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Rent control policies regulate how much landlords can increase rents on residential properties. At the state level, Minnesota does not have any rent control laws in place that limit rent increases. However, cities and municipalities in Minnesota have certain powers to enact policies related to stabilizing rents and protecting tenants from large rent increases.
Specifically, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have passed local ordinances in recent years establishing rent stabilization programs within their jurisdictions. These policies impose caps on how much landlords can raise rents each year on existing tenants in order to provide more predictability and affordability. The rent stabilization laws in Minneapolis and St.
Paul do not amount to full rent control, since they focus specifically on limiting annual increases versus setting absolute caps on rent levels. However, the policies do aim to curb excessive rent hikes and prevent the most vulnerable residents from being displaced.
While rent stabilization policies have generated controversy, with some arguments that they discourage new housing construction, Minneapolis and St. Paul have determined that regulations on allowable rent increases provide protections for renters without going as far as imposing rigid caps. Their local ordinances represent efforts to balance the interests of landlords and tenants during a period of fast-rising rents in the Twin Cities region.
