Spring Lake Park, Minn., Mun. Code ch. 12.16 (2026) § 12.16.190
Background Checks
Operative Text
Criminal Background Check Required. The City is interested in rental property owners being well informed about a prospective renter's past criminal and rental history, regardless of whether or not the owner decides to enter into a lease with the prospective tenant. Therefore, the licensee shall conduct criminal background checks on all prospective tenants. The criminal background check must include the following:A statewide (Minnesota) criminal history check of all prospective tenants covering at least the last seven years. The checks must be done by utilizing the most recent update of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's criminal history files; A statewide criminal history check from the prospective tenant's previous state of residence shall be conducted if the tenant is moving directly from the previous state; A criminal history check of any prospective tenant in their previous states of residence shall be conducted covering the last seven years if they have not resided in Minnesota for three years or longer; A statewide (Minnesota) court history check of all prospective tenants covering at least the last seven years. This check, which includes Unlawful Detainer actions, can be done utilizing the most recent update of the Minnesota Judicial Branch Trial Court Public Access database. Any company that the licensee contracts with to conduct criminal history checks must meet the same standards as established above. Documentation of the criminal background checks must be kept on file by the property owner for the length of the tenant's lease. The lessor must display documentation of the background check upon request by the Police Department. If the licensee fails to comply with the requirements of this section, the rental dwelling license for the premises may be denied, revoked, suspended or not renewed. An action to deny, revoke, suspend or not renew a license under this section shall be initiated by the City Council at the request of the Police Department in the manner described in SLPC 12.16.140. HISTORY Adopted by Ord. 473 on 5/3/2021
Spring Lake Park's Ch. 12.16 Housing Maintenance And Occupancy § 12.16.190 requires licensed rental property owners to run criminal background checks on every prospective tenant before a lease is signed. The checks must cover at least the past seven years using Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension records and Minnesota Judicial Branch court history data, with additional out-of-state checks required depending on where the applicant recently lived. Records of these checks must be retained for the duration of the tenancy and made available to the Police Department upon request.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 12.16.190, compliant rental operators run a Minnesota statewide criminal history check and a court history check—including Unlawful Detainer records—on every applicant, covering at least the prior seven years. When an applicant is moving directly from another state or has not lived in Minnesota for three or more years, additional out-of-state history checks are required. Operators keep documentation of every background check on file for the full length of the tenant's lease and present those records to the Police Department when asked, since failure to comply can result in denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal of the rental dwelling license.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 12.16.190 of Spring Lake Park's housing code establishes that landlords are obligated to conduct standardized criminal background checks as part of the rental application process, which means applicants can expect this screening to occur. Tenants who believe a landlord is not following the required procedures—or who have questions about how their background information is being used—may contact the Spring Lake Park Police Department, which plays a role in overseeing compliance and can initiate license-related actions against non-compliant landlords. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Minnesota housing law can also help individuals understand how this provision interacts with other screening and fair-housing protections.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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