This agreement is only necessary when a landlord rents a single room to the tenant. Landlords can use it for shared housing or if they rent out a guest bedroom in their house. As it’s between the lessor and lessee, it’s different from a roommate agreement, which is an informal contract between roommates.
However, since tenants only rent a single room, there can be quite a few restrictions on their house use. The following legal terms and information should be available to ensure all parties know what’s acceptable during the lease term.
Depending on the lease type, tenants can have restricted access to common areas in the house. If it’s the same property the landlord is staying on, then they might only have access to essentials, like the bathroom or kitchen. They might have full access but with limitations on behaviors and guests.
Once the lessee rents the room, it becomes their personal space. Landlords can only enter for business reasons like repairs, inspections, and maintenance.
Lessors must provide adequate notice when entering a lessee’s room, namely 24 hours. Landlords are restricted to entering the room between 8 am and 8 pm. The only time less than 24 hours’ notice can be given is in emergencies or if the tenant requests an earlier time.
Generally, landlords can’t restrict tenants from bringing guests to their rooms. However, there can be limitations on which parts of the house these guests are allowed in.
There can be limitations on how many nights a guest can stay and clauses that lessees take liability for their guests.
The allowance of pets on the property is entirely up to the lessor. Most won’t allow it, as tenants share space with other occupants. However, if they approve a pet, it might have restrictions on the size, behavior, and other aspects of the pet.
Landlords can request pet deposits, fees, and pet insurance if they allow them. However, these terms don’t apply to service animals. The lessor must make accommodations for service animals as per the ADA.
Minnesota doesn’t have statutory limits on how much a lessor can ask for the security deposit. However, the maximum security deposit for unfurnished rooms is often one (1) month’s rent, while furnished rooms can go up to two (2) months’ rent.
Lessors don’t need to bear interest on the security deposit.
A lessor must refund the security deposit within three (3) weeks of the lease ending and provide a list of deductions.
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Rental agreements in Minnesota can be written or oral, but we recommend having a written contract. It’s more enforceable and means you don’t need to deal with “he said, she said” issues. You can refer to the document and ensure all house rules and terms are clearly stated. With a written Minnesota room rental agreement, you eliminate misunderstandings. However, there are a few legal aspects you must consider.
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