Election Day in Minnesota saw two cities pass pro-tenant ballot measures. Although on different scales, each addresses landlords neglecting their properties. Duluth voters approved a tenants’ right-to-repair ballot initiative. In St. Paul, the electorate approved giving the city the power to assess administrative fines on negligent landlords.
HOME Line’s hotline staff hear about repair issues every day. In fact, it’s the first or second most common reason tenants contact us from across the state. That’s why we appreciate how both measures can motivate landlords to maintain their properties better.
Here is some additional information about each ballot question that passed.
Duluth voters approved, by a 69 to 31 percent margin, giving tenants (or someone they hire) the right to make small repairs to their units if their landlord does not act within 14 days after being notified of the issue. Renters can then deduct the cost of these repairs from their next rent payment, up to a maximum of $500 or half a month’s rent, whichever is greater.
In St. Paul, voters supported giving the city the authority to impose civil (administrative) fines on negligent landlords for failing to maintain apartments and office buildings, with 68 percent voting in favor and 32 percent against. For more information about this campaign, read this MinnPost opinion piece written before the election by HOME Line’s housing attorney and impact litigation and research director, Samuel Spaid, and Jessica Szuminski, a policy attorney at the Housing Justice Center.
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