Freeborn County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Freeborn County, Minnesota eviction laws carries a county-average eviction risk score of 5/10, placing it in the Moderate tier, but that single figure masks a wider spread than landlords might expect from a county of just 13 cities and roughly 22,420 residents. With scores ranging from 4.3 to 5.3, the county sits in the higher-risk third of Minnesota, ranked 22nd of 87 counties statewide. Only 21 counties carry more risk; 65 are more landlord-friendly. Average rent runs $846 per month, and the average renter puts 28.5% of income toward housing, a burden level that correlates with elevated late-payment pressure in any market cycle.

For investors evaluating Freeborn County against comparable rural markets, the picture is nuanced. The county's Moderate designation reflects genuine middle ground: not the kind of entrenched, slow-court environment found in the state's riskiest markets, but not the clean, low-friction conditions found in Minnesota eviction laws's most landlord-favorable counties either. Operators here need to price risk accurately city by city rather than treating the county as a uniform block.

The cities inside Freeborn County

The county's highest-risk location is Freeborn, which tops out at 5.3/10, the only city in the county to reach that level. Right behind it, Albert Lea scores 5/10, and with a population of 18,330 it is by far the largest city in the county, meaning the bulk of local rental units sit in one of its riskiest corridors. Glenville also scores 4.6/10 and, while small at 572 residents, warrants the same caution when screening applications or underwriting vacancies.

The lower end of the county looks meaningfully different. Alden, Geneva, and Emmons all score 4.3/10, the county minimum, and Hartland comes in at 5.1/10. Risk in Freeborn County is genuinely hyper-local: a landlord with units in Alden is operating in a substantially different risk environment than one concentrated in Albert Lea, even though both properties lie within the same county boundary. Investors comparing micro-markets should pull city-level scores before drawing conclusions from the county average.

State-level laws that apply here

Every property in Freeborn County operates under Minn. Stat. § 504B (Landlord and Tenant). For nonpayment of rent, Minnesota eviction laws law requires a 14-day notice under Minn. Stat. § 504B.291; material lease violations and month-to-month terminations each require 30 days under Minn. Stat. § 504B.135. If a case proceeds to court, filing fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add $55 to $150, and attorney fees typically range $750 to $3,000. Uncontested cases resolve in roughly 30 to 60 days; contested matters can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Landlords researching the full Minnesota eviction laws eviction process will find that timelines here are broadly consistent with statewide norms. Minnesota eviction laws does not impose statewide just-cause eviction requirements or a statewide rent cap, which gives landlords more flexibility than in states with heavier statutory constraints. Minnesota security deposit limits and other tenant-facing rules are defined at the state level under the same chapter and apply uniformly across all 87 counties, including Freeborn. Retaliation protections for tenants are codified at Minn. Stat. § 504B.441, and landlords must give tenants 24 hours notice before entry.

With a poverty rate of 11.5% and a renter share of 24.8% of households, Freeborn County carries enough economic stress to reward careful tenant screening, particularly in Albert Lea and Hollandale; the city-level grid above breaks out individual scores for all 13 cities so landlords can target their underwriting precisely.