Minnesota Notice to Vacate: 2026 Landlord Rules & 504B Eviction

Minn. Stat. 504B.321 subd. 1a, effective January 1, 2024, requires that before bringing a nonpayment eviction action a landlord provide the residential tenant written notice specifying the basis for future eviction action. The notice must state the total amount due, give a specific accounting of unpaid rent, late fees, and other charges under the lease, name and give the address of the person authorized to receive rent for the landlord, inform the tenant of available legal-aid and financial-assistance resources, and include the statement: 'Your landlord can file an eviction case if you do not pay the total amount due or move out within 14 days from the date of this notice.' If the tenant does not correct the delinquency within 14 days of delivery or mailing, the landlord may bring the eviction action.

Minnesota has eviction-record expungement provisions under Minn. Stat. 484.014, under which a court may order an eviction record expunged or restricted in specified circumstances. The availability and standard depend on the facts of the case and the court's determination. Because the controlling statutory text governs eligibility, confirm the current requirements and any required motion through the Minnesota Judicial Branch or the Office of the Revisor of Statutes before relying on a record being sealed.

Two layers can apply. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. 3955, provides lease-termination and eviction protections for active-duty servicemembers, and Minnesota provides additional protections for state active service under Minn. Stat. 192.501. A landlord who learns a tenant is a covered servicemember should verify the controlling federal and state provisions before proceeding with notice or an eviction action on that tenancy.

The nonpayment pathway depends on a compliant 14-day pre-filing notice. Minn. Stat. 504B.321 subd. 1a sets specific content requirements, including the total amount due, a specific accounting of unpaid rent and charges, the person authorized to receive rent, legal-aid and financial-assistance resource statements, and the statutory 14-day pay-or-move statement. A notice that omits required content or is filed before the 14-day period runs may not support the eviction action. Confirm each statutory element is present and the full period has elapsed before filing.

No. Minn. Stat. 504B.285 subd. 2 makes it a defense to an eviction following an alleged termination by notice to quit if the tenant proves the termination was intended in whole or part as a penalty for a good-faith attempt to secure or enforce rights, or for a good-faith report to a governmental authority of a health, safety, housing, or building code violation. If the notice to quit was served within 90 days of such a protected act, the burden shifts to the landlord to prove the notice was not served for a retaliatory purpose.

Minn. Stat. 504B.171 creates a statutory covenant against certain unlawful activity on the premises, such as controlled-substance activity, prostitution-related activity, unlawful use or possession of a firearm, and stolen property. The statute provides that a breach of that covenant voids the tenant's right to possession, and the landlord may bring, or assign to the county or city attorney the right to bring, an eviction action. These cases qualify for an expedited path under Minn. Stat. 504B.321 subd. 2, in which the summons is served within 24 hours of issuance unless the court orders otherwise for good cause.

Minnesota Chapter 504B does not set a uniform statewide cure-period day count for general lease violations other than the 14-day pre-filing notice for nonpayment under 504B.321 subd. 1a. Whether cure is available for a non-monetary breach, and how long it runs, depends on the written lease. Review the lease terms to determine any contractual cure right before serving notice or filing on a non-monetary breach.