Crystal, Minn., City Code §§ 425.17, 425.21, 630.13 (2026) § 425.17

425.17. Licensing of rental units.
Subd. 1. General rule. It is unlawful to operate a rental dwelling without first having obtained a
license, except for properties exempt under subdivision 2 of this subsection. The license is issued each year
and expires on the anniversary date of issuance.

        Subd. 2. Exemptions. The following properties are exempt from having to obtain a rental license
from the city:

         (a)      Properties that have applied for and received Relative Homestead status for property tax
                  purposes; or

         (b)      Properties that are exempt from property taxes under Minnesota Statute, section 272.02
                  because they are a church parsonage.

         Subd. 3. Application. This subsection establishes minimum standards for maintaining rental
properties; i.e., general housing units, apartments, dwellings, dwelling units, accessory structures and
related premises. A building and its premises used in whole or in part as a home or residence, or as an
accessory structure thereto, for a single family or person, and a building used in whole or in part as a home
or residence of two or more persons or families living in separate units must conform to the requirements
of this subsection without regard to when the building may have been constructed, altered, or repaired. This
subsection is intended to provide standards for licensed rental housing and to provide standards to allow
resolution of violations of this property maintenance code.

         Subd. 4. License fees. For license renewals, license fees are due no later than 60 days prior to the
license expiration date. For general housing units or apartments intended for rental for which a license was
not issued for the previous year, license fees must accompany the completed license application. License
fees are set in Crystal city code, appendix IV. An application to renew a license submitted within 60 days
from the date of expiration shall be subject to the following penalty surcharge amounts:

                        Period Submitted                              Penalty Surcharge
               59 to 50 days prior to expiration date                       None
               49 to 40 days prior to expiration date                  25% of license fee
               39 to 30 days prior to expiration date                  50% of license fee
               Within 30 days prior to expiration date                100% of license fee

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2019 Crystal City Code                                                                        425.17, Subd. 5

Subd. 5. Conditions. A license is nontransferable. The license fee is not refundable upon
revocation or suspension.

        Subd. 6. Application; information. Applications for a license or renewal of a license must be made
by the owner of a rental dwelling. Application forms are filed with the city, accompanied by the applicable
fee. The applicant must provide:

         (a)      Name, street address (a post office box number is not acceptable), email address, and
                  telephone number of dwelling owner, owning partners if a partnership, corporate officers
                  if a corporation;

         (b)      Name, address, email address, and telephone number of designated resident agent, if any;

         (c)      Name, address, email address, and telephone number of vendee, if the rental dwelling is
                  being sold through a contract for deed;

         (d)      Legal address of the rental dwelling;

         (e)      Number of rental dwelling units within the structure;

         (f)      Description of procedure by which tenant inquiries and complaints are handled by the
                  owner; and

         (g)      For properties with multiple owners, the names, street addresses and telephone numbers of
                  all owners, one of whom must be designated as the primary contact.

        Subd. 7. Notice of change. The licensee shall give notice in writing to the housing official within
five business days after any change of the information in the application. Notice of transfer of ownership is
governed by subdivision 13 of this subsection.

        Subd. 8. Resident agent required. An operating license will not be issued or renewed for a
nonresident owner of rental dwellings unless the owner designates in writing the name of a resident agent
who is responsible for maintenance and upkeep and to institute remedial action to effect remediation of
such orders on behalf of the owner. The housing official must be notified in writing by the owner of a
change of resident agent.

         Subd. 9. Conformance to laws. A license will not be issued or renewed unless the rental dwelling
and its premises conform to this subsection, the ordinances of the city and the laws of the state of Minnesota.

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2019 Crystal City Code                                                                    425.17, Subd. 10

Subd. 10. Inspection condition. A license will not be issued or renewed unless the owner of the
rental dwelling agrees in the application to permit inspections pursuant to subdivision 18.

         Subd. 11. Issuance of license following inspection. A rental license shall be issued in instances
where no compliance orders are identified by the housing official for a rental dwelling unit. A conditional
rental license shall be issued in instances where compliance orders have been identified and a copy of the
orders provided to the owner. Compliance orders shall be provided to the owner within fifteen days after
gaining access to the interior of all structures for the purpose of conducting the inspection. The owner of
the property for which a conditional license is issued shall have a maximum of 60 days from the date of the
inspection to make the necessary corrections and request reinspection for compliance. The conditional
license may be revoked automatically by the city if the compliance orders have not been completed and
verified as such by a reinspection within 60 days of the date of the initial inspection.

        Subd. 12. Posting of license. The licensee of a building containing three or more rental dwellings
must post the current license in a conspicuous location in the main entry in a frame with a glass or plastic
cover. Every owner of a single-family or two-family rental dwelling must post the license issued by the city
in a conspicuous location.

        Subd. 13. Transfer. The licensee must give notice in writing to the housing official within five
business days after having legally transferred or otherwise disposed of the effective control of licensed
rental dwelling. The notice must include the name and address of the person succeeding to the ownership
or control of the rental dwelling or dwellings. For purposes of this subsection the term “effective control”
means that control exercised over property by a business proprietor, whether as owner or lessee or by an
owner or lessee of other property.

        Subd. 14. Occupancy register required. The owner of a licensed rental dwelling containing one or
more dwelling units must keep a current register of occupancy for each dwelling unit. The register must be
available for viewing or copying by the housing official at reasonable times and at the scheduled time of
the annual inspection. The register must provide the following information:

         (a)      Dwelling unit address;

         (b)      Number of bedrooms in dwelling unit;

         (c)      Names of adult occupants and number of adults and children (under 18 years of age)
                  currently occupying the dwelling units;

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2019 Crystal City Code                                                                    425.17, Subd. 14(d)

(d)      Dates renters occupied and vacated dwelling units;

         (e)      A chronological list of complaints and requests for repair by dwelling unit occupants,
                  which complaints and requests are related to the provisions of this section; and

         (f)      A similar chronological list of corrections made in response to requests and complaints.

         Subd. 15. License suspension or revocation. An operating license is subject to suspension, denial,
or revocation by the city council if the licensed owner fails to operate or maintain licensed rental dwellings
and units therein consistent with this section and the law. If an operating license is suspended or revoked
by the city council in accordance with Crystal city code, subsections 1005.21 through 1005.23, it shall be
unlawful for the owner to permit occupancy of a rental dwelling until a valid operating license is issued by
the city council. Issuance of a new license after suspension, denial or revocation shall be made in the manner
set forth in this section, but only after the housing official determines that the applicant/owner has remedied
the conditions identified by the city council as the basis for its action, and only after the applicant/owner
has appeared before the city council to formally request approval of the license application. The license
application must be accompanied by all fees required by this section.

         Subd. 16. License expiration or non-renewal. If a rental license expires and/or is not renewed, it
shall be unlawful for the owner or owner’s agent to thereafter permit the occupancy of the then vacant, or
thereafter vacated, rental dwelling until such time as a valid rental license is obtained. In instances where
the rental dwelling is occupied beyond the license expiration date and application for a license is
subsequently submitted to the city, the application fee shall be doubled.

         Subd. 17. Posted to prevent occupancy. Whenever a rental dwelling is occupied without having
first been issued a rental license, or any initial or renewal application for a rental license has been denied,
or a rental license has been revoked, suspended, or not renewed, the rental dwelling shall be posted by the
housing official, and no person shall reside in, occupy, or cause to be occupied that rental dwelling until
permitted by the housing official. No person other than the housing official shall remove or alter any
posting.

         Subd. 18. Enforcement; inspection authority. The housing official administers and enforces the
provisions of this subsection. The housing official may inspect upon receiving a complaint, change in
ownership, or otherwise when reason exists to believe that a violation of this subsection has been or is being
committed. If the city finds that the circumstances of the occupancy following the issuance of the license
involve possible code violations, substandard maintenance, or abnormal wear and tear, the city may re-
inspect the premises during the licensing period. The housing official may seek warrants authorizing the
inspection of property. Inspections must be conducted during reasonable daylight hours. The housing
official must present evidence of official authority to the occupant in charge of a licensed rental dwelling.

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2019 Crystal City Code                                                                      425.17, Subd. 19

Subd. 19. Inspection access. If an owner, occupant, or other person in charge of a rental dwelling
licensed under this section fails or refuses to permit free access and entry for inspection purposes, the
housing official may, upon a showing of probable cause, obtain orders from a court of competent
jurisdiction for the inspection.

        Subd. 20. Administrative fees. An administrative fee may be charged in instances where the
property owner or resident agent fail to appear for a scheduled inspection or fail to contact the city to
reschedule an inspection less than twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled inspection time.