Falcon Heights, Minn., City Code ch. 105 art. IV (2026) § 105-87
Definitions
Operative Text
Sec. 105-87 - Definitions
For the purposes of this article, the terms defined in this section shall have the
meanings given them as follows:
Compliance official means the city administrator or his or her designee.
Fire Code official means the appointed official by the city administrator as his or her
their designee for the purpose of enforcing the Minnesota State Fire Code and City Codes
related to rental and business license inspections. The fire code official and his or her their
designees shall be competent by virtue of certification as a fire inspector, training, or
experience in fire prevention inspections and enforcement.
Fire Marshal, see Fire Code official
Operate means to charge a rental charge or other form of compensation for the use of
a unit in a rental dwelling/multifamily rental dwelling.
Owner means the person, firm, corporation, or other entity listed in the records on
file in the recorder’s office as holding fee title to the building. For purposes of notice
only, “owner” includes the owner’s authorized agent or other person in control of the
premises.
Property manager or responsible party means an individual(a) with the legal
authority to make and act on decisions of tenancy, building maintenance and repairs
relating to applicable safety codes.
Rental dwelling means any single-family dwelling, accessory dwelling unit, duplex
dwelling or triplex dwelling, which is rented for more than thirty (30) consecutive days in
any calendar year. Rental dwelling does not include Minnesota Department of Health–
licensed rest homes, convalescent care facilities, nursing homes, hotels, motels, managed
home-owner associations, cooperatives, or on- campus college housing.
Multifamily rental dwelling means any building or portion thereof, including the real
property upon which it is located and which surrounds it, that contains four or more
dwelling units that may be attached side-by-side, stacked floor-to-ceiling, and/or have a
common entrance and have a common owner that are being rented out. Multifamily
rental dwelling does not include Minnesota Department of Health–licensed rest homes,
convalescent care facilities, nursing homes, hotels, motels, managed home-owner
associations, cooperatives, or on-campus college housing.
(Ord. No. 13-06, § 1, 12-11-2013; Ord. No. 19-06, § 10, 9-11-2019; Ord. No. 24-05, § 2, 9-
11-2024; Ord. No. 25-07, § 2, 12-10-2025)Section 105-87 of Falcon Heights City Code Chapter 105, Article IV establishes the working definitions that apply throughout the rental housing licensing article. Key terms include 'rental dwelling' (covering single-family homes, ADUs, duplexes, and triplexes rented for more than 30 consecutive days in a calendar year) and 'multifamily rental dwelling' (buildings with four or more units under common ownership that are rented out). The definitions also clarify who qualifies as an 'owner,' 'property manager or responsible party,' and 'compliance official,' and they specify which property types—such as nursing homes, hotels, and cooperatives—fall outside the article's scope.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating rental housing in Falcon Heights should be familiar with the definitions set out in § 105-87, because those definitions determine whether a given property is subject to the city's rental housing licensing requirements. A compliant operator understands, for example, that renting a single-family home or duplex for more than 30 consecutive days in a calendar year brings that property within the definition of 'rental dwelling,' while hotels, cooperatives, and Minnesota Department of Health–licensed facilities are expressly excluded. Operators also take note that the 'owner' definition, for notice purposes, extends to authorized agents or other persons in control of the premises, and that a 'property manager or responsible party' must have legal authority to act on tenancy and maintenance decisions.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants in Falcon Heights benefit from understanding the definitions in § 105-87 because those definitions determine which properties are covered by the city's rental housing article and its associated protections. If a tenant is unsure whether their home qualifies as a 'rental dwelling' or 'multifamily rental dwelling' under this section—and therefore whether the article's requirements apply—they can review the definitions or reach out to the city's compliance official, identified in § 105-87 as the city administrator or designee. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Falcon Heights municipal code can also help clarify how these definitions affect a tenant's situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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