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Free Minnesota Background &
Credit Check Authorization Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Minnesota Background & Credit Check Authorization

This Background & Credit Check Authorization is built with Minnesota as the governing state. These are the Minnesota landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Minnesota rules at a glance

Minnesota rules for a Background & Credit Check Authorization
Security deposit limitNo statutory capMinn. Stat. §504B.178
Deposit return3 weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord has the tenant’s mailing address, with 1% interestMinn. Stat. §504B.178, subd. 3

Security deposits in Minnesota

Minnesota sets no maximum security deposit, but it is one of the few states that still requires interest on it, and the return deadline is short.

  • Interest — The deposit earns 1% simple, non-compounded interest a year, from the first day of the month after it’s fully paid until the landlord returns it. Interest amounts under $1 are excluded (§504B.178, subd. 2).
  • Return — Within three weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant’s mailing address or delivery instructions, the landlord must return the deposit with interest or mail a written statement of the specific reasons for withholding. If the building is condemned through no fault of the tenant, the deadline is five days (§504B.178, subd. 3).
  • Allowed deductions — Only unpaid rent or other money owed under the lease, and the cost of restoring the unit to its move-in condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted. The landlord bears the burden of proving every deduction (§504B.178, subd. 3).
  • Inspections — Since 2024, the landlord must tell the tenant at move-in (or within 14 days) of the right to request an initial inspection, and near the end of the tenancy of the right to a move-out inspection so problems can be fixed before deductions (§504B.182).
  • Penalties — A landlord who misses the deadline owes the withheld amount again as a penalty, plus the deposit and interest; bad-faith retention adds up to $500 in punitive damages per deposit (§504B.178, subds. 4, 7).
  • Last month’s rent — A tenant can’t withhold the last month’s rent on the theory that the deposit covers it, except in a month-to-month tenancy where no notice to quit has been served (§504B.178, subd. 8).

Minnesota Background & Credit Check Authorization FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Minnesota?

Minnesota sets no maximum. The deposit must earn 1% simple interest a year and be returned, or withholding explained in writing, within three weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord has the tenant’s mailing address (§504B.178).

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

Three weeks after the later of the tenancy ending and receiving the tenant’s forwarding address — five days if the building was condemned through no fault of the tenant. Late or bad-faith withholding brings a penalty equal to the amount withheld plus up to $500 in punitive damages (§504B.178, subds. 3, 4, 7).

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