🇺🇸 Minnesota tenant document
Landlord kept your deposit? Check the Minnesota return rules, then challenge withheld funds with an organized written demand, your dates and amounts, an evidence plan, and official starting points in one downloadable pack.
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Official framework
Minnesota Statutes § 504B.178 (inspection notices: § 504B.182)
Minnesota generally requires the landlord, within three weeks after termination of the tenancy and after receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions, to return the deposit with interest or furnish a written statement showing the specific reason for withholding any portion.
Read the official statute ↗Content reviewed October 1, 2026. General information only—not legal advice.
Minnesota security deposit rules
Minnesota Statutes § 504B.178 generally requires a landlord to return a residential security deposit with 1% simple interest, or give a written statement showing the specific reason for withholding any portion, within three weeks after the tenancy ends and after receiving the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions. Deductions are limited to unpaid rent or other amounts due and to restoring the unit to its move-in condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and the statute describes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, and up to $500 in punitive damages for bad-faith retention, that a court may consider.
Watch your own deadline: The landlord’s three-week period is tied to receipt of your mailing address or delivery instructions, so give the landlord a written mailing address promptly and keep proof of when it was received. Separately, § 504B.178, subd. 8 generally bars withholding the last rent payment on the theory that the deposit covers it, except in limited cases, and a tenant who does so may owe a penalty.
Check coverage: Section 504B.178 governs money deposited to secure a residential rental agreement, but not a deposit that is exclusively an advance payment of rent. If the landlord’s interest ended, for example through a sale, subdivisions 5 and 6 address transfer of the deposit to a successor. Local ordinances may add requirements.
These are general summaries, not conclusions about your situation. Review the linked official text and obtain legal advice when needed.
Deadline calculator · Normal wear and tear vs. damage · How to get your deposit back · Deadlines in other states
Minnesota deposit dispute
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Minnesota generally requires the landlord, within three weeks after termination of the tenancy and after receipt of the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions, to return the deposit with interest or furnish a written statement showing the specific reason for withholding any portion. Check the official statute for the conditions that apply to your tenancy.
No. The pack organizes a written demand and supporting record. The lease, facts, delivery, evidence, defenses, and any court decision control the result.
A personalized demand letter, timing worksheet, deduction dispute organizer, evidence and delivery log, and escalation-preparation sheet with official source links.
No. It identifies provisions to review and makes clear that potential enhanced remedies depend on facts and, if disputed, a court determination.
Yes. Complete the guided form to see a personalized preview. The finished five-part PDF costs $39 USD as a one-time purchase.