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Free Minnesota Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF

Minnesota's recent rental-law overhaul tightened the rules on application screening fees and pre-lease deposits, and the Twin Cities go further by limiting how landlords screen criminal records (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173, 504B.175). Because Minneapolis and St. Paul restrict criminal-history screening, this form leaves criminal-record questions off. Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.

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Minnesota rental application rules to know

•Screening fee disclosure: before taking an applicant screening fee a landlord must tell you in writing the name of the screening service and the exact criteria your application will be judged on, and may not charge a fee when no unit is or will soon be available (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173).
•Fee refund: the screening fee must be returned if you are rejected for a reason that was not disclosed, if a prior applicant takes the unit, or for any portion not actually spent on a background or credit check (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173).
•Rejection notice: if the landlord rejects you, they must state within 14 days which criteria you failed to meet; a violation lets you recover the fee plus a civil penalty up to $100 and attorney fees (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173).
•Pre-lease deposits: money collected before you sign a lease is allowed only under a written agreement, must be applied to your security deposit if you rent, and otherwise returned (postmarked within 7 days); an improper pre-lease deposit costs the landlord that amount plus a penalty of one-half more (Minn. Stat. § 504B.175).
•Security deposit: Minnesota sets no statewide cap, but the landlord owes 1% simple annual interest and must return the deposit within 21 days after you move out and give a forwarding address, with bad-faith retention adding punitive damages up to $500 (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178).
•Late fees: a late fee is enforceable only if it is in your written lease and may never exceed 8% of the overdue rent payment (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177).
•Criminal history: Minneapolis and St. Paul cap how far back landlords may look (Minneapolis, for example, disregards misdemeanors older than 3 years and most felonies older than 7 years) unless the landlord instead does an individualized assessment.
•Source of income: the Minnesota Human Rights Act bars discrimination based on status with regard to public assistance, and Minneapolis and St. Paul separately require landlords to accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.

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Filled in by the applicant based on the listing, or pre-filled by the landlord.

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Desired move-in date*

Monthly rent ($)

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Frequently asked questions

Can a Minnesota landlord keep my application screening fee?

Only if it was actually used to screen you and you were rejected on a criterion the landlord disclosed in advance (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173). Otherwise it must be refunded, and the landlord must tell you within 14 days which criteria you failed. Violations carry the fee back plus a penalty up to $100 and attorney fees.

Is there a security deposit limit in Minnesota?

There is no statewide dollar cap, but Minneapolis and St. Paul limit deposits to one month's rent. Statewide, the landlord must pay 1% simple annual interest and return the deposit within 21 days after you leave and provide a forwarding address (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178).

What is a pre-lease deposit and can I get it back?

It is money a landlord collects before you sign a lease. Minnesota allows it only under a written agreement, requires it to be applied to your security deposit if you rent, and otherwise returned (postmarked within 7 days of the triggering event). An improper pre-lease deposit costs the landlord that amount plus half again (Minn. Stat. § 504B.175).

Can a Minnesota landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

In Minneapolis and St. Paul, no: local ordinances require landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. Statewide, the Human Rights Act protects status with regard to public assistance, though a broad voucher mandate outside the Twin Cities is less settled.

How much can a late fee be in Minnesota?

A late fee only applies if your written lease provides for it, and it can never be more than 8% of the overdue rent (Minn. Stat. § 504B.177).

Does this form ask about criminal history?

No. Minneapolis and St. Paul restrict how landlords may use criminal records in screening, so this statewide form omits criminal-history questions. A landlord may still run a separate, lawful background check where allowed.

More free landlord & tenant forms

For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.