Minneapolis, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 12 § 244.915
Fire warning system (Minneapolis Housing Code)
Operative Text
(a) Every hotel or motel sleeping room, and every dwelling unit, shared bath unit and rooming house shall be provided with an approved smoke detector as set out in this chapter. Single and multiple station smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations: (1) Outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms. (2) On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and cellars but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one (1) full story below the upper level. (b) All smoke alarms shall be listed and installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72. (c) All smoke detectors shall be installed per the manufacturer's installation instructions and its listing. Hard-wired smoke detectors shall be wired to a proper unswitched circuit. (d) Smoke alarms and smoke detectors shall not be located closer than three (3) feet from any door to a bathroom or kitchen. Smoke alarms and smoke detectors that are located within twenty (20) feet of a cooking appliance shall be equipped with a silencing switch or be of the photoelectric type in accordance with National Fire Protection Association Standard 72, Section 8-1.4.2. (e) When interior alterations, repairs or additions requiring a permit occur, or when one (1) or more sleeping rooms are added or created in existing dwellings, the individual dwelling unit shall be provided with smoke alarms located as required for new dwellings; the smoke alarms shall be interconnected and hard wired. Exception: smoke alarms in existing areas shall not be required to be interconnected and hard wired where the alterations or repairs do not result in the removal of interior wall or ceiling finishes exposing the structure. (77-Or-017, § 1, 1-28-77; 78-Or-244, § 34, 11-22-78; 79-Or-109, § 1, 5-25-79; 80-Or-070 , § 1, 4-25-80; 82-Or-106 , § 30, 6-11-82; 2004-Or-025 , § 1, 3-19-04)
Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 244.915 requires that every dwelling unit, rooming house, shared bath unit, hotel, and motel sleeping room be equipped with approved smoke detectors and alarms placed in specific locations — outside sleeping areas, on each story including basements, and away from bathroom and kitchen doors. Devices must be listed, installed per manufacturer instructions and NFPA 72 standards, and hard-wired smoke detectors must connect to an unswitched circuit. When permitted interior alterations, repairs, or additions occur — or when sleeping rooms are added — smoke alarms must be upgraded to interconnected, hard-wired systems throughout the dwelling unit, with a limited exception when wall or ceiling finishes are not disturbed.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Minneapolis Code § 244.915, compliant property operators ensure that every dwelling unit and sleeping room has approved smoke alarms positioned outside each sleeping area and on every story, including basements, while keeping devices at least three feet from bathroom and kitchen doors. Operators verify that any alarm within twenty feet of a cooking appliance uses a silencing switch or photoelectric technology per NFPA 72, and that all hard-wired detectors are connected to proper unswitched circuits. When undertaking permitted renovations or adding sleeping rooms, operators generally upgrade the affected dwelling unit to fully interconnected, hard-wired smoke alarm systems unless the narrow structural-finish exception under § 244.915(e) applies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Minneapolis Code § 244.915 establishes a right for occupants of dwelling units, rooming houses, and hotel or motel sleeping rooms to have properly installed, code-compliant smoke alarms in their homes. If smoke detectors appear to be missing, improperly placed, or non-functional, tenants can document the conditions and consider filing a complaint with the City of Minneapolis's housing inspection or code enforcement office. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Minneapolis housing code can help residents understand what remedies or defenses may be available when a landlord has not met the smoke alarm requirements of § 244.915.
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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