Minnesota Tenant Background Check and Screening Laws

What a Tenant Background Check Covers

A background check is the best way to verify the details on a rental application form. Here’s what landlords learn from these in-depth reports:

Criminal history: TurboTenant checks 200M+ records to identify active warrants, previous misdemeanors, and felony charges. Make sure your state and local laws allow you to consider criminal history when selecting a tenant to mitigate risk.

Credit history: See if the applicant is in a good place to pay rent on time each month by reviewing the following in their credit report:

• Credit score,
• All open credit lines,
• Collections history,
• Civil records,
• Payment history, and
• Credit inquiries.

Eviction history: If your local laws allow you to consider eviction history when selecting a tenant, use TurboTenant to compare over 25 million eviction records from all 50 states, including:

• Reports of failure to pay rent,
• Unlawful detainers,
• Judgments for Rent, Possession, and Money, and
• Writs and Warrants of Eviction.

Income verification and fraud detection: Sign up for TurboTenant Pro to leverage advanced tenant screening tools powered by Snappt. With the detailed tenant background check, Minnesota landlords can flag document fraud, phony employer information, and known ‘bad actors.’

Rental history: Speaking with a previous landlord to better understand how well they maintained the property, what their rent payment habits were like, and what to expect after you sign the lease.

References: If the renter added personal references or previous employers to their application form, reaching out is another opportunity to gain more insight.

Federal Tenant Background Check Laws

These federal laws govern how you handle a tenant background check. Minnesota laws also apply, but we’ll cover those next.

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): The FCRA permits a credit or background report to be pulled only for a “permissible purpose,” and screening a rental applicant is a qualified reason. You document this with written, standalone consent, which is why every reputable screening service collects it before running anything. The law also requires you to provide applicants a summary of their FCRA rights. And if the report leads to a denial, requires a co-signer, or results in less favorable terms, you must send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report before the final adverse action notice. (Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Fair Housing Act (FHA): U.S. landlords can’t use discriminatory screening practices. The FHA also prohibits denial or discrimination against applicants based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability (Fair Housing Act).

HUD Guidelines: The HUD guidelines were withdrawn in a 2025–2026 deregulatory review and are no longer authoritative by HUD’s own account. The exposure it described is still real. Fair Housing Act disparate-impact claims rest on case law (Inclusive Communities, 576 U.S. 519 (2015)), not on HUD policy. Minnesota adds no statewide limit, though Minneapolis and Saint Paul go their own way.

Minnesota Tenant Screening Laws

On the state level, here’s what you need to know about Minnesota tenant screening laws:

Criminal history: Minnesota landlords can review and ask about a renter’s criminal record. State law doesn’t limit how far back landlords look at criminal history, or the offenses they consider.

Fair Chance Housing (“ban the box”): State law doesn’t prohibit landlords from asking about or looking into a renter’s criminal history at the start of the application process. Additionally, you don’t have to make a conditional offer before running a criminal background check.

Eviction history: You can’t deny a renter based on a pending eviction action, an eviction court file that’s not public, or an eviction record that’s been expunged, destroyed, or didn’t result in a writ of recovery (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173).

State-specific Fair Housing additions: In addition to the FHA, Minnesota law also protects the following renter traits:

• Gender identity,
• Marital status,
• Status concerning public assistance (source of income),
• Sexual orientation,
• Creed, and
• Familial status.

Landlords can’t discriminate against or deny applicants based on these legally protected characteristics (Minn. Stat. § 363A.02).

State-level notice/disclosure requirements: When you collect an applicant’s screening fee, you must disclose the following:

• The fee’s details in writing,
• The name, address, and phone number of the screening service you use, and
• The criteria being used to make a decision.

Additionally, landlords must notify a renter within 14 days if they’re rejected, and identify the criteria that they failed to meet (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173).

Reusable tenant screening reports: Some states allow them, but the laws frequently change. To stay compliant, check your current local guidelines before accepting a reusable tenant screening report.

Tenant Screening Differences by City in Minnesota

Minnesota tenant screening laws vary across cities. Let’s take a look at how the legal guidelines vary by location:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Compared to state laws governing tenant background checks, Minneapolis law is stricter. Here’s what you need to know to stay compliant:

Individualized assessment requirements: Landlords must use inclusive screening criteria or an individualized assessment for all applicants (Minneapolis, Minn., Admin. Code § 244.2030).

Criminal lookback caps: Landlords can’t consider misdemeanors from more than 3 years ago, most felonies from more than 7 years ago, or serious felonies from more than 10 years ago (Minneapolis, Minn., Admin. Code § 244.2030).

Protected criminal records: Local law prohibits landlords from denying renters based on arrests that didn’t lead to conviction, as well as vacated or expunged convictions, juvenile cases, petty misdemeanors, or crimes that are no longer illegal in the city (Minneapolis, Minn., Admin. Code § 244.2030).

Eviction lookback caps: Minneapolis law also caps eviction lookbacks at 3 years and settlement lookbacks at 1 year, as well as dismissed cases or eviction judgments that ended in the renter’s favor (Minneapolis, Minn., Admin. Code § 244.2030).

Credit score limits: Landlords can’t deny renters based on their credit score alone or because of insufficient credit history (Minneapolis, Minn., Admin. Code § 244.2030).

Saint Paul, Minnesota

For the tenant background check, Saint Paul’s laws are similar to Minneapolis’s. Here’s a breakdown:

Individualized assessment: Saint Paul tenant screening laws require landlords to conduct an individualized assessment before denying an applicant. You also must allow renters to submit additional information to support their application (Saint Paul, Minn., Legislative Code § 193.04).

Criminal lookback caps: Landlords can’t consider misdemeanors older than 3 years, most felonies older than 7 years, or serious felonies older than 10 years (Saint Paul, Minn., Legislative Code § 193.04).

Protected criminal records: The city’s legal guidelines prohibit landlords from considering the following:

• Arrests not resulting in conviction,
• Expunged or vacated convictions,
• Juvenile adjudications,
• Petty misdemeanors,
• Diversion programs, and
• Offenses that are no longer illegal (Saint Paul, Minn., Legislative Code § 193.04).

Eviction lookback caps: Landlords can’t consider eviction judgments older than 3 years, settlements older than 1 year, dismissed cases, or eviction judgments in favor of the renter (Saint Paul, Minn., Legislative Code § 193.04).

Credit score limits: You can’t deny a renter based on their credit score or lack of credit history (Saint Paul, Minn., Legislative Code § 193.04).

Rochester, Minnesota

On the other hand, laws surrounding tenant background checks in Rochester align with the state’s policies. Tenant screening in Rochester also mirrors Minnesota laws.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

The best offense is a good defense. Never ignore these warning signs when reviewing a tenant background check, Minnesota landlords:

Inconsistent rental history: Notice large gaps in their rental history? Be wary, as it could indicate recurring rental issues or an unstable lifestyle.

Late payments or collections: Renters who failed to make consistent rent payments in the past are more likely to continue the habit in your unit.

Criminal charges: A history of serious offenses could harm your property, other tenants, and neighbors. If your local and state laws allow you to consider criminal history, take these records seriously.

History of evictions: Try to understand what led to the eviction to assess potential lease violations.

Unverifiable income: Seeing spotty lump sum payments and random deposits? The renter may struggle to make on-time payments, compared to someone with a stable, consistent income stream.

How to Legally Run a Tenant Background Check in Minnesota

In conclusion, follow these 8 pro tips to protect your income and navigate tenant background checks responsibly:

1. Before running any reports, always collect the renter’s written permission.
2. Use a verified provider for the background check for tenants. Minnesota’s top landlords use TurboTenant.
3. Avoid rental application form fraud by verifying the renter’s identity and SSN.
4. Only use consistent criteria across all applicants.
5. Review every report carefully, paying attention to the details and the bigger picture.
6. Check for evictions or criminal history (if law permits).
7. If you reject someone based on what you learned in their credit check, send them an adverse action notice.
8. Use TurboTenant to simplify your rental operations end to end.