Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.1920

Substandard dwelling (Minneapolis Housing Code)

In Force
Verified 9/15/2026 · Next check 12/14/2026
MinneapolisHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.1920
A rental dwelling structure shall be considered substandard if:
(1) At least one dwelling unit within the structure scores twenty-five (25) or more points; or
(2) The entire structure scores more than the points shown below based on the number of units within the structure:
Number of Units | Total Points
1 | 25
2 | 30
3 | 35
4 | 40
5 or more | 10 points per unit
(3) Any major housing maintenance or fire code violation within the dwelling remains uncorrected. Any single violation scoring six (6) or more points is considered a major violation.
For purposes of the point calculation in this section, any combination of four (4) rooming units or shared bath units shall constitute one (1) dwelling unit. Points for a violation in a common area of the structure outside a dwelling unit will not be cumulative on a unit by unit basis. However, twenty-five (25) or more points in the common areas of a structure, including, but not limited to, the entryways, corridors, community rooms, exterior walls and roof, will constitute a substandard structure.
The director of regulatory services or the director's designee shall cause to be prepared and shall keep on file for public inspection an accurate, complete, and detailed description and schedule of each violation used in the point calculation procedure set forth herein, along with the assigned point value for each such violation. The director shall publish, maintain and make available to the public via all readily available means, including posting to the city's designated Internet site, the description and schedule of all such violations and their assigned point values. Such description and schedule shall be titled the substandard rental dwelling violation schedule. The substandard rental dwelling violation schedule shall be subject to adjustment as deemed necessary and appropriate by the director or the director's designee and any amendments shall be published and made available to the public at least thirty (30) days prior to their effective date. The inspecting code official shall assign points according to the severity of each code violation on a scale from one (1) up to the maximum ten (10) points possible for such violation. Except when otherwise provided by state law, conditions in the design or structure of a building, such as, but not limited to, the size and dimension of rooms and windows and the electrical and plumbing systems, that were legal under existing codes when built shall not be violations as long as they are maintained in good repair. A violation shall receive maximum points when a required item is completely absent, completely fails to perform its function, or is imminently hazardous to the health or safety of the occupants.
For any dwelling declared substandard pursuant to this section, the owner or other natural person as defined in section 244.1840 (3) shall provide proof of attendance and successful completion of a recognized healthy housing workshop or course approved by the director of regulatory services within three (3) months of the date of declaration. Failure to comply with this requirement shall constitute good cause pursuant to section 244.1910 to deny, refuse to renew, revoke, or suspend a rental dwelling license or provisional license and shall otherwise be subject to enforcement through any other available means provided by this Code. ( 90-Or-235 , § 6, 9-14-90; 91-Or-134 , § 4, 7-12-91; 2012-Or-059 , § 2, 8-17-12)
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Minneapolis Code § 244.1920 establishes a point-based system for classifying rental dwelling structures as 'substandard.' A structure can earn that designation if a single unit accumulates 25 or more points, if the overall structure exceeds a threshold that scales with the number of units, or if any major housing maintenance or fire code violation (defined as a single violation worth 6 or more points) goes uncorrected. Common areas such as entryways, corridors, and exterior walls are scored separately but can independently trigger a substandard finding if they reach 25 or more points. Once a structure is declared substandard, the owner or responsible individual must complete an approved healthy housing workshop within three months of that declaration.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 15, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 244.1920, compliant rental operators in Minneapolis generally stay familiar with the city's publicly posted substandard rental dwelling violation schedule, which assigns point values to specific code violations and is available on the city's website. Operators typically address violations promptly—particularly any single violation worth 6 or more points, which automatically qualifies as a major violation regardless of the structure's total score. When a substandard declaration is issued, the owner or designated responsible person is expected to complete a director-approved healthy housing workshop within three months; failure to do so can be grounds for denial, non-renewal, revocation, or suspension of a rental dwelling license under § 244.1910.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section § 244.1920 gives Minneapolis tenants a framework for understanding when their building may officially be classified as substandard—a status that can trigger licensing consequences for the property owner. Tenants who believe their unit or building has uncorrected violations may reference the city's publicly available substandard rental dwelling violation schedule to understand how conditions are scored, and can contact the city's regulatory services department to request an inspection. A substandard finding or an uncorrected major violation can be relevant information when consulting a tenant-rights organization or raising housing conditions as part of a complaint or legal proceeding.

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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Related Rules

§ 8.60.130
Severability
§ 15.12.010
Definitions
§ 15.12.240
Temporary housing

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