Gimmie Dat Deposit Back!

Home / States / Minnesota

Minnesota security deposit: 21 days to get it back

Within three weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends and the landlord has the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit with interest or send a written statement of specific reasons for keeping any part. If the building was legally condemned (not due to the tenant), the deadline is 5 days.

What the law requires

Itemized statement
A written statement of the specific reasons for withholding. Deductions are limited to amounts reasonably necessary for unpaid rent or other amounts owed, or to restore the premises, ordinary wear and tear excepted. The landlord has the burden of proving the withholding was proper. The tenant is also owed 1% simple annual interest on the deposit. No receipt threshold found.
Forwarding address
The three-week clock runs only after the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, so the tenant should give them in writing.
If the landlord breaks the rules
A landlord who misses the statement or return deadline, or the move-in/move-out inspection duties in § 504B.182, owes the withheld portion plus interest as a penalty, in addition to the wrongfully withheld portion (roughly double). Bad-faith retention adds punitive damages up to $500 per deposit; missing the deadline is presumed bad faith unless the deposit is returned within two weeks after suit is filed.
Deposit cap
No statewide cap in § 504B.178. Minneapolis caps deposits at one month's rent (city website).
Small claims limit
$15,000 in Conciliation Court (Minnesota small claims)

Recent changes

Statute history lists the last amendments as 2023 c 52 art 19 s 85 and 2024 c 85 s 105; no 2025 or 2026 amendments appear in the current revisor text. What the 2023 and 2024 changes did, and their effective dates, has not been confirmed. Small claims limit is $15,000 per the state courts site.

Local rules

Minneapolis: deposits capped at one month's rent; if a landlord asks for more than a month's rent up front, the deposit is limited to 50% of one month's rent, payable in up to three installments; tenants referred by a government agency or nonprofit may be charged up to 1.5 months' rent; landlords must include copies of Minn. Stat. 504B.178 and Minneapolis Code 244.2040 when returning a deposit. St. Paul has its own tenant protection ordinance (not verified).

If your landlord misses the deadline

  1. Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
  2. Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite Minn. Stat. § 504B.178. Give a date to respond.
  3. If you still aren't paid, file in Conciliation Court (Minnesota small claims). Deposit claims up to $15,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Minnesota demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, a landlord must return a tenant's security deposit, or send an itemized statement of any deductions, within 21 days after the tenant moves out and gives a forwarding address. That deadline passed on [deadline date].

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Minnesota have to return a security deposit?

Within three weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends and the landlord has the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit with interest or send a written statement of specific reasons for keeping any part. If the building was legally condemned (not due to the tenant), the deadline is 5 days.

What happens if a Minnesota landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

A landlord who misses the statement or return deadline, or the move-in/move-out inspection duties in § 504B.182, owes the withheld portion plus interest as a penalty, in addition to the wrongfully withheld portion (roughly double). Bad-faith retention adds punitive damages up to $500 per deposit; missing the deadline is presumed bad faith unless the deposit is returned within two weeks after suit is filed.

Do I have to give my Minnesota landlord a forwarding address?

The three-week clock runs only after the landlord receives the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, so the tenant should give them in writing.

Where do I sue for my deposit in Minnesota?

Deposit claims up to $15,000 can be filed in Conciliation Court (Minnesota small claims). Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.