Building Safety in Minneapolis, MN (2026)
9 verified building safety rules for Minneapolis, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Before signing a lease, Minneapolis landlords with a rental license must hand new tenants copies of every unresolved code violation and order on the unit, including any lead-hazard citations issued under Chapter 240.
Minneapolis Lease Disclosure of Lead Violations
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 244.2000(8)
Disclosures; before signing lease. The owner of any dwelling which is required to be licensed by this chapter shall provide information regarding the rental property...to all prospective tenants prior to entering into a lease with the prospective tenant. Such information shall include:...d. A copy of all unabated orders and violation tags affecting the dwelling unit or common areas of the prope...
Door Locking Hardware
Minneapolis requires dead bolt locks on entrance doors of rental dwellings, rooming houses, and hotels, with minimum three-eighths-inch bolt throw and reinforced strike plates under the city's Building Security article.
Minneapolis Deadbolt Lock Requirements
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 244.1650
A dead bolt not less than three-eighths inch in its least dimension, which penetrates into the strike plate not less than three-eighths inch shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this section. Further dead bolt locks installed or replaced after July 1, 1982, shall have a bolt throw of at least three-quarters inch and the strike plate shall be secured with steel screws at least two and one...
Anti-Mansionization
Minneapolis caps new house size through floor area ratio limits in its Built Form Overlay Districts, as low as a 0.5 multiplier of lot area in Interior 1 neighborhoods, to keep additions and rebuilds from overwhelming smaller lots.
Minneapolis Floor Area Ratio Caps
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 20 (Zoning Code), § 540.110, Table 540-2
540.110. - Maximum floor area ratio. (a) In general. The maximum floor area ratio requirements of principal structures, except cluster developments, shall be as set forth within Table 540-2, Maximum Floor Area Ratio. ... Interior 1 | UN, RM | All uses except Institutional and Civic Uses: 0.5
Green Building Code
Minneapolis has no mandatory green building code, but developers can earn zoning bonuses by meeting LEED, PHIUS, or SB 2030 energy standards.
Minneapolis Green Building Zoning Bonus
Light RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 20 (Zoning Code), § 550.1050, Table 550-4 (Amenities)
Environmental sustainability—Climate resiliency: Any performance standard (LEED, PHIUS, EGC, etc.) that achieves the Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 (SB 2030) 2010-2014 Energy Standard, a sixty (60) percent energy/carbon reduction from the 2003 Average Building Baseline. The evaluation shall be submitted by a certified architect.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Minneapolis Code § 244.2100 adopts Minnesota's carbon monoxide alarm law as city ordinance, requiring approved CO alarms in single-family homes and multifamily rental units, enforceable as a housing code violation.
Minneapolis Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirement
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 244.2100
There is hereby adopted as an ordinance of the city, Minnesota Statute Sections 299F.50 to 299F.51.
Building Permits
Minneapolis building permits lapse after 180 days of inactivity, and the building official inspects only with occupant or owner consent or a court-issued search warrant, under Building Code Chapter 85.
Minneapolis Building Permits and Inspections
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances §§ 85.60(1), 85.110
If work authorized by a permit has not commenced within one hundred eighty (180) days of the date of permit issuance or has been stopped or abandoned for any consecutive one hundred eighty (180) day period, the permit shall be invalid. ... [§ 85.110] the building official may enter, examine, and survey at all reasonable times all premises after obtaining consent from an occupant or owner of the...
Electrical Permits
Minneapolis does not issue its own electrical permits. The State of Minnesota administers and enforces the electrical code under City Code Section 85.300, with the city stepping in only if state administration is interrupted.
Minneapolis Electrical Permits Come From the State
Few RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 85.300
The administration and enforcement of the electrical code is performed under the authority of the State of Minnesota. In the event the administration and enforcement of the electrical code by the state is interrupted, the city shall enter into an agreement with the state to maintain administration and enforcement. The agreement shall include the requirements set forth in Minn. Rule Part 1300.00...
Plumbing Permits
Minneapolis requires a permit for plumbing work under its building code, and only state-licensed individuals or city-licensed contractors may pull it or do the work.
Minneapolis Plumbing Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 85.620
A permit shall be required for plumbing work pursuant to the building code.
Building Inspections
Minneapolis building inspectors need the owner or occupant's consent to enter a property; without it, the city must go to court for an administrative search warrant before inspecting.
Minneapolis Building Inspection Entry Rules
Some RestrictionsMinneapolis Code of Ordinances § 85.110
Pursuant to Title 5 of this Code, the building official may enter, examine, and survey at all reasonable times all premises after obtaining consent from an occupant or owner of the premises. In the event an occupant or owner of the premises does not consent to entry by the building official, and if there is probable cause to believe that an inspection is warranted, then application may be made ...
Looking for Hennepin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Minneapolis city rules.
Building Safety in Hennepin County →