Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 14 § 14.580
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE (Bloomington Rental Housing Code)
Operative Text
This Division C specifically adopts the following additional requirements for health, safety and maintenance to the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code. Where differences occur between provisions of this Division C and the referenced standards, the provisions of this Division C apply. (a) Agent required. Each licensee or owner of a rental housing within the city, when the licensee or owner does not reside within the seven county metro area comprising Hennepin, Carver, Scott, Dakota, Ramsey, Washington and Anoka Counties, must appoint an agent residing within the seven county area that the city may serve notices pertaining to this Article VIII or the city code. Notices served to the agent will be as effective as if made upon the licensee or owner . The licensee or owner must provide the issuing authority the full name, street address and telephone number of such agent (s). A licensee or owner must provide written notice to the issuing authority , with the required information, whenever the agent for a licensed rental housing has changed. (b) Defacement of property or graffiti or both. The city will use the requirements and procedures set forth in Chapter 12 of this code for defacement of property or graffiti or both. (c) Emergency numbers. It is the responsibility of the owner to post, in a conspicuous location within each building, emergency numbers for the police, fire and the owner or agent responsible for the building with authority to take all necessary actions to deal with an emergency. (d) Entry/exit doors. All exterior doors in common areas of multiple-family , multiplex , fourplex , and three-family dwelling buildings must be self-closing and self-latching. (e) Food preparation areas. All dwelling units and group housing with five to ten tenants must be provided with an approved cooking appliance such as a stove top with an oven, an approved appliance for cold food storage such as a full-sized refrigerator, and an approved kitchen sink. Microwave and toaster-style ovens, dormitory-style refrigerators and bathroom hand washing sinks are not approved kitchen appliances. Group housing permitted to have 11 or more tenants are required to meet the food establishment requirements of Article V of this Chapter 14 . (f) Garbage and recycling. (1) Every multiple-family dwelling , multiplex dwelling , fourplex dwelling , three-family dwelling , two-family dwelling and group housing , except those with curbside collection services as required in subsection (f)(2) below, must have and maintain in sanitary condition adequate facilities to accommodate the garbage and recycling needs of the dwelling units . Such facilities must consist of containers with tight covers for storage; and the owner of such multiple dwellings is responsible for providing collection service for both garbage and recycled materials in compliance with Chapter 10 of this code. Further, the garbage and recycling facilities must be in compliance with Chapter 21 of this code. (2) Every single-family dwelling , detached townhouse dwelling , cottage court dwelling or single-family dwelling with a rented accessory dwelling unit must have garbage and recycling curbside collection service with containers with tight covers for storage. The containers must be placed out for collection and stored in compliance with Chapter 10 of this code. (g) Heat supply. (1) Every owner of any rental housing must furnish a supply of heat to the occupants thereof to maintain a temperature of not less than 68°F (20°C) in all habitable spaces , bathrooms and toilet rooms measured at three feet above the floor near the center of the room , regardless of the heating supply design capacity. (2) Cooking appliances and unapproved portable space heaters must not be used as a means to provide required heating. (h) Reserved. (i) Insect screens. At all times every door, window and outside opening required for ventilation of habitable spaces , food preparation and storage spaces must be supplied with approved tight-fitting screens of a minimum 16 mesh per inch and every screen door used for insect control must have a self-closing device in good working condition. (j) Means of appeal. The city will use the procedures set forth in Chapter 1, Article II , Civil Hearing Process of this code. (k) Motor vehicles. The city will use the requirements and procedures set forth in § 21.301.06 (m) of this code for the regulation of motor vehicles at rental properties. (l) Pest control. The owner of the rental housing is responsible for providing professional pest control services and must provide written documentation of such services when requested by the Housing Inspector . (m) References. All references to the International Building, Plumbing and Existing Building Codes in the International Property Maintenance Code are replaced with the Minnesota State Building Code. (n) Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The city enforces the requirements for carbon monoxide alarms found in M.S. 299F.50 and 299F.51, as they may be amended from time to time. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms provided in licensed rental housing must be those designed with a test button that when pressed tests the function of the alarm. (o) Snow removal. Snow plowing or snow shoveling must be regularly accomplished to maintain all sidewalks and parking areas in a safe and passable condition. (p) Swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. The city will use the requirements and procedures set forth in Article V , Food Establishments, Lodging Establishment and Public Pools of this Chapter 14 of this code for public pools and Chapter 15, Article VI of this code for private residential swimming pools. (q) Weeds, tall grass and brush. The city will use the requirements and procedures set forth in Article VI , Weeds and Brush of Chapter 10 of this code. (r) Zoning. The city will use the zoning requirements set forth in Chapter 21 of this code. (Ord. 2014-9, passed 5-5-2014; Ord. 2015-33 , passed 11-16-2015; Ord. 2017-25 , passed 7-25-2017; Ord. 2022-14 , passed 4-25-2022; Ord. 2024-23 , passed 10-14-2024; Ord. 2024-28 , passed 11-18-2024; Ord. 2026-10 , passed 4-27-2026)
Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 14.580 (Division C) establishes a set of supplemental health, safety, and maintenance standards that apply on top of the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code for rental housing in Bloomington. The rules cover a wide range of topics — including agent designation for out-of-area owners, emergency contact posting, door hardware, food preparation equipment, garbage and recycling facilities, minimum heat supply (68°F), insect screens, pest control, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and snow removal, among others. Where § 14.580's local requirements differ from the referenced international code, the local provisions control.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of licensed rental housing in Bloomington should be familiar with every subsection of § 14.580, as compliance is required across multiple operational areas simultaneously. Owners who do not reside within the seven-county metro area must designate a local agent and keep the issuing authority updated with that agent's full contact information whenever it changes. Compliant operators generally maintain heating systems capable of sustaining 68°F in habitable spaces, ensure exterior common-area doors are self-closing and self-latching, post emergency contact numbers conspicuously in each building, arrange professional pest control and retain documentation, and keep garbage and recycling facilities in sanitary condition consistent with Chapter 10 of the city code.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in Bloomington rental housing are protected by the standards set out in § 14.580, which require owners to maintain adequate heat, proper food-preparation equipment, functioning insect screens, pest control services, and compliant smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, among other conditions. If a rental unit or building appears to fall short of these requirements — such as insufficient heat, missing emergency contact postings, or pest problems — tenants may consider contacting the Bloomington Housing Inspector, who has authority to request documentation and inspect for compliance. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help residents understand which specific subsections of § 14.580 may apply to their situation and what complaint or appeal processes are available under Chapter 1, Article II of the city code.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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