We’ve finished the first quarter of 2025, and the number of calls and emails are up on the hotline. For new contacts, we’re up 8% over 2024 and for total contacts (new and follow-up), we’ve seen a 9% increase over last-year’s total.
Here are the top 10 reasons for contacts in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024.
| Contact Reason | Number of Contacts | Change from 1st Qtr ’24 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Evictions | 1,467 | + 14% |
| 2. Repairs | 1,449 | + 18% |
| 3. Security Deposits | 429 | – 9% |
| 4. Break Lease | 418 | – 7% |
| 5. Lease Questions | 406 | + 30% |
| 6. Landlord Notice to Vacate | 344 | + 2% |
| 7. Financial Aid | 298 | + 41% |
| 8. Heat | 235 | + 49% |
| 9. Fees | 228 | + 19% |
| 10. Certificate of Rent Paid | 208 | + 67% |
Contacts increased in 8 of our top 10 categories this quarter. Evictions and financial aid questions are both up over the first quarter from last year. These two categories regularly increase or decrease together as roughly 90% of all MN eviction court cases are filed for non-payment of rent and as economic conditions worsen, evictions for non-payment of rent tend to spike.
Repairs—historically the top reason for contacts to HOME Line’s hotline, remained closely behind eviction calls for the quarter and are also up 18% over last year’s first quarter.
CRP (Certificate of Rent Paid/the ‘Renter’s Refund’) questions were in the top-10 category for the entire quarter. This isn’t surprising as the CRP system has been revamped and is now covered in a tenant’s traditional state income tax reporting due April 15th. Questions about CRP’s are understandably up a whopping 67% over this time last year.
Heat issues have also remained elevated over last year, increasing 49%, reflecting the higher number of cold spells we’ve experienced this winter and furnaces struggling to keep up with the temperatures.
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