Minnesota Rent Increase Calculator 2025 Local Only

Minnesota has no statewide rent cap. Whether your rent increase is limited depends entirely on which city you live in, because in 2021 the Legislature passed Minn. Stat. § 471.9996, which expressly authorizes individual cities to enact their own rent-control ordinances. That makes Minnesota one of a small number of states where rent regulation is decided block by block rather than at the Capitol. Two cities have acted so far: St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The practical upshot: if your unit sits in St. Paul, the increase is capped at 3% a year; in Minneapolis, the cap is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Anywhere else in the state, there is no percentage limit at all and rent is set by the market, subject only to your lease terms and proper notice. Statewide, the average rent used on this page is $978, but that figure says nothing about how much your landlord can raise it, the answer turns on your address and your unit type.

Which Minnesota cities regulate rent

Only two Minnesota jurisdictions currently have rent-control ordinances on the books, and they took different approaches:

• St. Paul, a flat 3% annual cap on rent increases, one of the strictest ordinances in the country when first passed because it initially applied to nearly all housing.
• Minneapolis, a cap tied to CPI rather than a fixed percentage, so the allowable increase moves with inflation each year.

Both ordinances flow from the same enabling law, Minn. Stat. § 471.9996, but each city council set its own formula. If you are a landlord or tenant in either city, the city ordinance, not a state number, governs your specific cap, and the two cities are not interchangeable.

What's covered vs. market-rate

Even inside St. Paul and Minneapolis, the caps do not reach every unit. Two important carve-outs apply:

• New construction is exempt for 20 years in both St. Paul and Minneapolis, a deliberate concession to keep developers building.
• In Minneapolis, single-family homes and duplexes are exempt from the cap, leaving a large share of the city's housing stock at market rate.

Before you assume a cap protects you, confirm your building's age and type, a newer apartment or a Minneapolis duplex may legally raise rent with no percentage ceiling at all. Outside these two cities, no Minnesota unit is rent-capped, so the exemption questions only matter within St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The rule everywhere else in Minnesota

For the vast majority of the state. Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, the suburbs, and every rural county, there is no rent-increase cap whatsoever. A landlord can raise rent by any amount when a lease renews, provided they honor the existing lease and give proper notice of the change. The protection in St. Paul and Minneapolis exists only because those city councils chose to act under the authority of Minn. Stat. § 471.9996; absent a local ordinance, the statute does nothing on its own.

That means the single most important question for any Minnesota renter or owner is geographic: is the unit inside St. Paul or Minneapolis, and if so, is it exempt? If the answer to both is no, rent is governed by the lease and the market, not by a percentage.

Recent legislative activity

The pivotal change came in 2021, when Minnesota lifted its longstanding state preemption on rent control. For decades, cities were barred from regulating rent; Minn. Stat. § 471.9996 reversed that and handed the decision to local voters and councils. St. Paul moved almost immediately with its 3% flat cap, and Minneapolis followed by adopting a framework tied to CPI.

Because the authority is local, the landscape can shift one city at a time: a council can amend its formula, add exemptions, or, as St. Paul did after its initial passage, revisit how broadly the cap applies. Landlords and tenants in regulated cities should check the current city ordinance rather than rely on the figure that was in place when the law first took effect.

Key Rules Summary

Units Exempt from the Cap

Even where a cap applies, the following unit types are typically not covered:

• New construction (20-year exemption in St. Paul; 20 years in Minneapolis)
• Single-family homes and duplexes (Minneapolis)

If your unit is exempt, the landlord may raise rent to any market-rate amount with proper notice.

Cities with Local Rent Control Ordinances

These Minnesota cities currently have or are actively developing rent stabilization ordinances. Caps and covered-unit definitions vary, check your city's municipal code or housing authority for the current allowable increase.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can my landlord raise the rent in Minnesota?

It depends entirely on the city. In St. Paul, increases are capped at 3% per year. In Minneapolis, the cap is tied to CPI, so it changes with inflation. Everywhere else in Minnesota there is no percentage cap, rent can rise by any amount at lease renewal with proper notice.

Is rent control legal in Minnesota?

Yes. In 2021, Minnesota lifted its state preemption and passed Minn. Stat. § 471.9996, which lets individual cities enact rent control. So far only St. Paul and Minneapolis have done so; the rest of the state has no rent regulation.

How much notice is required before a rent increase?

Minnesota has no single statewide rent-cap, so notice is governed by your lease and any applicable city ordinance. In St. Paul and Minneapolis, the local rent-control rules and your lease terms control the increase; tenants should review the current city ordinance and their lease, since the state statute itself sets the framework for cities rather than a uniform notice period.

Does the rent cap apply to my unit?

Only if your unit is in St. Paul or Minneapolis and is not exempt. New construction is exempt for 20 years in both cities, and in Minneapolis single-family homes and duplexes are also exempt. If your unit is anywhere else in Minnesota, no cap applies at all.

This summary reflects Minn. Stat. § 471.9996 (2021), which authorizes Minnesota cities to adopt rent control, along with the local ordinances enacted by the cities of St. Paul (3% annual cap) and Minneapolis (cap tied to CPI). Rent figures referenced here use average rent data derived from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inputs, and enforcement of local ordinances is handled by the respective city housing departments. Last reviewed June 2026. This page is informational only and is not legal advice; consult a licensed Minnesota attorney or your city's housing office for guidance on your specific situation.

Related Guides for Minnesota Landlords

Rent Increase Laws in Other States

Statutory data sourced from published Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 471.9996 (2021, cities may enact RC)), BLS Consumer Price Index (2024-2025), and state agency publications. Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates for average rent. Last updated August 27, 2026. This page is informational only and does not constitute legal advice.