Security deposit return deadline in Minnesota
A Minnesota landlord has 21 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 21 days
- What the landlord must send
- Within three weeks (after receiving a mailing address) the landlord must return the deposit with interest or give a written statement of the specific reasons for keeping it.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- The landlord owes a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus interest, and up to $500 more for bad faith.
- Interest
- 1% simple interest a year.
If the building is condemned, the deadline is 5 days. Failing to give notice of the move-in and move-out inspections required by § 504B.182 also triggers the damages.
The law
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Minnesota, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Minnesota law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.