Minnesota Rental Application Form
To secure a reliable tenant, a Minnesota Rental Application Form is an important document. It captures potential tenants' sensitive personal and financial details to help you assess any financial risk accurately. This document can help you handle applicant consent and data appropriately.
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What Is a Minnesota Residential Rental Application?
A Minnesota Rental Application is a legal document used by landlords and property managers to assess and choose an appropriate tenant for a rental property.
Having a Rental Application can prove highly important to make sure you get the right tenant into your property. The process of screening prospective residents in this way allows you to discover any issues such as their inability to pay rent or the likelihood to cause a nuisance before signing a contract.
Minnesota Rental Application Sample
Looking over a readily prepared template of a rental application can make it much easier to create your own. Review our document sample below to get more familiar with what your application form will look like when it’s completed.

Minnesota Rental Applications by Type
There are two main types of rental applications in Minnesota. You must select the most relevant one depending on the type of property being rented, local laws, and the type of leasing agreement that will be used.
Standard/General Minnesota Rental Application
The most common type of vetting document used by Minnesota landlords is the Minnesota Standard Rental Application. This form can be customized according to the specific necessities of the property owner or manager.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application
Landlords of low-income tenants or those offering Section 8 Housing should use a HUD rental application. It is specifically designed to only include information that is allowed under subsidized housing rules.
What To Include in a Minnesota Rental Application Form
When you fill in a simple rental application form for Minnesota you’ll need to ask for some crucial data from the tenant to make the vetting process as effective as possible.
When you create your own application for a rental property you should request the following information:
- Personal data
- Rental history
- Employment details
- Income information
- Credit history
- Personal references
- Permission for background checks
Additionally, the landlord must provide several legal disclosures on a standard rental application. They must report information on:
- The property’s condition
- Potential hazards to the tenant
- Shared utility arrangements
- Rent control rules
- Smoking policy
- The security deposit
- Associated fees
Minnesota Rental Application Laws
Minnesota state has various laws regarding the use of rental applications. If your document is not compliant with MN law, you may get sued by the applicant and face legal consequences.
Application Fee
There are limits in terms of what application fee can be charged by Minnesota landlords. Property owners may charge no more than the costs of screening the tenant necessary. Any money taken above this amount must be refunded.
Security Deposit
Minnesota doesn't set any limits on how much you can charge as a security deposit. However, it is recommended not to charge more than 1-2 months rent.
You must return this deposit within 3 weeks of the end of tenancy, or within 5 day under circumstances. (MN Statutes 504B.178)
Housing Discrimination Law
Minnesota has specific housing discrimination protections under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and the federal Fair Housing Act also applies.
It prohibits asking about race, religion, sex, nationality, disability, or similar traits on rental applications or using them in tenant selection.
Notice of Eligibility
Potential tenants must be informed about the screening criteria and reasons for denial or approval. To prove that these facts were shared, a signature of acknowledgment must be provided within the application or alongside it.
Consent Credit Check
Within Minnesota, federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Other Real Estate Documents
Managing real estate can be tricky and it is essential to ensure that your activities are legally compliant at all times. Take advantage of the full range of property management legal documents below whenever you need to perform crucial tasks:
FAQs About Minnesota Rental Application Form
Understanding what your Minnesota rental application can and cannot do is vital before you create your own from scratch. Find out more about how these screening documents work and what you need to know when writing them.
Creating a Minnesota rental application can be easily done with the help of our contract maker and template tools. When you fill out a rental application form you will usually request the following information from the tenant:
- Personal data
- Rental history
- Employment details
- Income information
- Credit history
- Personal references
- Permission for background checks
You must also include important legal disclosures on the property and the lease agreement being proposed. This will outline details on the condition of the property, any hazards, and details such as security deposit and fees. Our template designer will help you add the information.
You cannot ask tenants a number of questions when you are vetting them with a Minnesota rental application document. You must not request any of the following information from the applicant during this process:
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexuality
- Immigration or citizenship status
- Arrest records
- Marital or familial status
- Whether they have children or not
Yes, to a certain extent application fees can be refundable in Minnesota. This is usually the case if the landlord has requested more than the costs necessary to screen the tenant on the rental application. Any money charged to the applicant above the costs of the screening services themselves must be returned.
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