Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-3-31
Transfer of ownership (Rochester Housing Code)
Operative Text
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dwelling unit or structure who has received a compliance order or upon whom a notice of violation has been served to sell, transfer, mortgage, lease or otherwise dispose of such dwelling unit or structure to another until the provisions of the compliance order or notice of violation have been complied with, or until such owner or the owner's authorized agent shall first furnish the grantee, transferee, mortgagee or lessee a true copy of any compliance order or notice of violation issued by the code official and shall furnish to the code official a signed and notarized statement from the grantee, transferee, mortgagee or lessee, acknowledging the receipt of such compliance order or notice of violation and fully accepting the responsibility without condition for making the corrections or repairs required by such compliance order or notice of violation.
Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-3-31 restricts property owners who have received a compliance order or notice of violation from selling, transferring, mortgaging, or leasing the affected dwelling unit or structure until one of two conditions is met: either the violations are fully corrected, or the incoming party receives a true copy of the outstanding order and provides the code official with a signed, notarized statement accepting full responsibility for making the required corrections. This rule ensures that housing code obligations follow the property and are not extinguished by a change in ownership or occupancy. Both the outgoing owner and the incoming party have defined roles in completing this disclosure and acknowledgment process.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-3-31, property owners who have an open compliance order or notice of violation on record generally take one of two paths before completing any sale, transfer, mortgage, or lease: they either resolve all cited violations beforehand, or they provide the incoming party with a true copy of the outstanding order and submit a signed, notarized acknowledgment from that party to the code official confirming acceptance of repair responsibility. Operators who maintain organized records of any code correspondence are better positioned to meet these disclosure requirements promptly. Failing to follow this process is classified as unlawful under the ordinance, which underscores the importance of confirming compliance status before initiating any property transaction.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-3-31 gives prospective tenants and other incoming parties a right to receive a copy of any outstanding compliance order or notice of violation before a lease or transfer is finalized, along with a formal process by which they acknowledge and accept responsibility for the required repairs. If a tenant believes this disclosure was not made as required, they may consider raising the ordinance as a basis for a complaint with Rochester's code enforcement office or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with local housing code procedures. Documenting any communications about the property's condition at the time of leasing can be relevant when evaluating whether the requirements of § 7-3-31 were satisfied.
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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