Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.1855
Minimum inspection standards (Minneapolis Housing Code)
Operative Text
The minimum standard to be used for inspections, pursuant to section 244.1890 , for compliance with the housing code for buildings with provisional or nonprovisional licenses shall include the inspection of the building exterior, the common areas and the basement. In addition, if there are ten (10) or less individual dwelling units in the building, minimum inspection requirements include inspecting fifty (50) percent of the individual dwelling units, with a minimum of at least one (1) dwelling unit. If there are between eleven (11) and twenty-four (24) individual dwelling units, inclusive, in the building, minimum inspection requirements include inspecting five (5) individual dwelling units in the building. If there are twenty-five (25) or more individual dwelling units in the building, minimum inspection requirements include inspecting twenty (20) percent of the individual dwelling units. The specific individual dwelling units to be chosen for inspection shall be determined pursuant to inspection department policy. Pursuant to the above minimum standards to be used for inspections for compliance with the housing code for buildings with provisional or nonprovisional licenses, the individual dwelling units to be inspected per building shall be determined using the following table: Number of individual dwelling units per building Number of individual dwelling units to be inspected 1--3 1 4--5 2 6--7 3 8--9 4 10--29 5 30--34 6 35--39 7 40--44 8 45--49 9 50--54 10 55--59 11 60--64 12 Buildings having sixty-five (65) or more individual dwelling units shall have the number of individual dwelling units to be inspected calculated at twenty (20) percent of the total number of individual dwelling units per unit. If the rental dwelling structure is considered to be "substandard" as defined by section 244.1920 , the director or authorized representative may inspect additional units, up to all of the units in the building.
Minneapolis Code § 244.1855 establishes how many units and which areas of a rental building must be examined during a housing-code compliance inspection for buildings holding provisional or nonprovisional licenses. At minimum, inspectors must check the building exterior, common areas, and basement, then inspect a scaled number of individual dwelling units based on building size — ranging from one unit in a very small building up to twenty percent of units in larger properties, with a detailed table governing buildings up to sixty-four units. If a building is classified as 'substandard' under § 244.1920, the director or an authorized representative has authority to expand the inspection to cover additional units, potentially the entire building.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Minneapolis Code § 244.1855, compliant operators of licensed rental buildings generally ensure that exterior areas, common spaces, and basements are kept in housing-code-compliant condition at all times, since these areas are inspected at every qualifying inspection. Because the number of units selected for inspection scales with building size — and because a 'substandard' designation under § 244.1920 can trigger inspection of every unit — property managers commonly maintain all dwelling units to code rather than only those likely to be sampled. Keeping accurate records of unit counts and maintenance histories can help demonstrate ongoing compliance when the inspection department determines which specific units to examine per its policy.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Minneapolis Code § 244.1855 means that tenants living in licensed rental buildings have a right to expect that their building's exterior, common areas, and basement are subject to routine housing-code inspections, and that a portion of individual dwelling units — determined by a set formula — will also be inspected. If a building is found to be 'substandard' as defined by § 244.1920, the scope of inspection can expand to cover every unit, which may be relevant to tenants experiencing widespread conditions issues. Tenants who believe their building is not meeting housing-code standards can contact the Minneapolis inspection department, raise concerns with a local tenant-rights organization, or reference § 244.1855 when seeking information about what inspections their building is required to undergo.
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.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.