Minnesota Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

From Duluth to Plymouth, the Minnesota rental application form plays a crucial role in a landlord’s tenant selection process. It gives landlords the information they need to evaluate applicants fairly, flag potential risks, and find renters who are a good fit for their property.

Here’s what to include in your rental application:

• Personal information: Names of applicants (along with co-applicants and co-signers), date of birth, Social Security Numbers, contact information, vehicle details, smoking status, and emergency contacts
• Financial information: Income history and current employment status to verify the applicant’s ability to pay rent on time
• Rental history: Details on the applicant’s current and previous residences
• References: Professional references to verify employment, and rental references to provide insight from previous landlords
• Pets: Number, size, type or breed, and status

Because applications collect sensitive information, such as financial details and Social Security Numbers, federal and state laws regulate the types of questions landlords may ask and how they may use that information to select a tenant.

TurboTenant makes it fast and easy to send, receive, and manage tenant screening online. Use our fillable, free application form to streamline the process and save Minnesota landlords time.

Pre-Screener

Not every renter will meet a landlord’s baseline criteria, and that’s where pre-screeners come in. A pre-screener is a brief questionnaire that renters complete when they find a property listing. It doesn’t replace a rental application, but it helps landlords screen out unqualified applicants before they get too far along.

A standard residential pre-screener typically asks for:

• Contact information (name, phone number, email address),
• Employment status and income details,
• A self-reported credit score,
• Household size,
• Desired move-in date,
• Pet information, and
• Smoking status.

If a renter meets a landlord’s criteria after completing the pre-screener, they can confidently send the full online application form to the potential tenant.

Federal Application Laws

Even though landlords call the shots, every rental application must follow federal housing laws. These rules aim to ensure a fair and legal screening process.

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Under this federal law, landlords can’t discriminate against tenants based on:

• Race,
• Color,
• National origin,
• Religion,
• Sex,
• Familial status, or
• Disability.

Landlords, property managers, and employees can’t deny housing or ask questions about these protected characteristics. Discriminatory advertising and unequal rental terms are also illegal (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): This law prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants based on the protected characteristics outlined in the FHA. It also prohibits discrimination against applicants who have received public assistance or lived in public housing, regulates how landlords handle credit reports, and provides guidelines for reporting to applicants (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA prohibits landlords from denying an applicant solely based on a disability. Landlords must also be willing to make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, such as installing grab rails or allowing a service animal in a non-pet-friendly unit (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): The FCRA requires landlords to obtain an applicant’s written consent before conducting a background and credit check. If a landlord denies an application based on credit history, they must inform the applicant through an adverse action notice (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords are legally obligated to treat all applicants equally. Discrimination based on race and color is against the law (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Minnesota Application Laws

In addition to federal housing laws, landlords must comply with Minnesota landlord-tenant laws during the 2026 application process. These include the Minnesota Human Rights Act and Minnesota Statutes sections 363A and 504B.

Source of income: The Minnesota Human Rights Act lists “status with regard to public assistance” as a protected characteristic. In other words, landlords can’t discriminate against applicants based on their source of income, including Section 8 vouchers (Minn. Stat. § 363A).

At the local level, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington have additional laws related to the source of income.

Criminal history: Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, landlords may conduct a criminal tenant background check on an applicant and must apply the same screening policies to all applicants. Notably, applicants have the legal right to review and correct errors in their report (Minn. Stat. § 504B.241).

Minneapolis also has its own laws regarding look-back periods for misdemeanors, felonies, and serious felonies.

Eviction history: Landlords in Minnesota may legally consider an applicant’s eviction history.

Sexual orientation and gender identity: The Minnesota Human Rights Act lists sex and gender identity as protected characteristics. Landlords cannot deny a rental applicant based on these factors (Minn. Stat. § 363A).

Portable tenant screening reports: Minnesota does not regulate the use of portable tenant screening reports. Landlords can choose to accept them when screening renters, but they are not required to do so.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals

Minnesota law does not require landlords to allow pets in their rentals, so landlords can enforce a no-pet policy if desired. However, state and federal laws prohibit landlords from discriminating against tenants with emotional support animals (ESAs) and service animals, as these animals are not legally considered pets.

Even with these laws in place, tenants remain liable for any damage their animals may cause.

Pet information: Landlords who allow pets should include a section in the rental application for tenants to provide details about the number, type, size, and breed of their pets.

Fair Housing Act: The FHA protects applicants with ESAs or service animals from discrimination. In these cases, landlords may not charge a pet deposit, pet fee, or monthly pet rent. They also cannot deny a renter based on the type, breed, size, or weight of an ESA or service animal.

Denial Process

When deciding whether to approve or deny an application, landlords must apply the same standards to all applicants and focus only on legal grounds for denial. In 2026, landlords can legally deny a renter’s application based on:

• Insufficient income,
• Poor credit history,
• Rental history,
• Criminal background (following legal guidelines), or
• False or incomplete information in the application.

Denial notice: Minnesota does not require landlords to provide rejected applicants with a denial notice.

Credit/Background denials: If a landlord denies an applicant based on the results of a credit or background check, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires them to issue an adverse action notice that includes:

• The name of the reporting agency that ran the background check,
• Contact information of the reporting agency, and
• Reminder of the applicant’s right to dispute errors (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Although Minnesota law does not require landlords to retain denied applications or screening reports, keeping these documents for up to 2 years can help defend against potential discrimination claims during the application process.