Maple Plain, Minn., Code of Ordinances ch. 4, art. 13 § 4-639
Criminal background check
Operative Text
(a) The City recommends, but does not require, that an owner or manager of a rental dwelling conduct a criminal background check on all prospective tenants. If conducted, a criminal background check should include the following: (1) A statewide criminal history check of all prospective tenants covering the last five years utilizing the most recent update of the state criminal history files; (2) A statewide criminal and civil court records check of all prospective covering at least the last five years including all misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony convictions related to property offenses, fraud, violence against persons, or sex offenses; (3) A statewide criminal history check of any prospective tenant in their previous states of residence, if available, covering the last five years if they have not resided in the state for five years or longer. (b) The owner or manager shall maintain a current register of tenants and other persons who have a lawful right to occupancy of any rental dwelling unit. The register of tenants must include the full name, date of birth, and the most current telephone number available for each tenant or other lawful occupants. The tenant register must be available for review by the City upon request. (c) If an owner or manager undertakes a criminal background check, a review of the results should focus on felony convictions relating to property offenses, fraud, violence against persons, and sex offenses. If the owner or manager intends to rely on a background check to deny any prospective tenancy, the owner or manager must conduct an individualized assessment of the prospective tenancy after allowing the prospective tenant a reasonable opportunity to supply additional information. It is not the intention or desire of the City to intrude on the decision-making of an owner or manager as to prospective tenants, but rather to assure that all prospective tenants receive a fair opportunity to secure housing.
Maple Plain Code of Ordinances ch. 4, art. 13 § 4-639 establishes that criminal background checks on prospective tenants are recommended but not mandated for rental property owners and managers. If a background check is conducted and used to deny a tenancy, the owner or manager must carry out an individualized assessment and give the prospective tenant a reasonable opportunity to provide additional information before a final decision is made. Separately, all owners and managers are required to maintain a current tenant register—including full names, dates of birth, and current phone numbers—that must be made available to the City upon request.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Maple Plain Code of Ordinances ch. 4, art. 13 § 4-639, operators who choose to run criminal background checks generally focus their review on felony convictions related to property offenses, fraud, violence against persons, and sex offenses, covering at least the last five years. Compliant operators who intend to deny a tenancy based on background check results conduct an individualized assessment and provide the applicant a reasonable opportunity to submit additional context before reaching a final decision. Regardless of whether background checks are used, all owners and managers are required to keep a current tenant register with full names, dates of birth, and phone numbers, and to make that register available to the City upon request.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Maple Plain Code of Ordinances ch. 4, art. 13 § 4-639 provides that if a landlord or manager uses a criminal background check as a basis for denying a rental application, they are required to conduct an individualized assessment and give the prospective tenant a reasonable opportunity to supply additional information before a final decision is made. The City's stated intent is to ensure that all prospective tenants receive a fair opportunity to secure housing, not to rubber-stamp automatic denials based solely on criminal history. Prospective tenants who believe this individualized-assessment requirement was not followed may consider contacting the City of Maple Plain directly or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
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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