Consumer Law

Landlord resources

By Sam Glover

Being a landlord is a job that a lot of people seem to just stumble into. So many people who become landlords don’t really know much about landlording. That is too bad, because when landlords do not follow the law, they can create a nightmare for tenants, which sometimes comes back to bite the landlord, as well. With that in mind, I think it makes sense to point landlords to a few very helpful resources that will make things better for everyone.

(These links are for Minnesota landlords and tenants. Landlord-tenant laws often vary widely from state to state. We are not responsible for the information contained in any of the links.)

First, the Minnesota Attorney General has for years published Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities, an excellent primer on being a landlord (or tenant) in Minnesota. Every landlord should read this twice before hanging out a “for rent” sign.

It does not hurt to know the law, either. Minnesota Chapter 504B is an A-Z guide to the rules and regulations in Minnesota. It is dry reading, as are most statutes, but it is not difficult to understand.

Tenant.net has a “Plain-Person’s Guide to Minnesota Landlord-Tenant Law” and a list of frequently-asked-questions about Minnesota landlord-tenant law.

Once a landlord has the basics down, he or she will need a lease and possibly some other forms. The Minnesota Multi-Housing Association offers a good lease and other forms that you can order or fill in online for only $2.00. I think that is a fair bit less than what you can find at Office Max or Office Depot, and it is actually written for Minnesota.

Full post as published by Caveat Emptor on April 11, 2008 (boomark / email).