A new state tenant’s bill of rights has passed the Minnesota House. It allows domestic violence survivors to break their lease and vacate early to escape further abuse. It also allows tenants to organize in their buildings without retaliation from their landlord.
Representative Esther Agbaje (DFL- Minneapolis) is the bill’s author.
“The purpose of this package is to continue to with policies to further make clear, the responsibilities of tenants and landlords, and their residential relationship,” says Agbaje.
A separate provision protects tenants from eviction for calling emergency services. The state senate passed the Tenant’s Rights Policy Bill on Monday, and now it goes to Governor Walz for his signature.
“The package continues on the path that we started last year to continue to update Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws to bring us into the 21st centrury,” Agbaje explained. “This bill is a culmination of efforts from various housing advocacy groups, legal aid service providers, and Minnesota Mult-Housing Association.”