in your home.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
If your landlord enters your home without following Minnesota's notice and privacy rules, a court can lower your rent, or even cancel your lease. The court can also order your landlord to return your deposit, minus any amount they were allowed to keep under the deposit rules. The court can order your landlord to pay you up to $500 for each time this happened, plus your reasonable lawyer fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
It is unlawful for your landlord, or someone acting for them, to remove or exclude you from your home without a court order. This can include cutting off your utilities (water, electric, gas). It can also include taking away your doors, windows, or locks.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
If your landlord locks you out against the law, you can file a written, sworn statement with the court in your county. It must describe your home and your landlord. It must explain why you were locked out against the law. It must ask the court to give you your home back. If your facts clearly show you were locked out against the law, the court must order right away that you get your home back.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Once the court orders you back into your home, the sheriff must act on it right away. The sheriff will first demand that your landlord let you in. If your landlord refuses, the sheriff can use whatever help is needed to put you back in your home immediately.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your landlord, or anyone working for them, can be sued for locking you out on purpose, knowing it breaks the law. You could get 3 times your money losses, or $500, whichever is more. You could also get back the lawyer fees a court finds reasonable. For example, 3 times $600 in losses is $1,800. That is more than the $500 minimum. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your landlord, or someone acting for them, can commit a crime under Minnesota law. This happens if they cut off your electricity, heat, gas, or water on purpose to force you out of your home. If it is shown that they cut off the service on purpose, the law assumes they meant to force you out. Your landlord then has to prove otherwise.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
If your landlord, or someone acting for them, cuts off your electricity, heat, gas, or water, you can sue your landlord. This does not apply if you, or someone you let into your home, caused the loss of service on purpose or through carelessness. You can collect 3 times your actual money losses, or $500, whichever is more, plus your reasonable lawyer fees. In some cases the law limits you to only your actual losses. For example, 3 times $600 in losses is $1,800, more than the $500 minimum. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
You can only collect your actual money losses, not 3 times that amount, in 3 cases. The first is if you never told your landlord the service had stopped. The second is if, after you told them, your landlord turned it back on within a reasonable time. A good faith effort or other action to fix it also counts. The third is if your landlord stopped the service to fix broken equipment or to protect safety, and then did the same. For example, if your actual losses are $200, you collect only $200, not $600 (3 times that amount). You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.