Free Minnesota Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

Download a free Minnesota lease agreement template

A Minnesota residential lease agreement records the deal between a landlord and tenant for a home in Minnesota. It identifies the parties and premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance responsibilities, and provides a written place for property rules. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Minnesota and are intended as a practical starting document—not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, or local rules apply to a particular property.

The principal research authority for this page is Minnesota Statutes chapters 504B and 327C. Research scope: Minnesota's official residential-landlord statutes govern lease form and delivery, rent and fees, deposits and inspections, habitability and access, disclosures, termination, and remedies; manufactured-home parks, subsidized housing, and local code or licensing requirements remain separate property-specific gates. Because residential rules can depend on property type, tenancy length, location, and regulated-housing status, review the completed agreement and any required addenda before signing.

Minnesota lease topics to review

The current research draft for Minnesota identifies the following topics as relevant to residential lease preparation. Use them as a checklist, and verify each rule's scope, current text, and exceptions before adding a term to the lease.

• Minnesota's general residential rules are in chapter 504B, while manufactured-home parks and some regulated housing require additional or different rules.
• Minnesota requires a written, unit-specific lease in buildings with 12 or more units and requires first-page transparency for rent, nonoptional fees, and utilities.
• Minnesota requires deposit interest, limits deductions, and generally requires a refund or specific written accounting within three weeks after the statutory triggers.
• Minnesota imposes broad nonwaivable habitability duties and ordinarily requires a reasonable purpose, at least 24 hours' notice, and a stated daytime window for entry.
• Minnesota requires landlord-management contact information and condition-specific disclosures for certain outstanding code, condemnation, unfitness, and foreclosure matters.
• Minnesota sets a written-notice rule for at-will tenancies and prevents a lease from granting the landlord a shorter termination notice period than the tenant.
• Minnesota requires delivery of the executed lease to each signing tenant and makes copy delivery relevant to enforcement.
• Minnesota's statutory habitability covenant incorporates state, county, and city health-and-safety law, so every statewide lease needs a property-specific local-code and licensing gate.

The final lease should not waive protections that cannot lawfully be waived. If a selected term conflicts with a controlling statute, official form, court order, housing-program rule, or local ordinance, the controlling rule applies even when the parties signed different language.

What to include in a Minnesota residential lease

• Landlord, tenant, and premises details — use the parties' full legal names, the complete Minnesota property address, and a clear description of included parking, storage, furnishings, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — state whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, accepted payment methods, and what happens at the end of the stated term.
• Deposits and charges — identify each deposit, prepaid amount, fee, and late-payment term separately so it can be compared with the current Minnesota rule that applies to the property.
• Utilities, maintenance, and access — allocate day-to-day responsibilities without attempting to transfer a nonwaivable landlord or tenant duty.
• Rules and addenda — document pets, smoking, parking, guests, insurance, association rules, and any federal, state, local, or property-specific disclosure that applies.
• Notices and signatures — provide reliable notice addresses and retain a complete signed copy for every party.

State and local checks before signing

Minnesota's statutory habitability covenant incorporates state, county, and city health-and-safety law, so every statewide lease needs a property-specific local-code and licensing gate. Confirm the property address and the current local text before signing.

Federal requirements can also apply. For example, most pre-1978 housing requires the federal lead-based-paint disclosure process. Manufactured housing, short-term occupancy, owner-occupied rooms, subsidized housing, and rent-regulated property may follow a different legal path from an ordinary residential lease.

Use the official source linked below to confirm the current statewide text. For a disputed tenancy, an eviction or termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a city with additional renter protections, obtain advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.

How to use the free Minnesota template

1. Download the Minnesota PDF when you want a printable blank, or the Word file when you want to edit the text electronically.
2. Complete the parties, property, rent, term, deposit, utilities, maintenance, access, and notice fields.
3. Attach the disclosures and property-specific addenda that actually apply.
4. Compare the completed document with the current official source and local requirements.
5. Give every party the same final version to review before anyone signs, then retain the fully executed copy.

The guided builder is available when you prefer questions and a generated preview. Whether you use the free template or the builder, confirm the final agreement against the property and the parties' actual arrangement.