Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.590

Discontinuance of required services (Minneapolis Housing Code)

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

Operative Text

Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.590
(a) No owner or operator shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility which is required to be supplied under the housing maintenance code to be removed, shut off, or discontinued in any occupied rooming unit, hotel unit, dwelling or dwelling unit let or occupied by said owner, or operator, except for such temporary interruption as may be necessary while actual repairs, replacements or alterations are in process of being made.
(b) An administrative fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be charged to the bill payer of a property where water services have been shut off for a period of forty-eight (48) hours. An additional one hundred dollars ($100.00) administrative fee shall be charged to the bill payer of a property where the property is placarded with a letter of intent to condemned for lack of utilities resulting from the water services being shut off.
(c) Administrative fees charged for water shut off shall be added to the property's utility services bill as set forth in section 505.60 .
Utility companies supplying service through a single meter to equipment or facilities that are required by the housing maintenance code shall post, on or near the front and rear entrances of a multiple dwelling or duplex containing such equipment or facilities, a notice of delinquency in payment of utility bills after the utility bills are sixty (60) days in arrears, or a notice of intent to discontinue such service not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the actual discontinuance of the service. Notice of delinquency shall inform tenants of their right to make rent payments directly to the utility company. When the discontinuance of the service is done by said utility, they shall notify the director of regulatory service's authorized designee, either by mail, phone, or hand delivery within forty-eight (48) hours after the discontinuance of the service.
After a utility company has posted a notice of delinquency, the tenants in the building may pay any rents owing to the owner or operator of the building directly to the utility company. The utility company shall make available to any requesting tenant or tenant's representative the utility account of the multiple dwelling or duplex housing which has been posted pursuant to this article. Any such payment shall be considered a reduction of rent owed by the tenant and a reduction of the utility bill owed by the owner or operator of the building.
A utility company shall not discontinue service for delinquency if it has received payments from the tenants sufficient to: (1)
Cover one hundred (100) percent of the current bill and one-third (1/3) of the past-due bill within thirty (30) days after posting the original notice.
(2) Cover one hundred (100) percent of the current bill and two-thirds (2/3) of the past-due bill within sixty (60) days after posting the original notice.
(3) Cover one hundred (100) percent of the current bill and one hundred (100) percent of the past-due bill within ninety (90) days after posting the original notice.
The utility company may discontinue service without further notice if it has not received the payments specified above.
No person shall deface or remove any notice posted by a utility company pursuant to this section. Such notice shall be removed only by the utility company which posted the notice or with its consent.
For the purposes of this section only, the term "utility company" shall include the water and sewer department of the City of Minneapolis. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 72.100; Ord. of 5-10-74, § 1; 78-Or-144, § 1, 8-11-78; 81-Or-304 , § 1, 12-28-81; Pet. No. 252271, § 16 , 5-11-90; 91-Or-144 , § 1, 7-26-91; 2006-Or-136 , § 1, 11-17-06; 2013-Or-161 , § 21 , 12-6-13; Ord. No. 2023-025 § 1, 4-27-23; Ord. No. 2025-013 , § 1, 2-27-2025)
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Minneapolis Code § 244.590 prohibits property owners and operators from removing, shutting off, or discontinuing any service, facility, equipment, or utility required under the housing maintenance code in any occupied unit, except for brief interruptions during active repairs. When water service is shut off, administrative fees of $50 (after 48 hours) and an additional $100 (if the property is placarded for condemnation due to lack of utilities) are charged to the bill payer. Utility companies serving multiple dwellings through a single meter must post delinquency and discontinuance notices, and tenants have the right to pay rent directly to the utility company to prevent shutoff under a structured payment schedule.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Minneapolis Code § 244.590, compliant property owners and operators maintain all required services and utilities continuously in occupied units, limiting interruptions strictly to the duration of active repair work. Operators whose water service is shut off face administrative fees added directly to the property's utility bill — $50 after 48 hours and an additional $100 if a letter of intent to condemn is issued. Owners and operators should be aware that utility delinquency triggers tenant rights to redirect rent payments to the utility company, reducing the rent owed to the owner dollar-for-dollar.

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

For Tenants

Minneapolis Code § 244.590 gives tenants in buildings served by a single utility meter the right to pay rent directly to the utility company once a notice of delinquency has been posted, with those payments counting as a reduction of rent owed to the landlord. The utility company is required to make the utility account information available to any requesting tenant or tenant's representative, and a structured 30/60/90-day payment schedule can prevent service discontinuance if sufficient payments are made. Tenants who believe required services have been improperly removed or shut off may consider contacting the Minneapolis Department of Regulatory Services or a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options under this provision.

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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