How some Minnesota cities are slowing evictions

Officials in several Minnesota cities want to give tenants even more time to catch up on rent before their landlord can file an eviction case .

Why it matters: New state and local laws are designed to slow down an eviction process that, until recently, was one of the fastest in the nation .

• Once an eviction hits Minnesota's court system, the case often moves faster than county programs can send emergency funds to help tenants cover the rent.

Catch up quick: Since January, a new state law has slowed this process, requiring landlords to give 14 days' notice before taking the case to court.

Driving the news: This week, the Minneapolis City Council will vote on a proposal that would go further, requiring landlords to give 30 days' notice.

• Proponents say that timeline is more realistic since Hennepin County rental assistance funds often take more than two weeks to arrive.

Context: The move would follow St. Louis Park , where council members approved a 30-day notice requirement last week.

• Brooklyn Park has had a similar requirement since 2022.

What they're saying: "The idea is to prevent evictions from ever being filed, because that's good policy for landlords and tenants," Daniel Suitor, housing attorney and tenant advocate for HOME Line, told Axios.

• Evicted tenants rarely pay back landlords unless they settle out of court. A longer timeline incentivizes both parties to agree on a repayment plan, Suitor argued.
• When tenants don't have the money to settle, they can move out before a case is filed — which lets them avoid the blot on their rental record and allows landlords to re-rent the unit, Suitor said.

The other side: The longer timelines are already squeezing landlords, who now risk losing up to three months' rent, Cecil Smith of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association said.

• "It is infeasible for renters to stay in a unit for free," Smith told the Minneapolis council , "while property owners have financial responsibilities such as mortgage payments, utilities and other financial obligations."
• "Not all landlords are liquid enough to weather periods of non-payment," Lynette Dumalag, the lone St. Louis Park council member to vote against the city's new ordinance, said last week .

By the numbers: Statewide filings through August were down nearly 18% from the same period in 2023, according to Eviction Lab data — a dip that Suitor believes shows the new law is working as intended.

Stunning stat: Evictions often lead directly to homelessness.

• Researchers found that an evicted resident of Hennepin County was 55% more likely to enter a shelter.