Blaine, MN Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 18-289 of the Residential Maintenance Code sets minimum interior standards. Kitchen facilities need a sink connected to an approved, pressurized hot-and-cold water supply and sewer system, cleanable cabinets and counters, and a properly connected stove and refrigerator under subsection (a). Every window, exterior door, and hatchway must be substantially tight and in sound repair, and any window other than a fixed or storm window must open easily under subsection (b). Floors, interior walls, and ceilings must stay in sound condition and good repair, free of loose or rotted flooring and free of holes, large cracks, or loose plaster, under subsection (e).

Section 18-288(d)(2) separately requires heating facilities capable of maintaining at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit, measured 36 inches above the floor, in every habitable room, bathroom, and water closet compartment when it is 20 degrees below zero outside, and it bans portable liquid-fuel heaters entirely. Section 18-288(a) makes the dwelling's owner responsible for meeting these standards, and that duty cannot be waived by a private agreement with a tenant. Where conditions are severe enough, section 18-290 lists specific failures, such as an unsafe heating system, a lack of washing or bathing facilities, or structural components that will not carry their load, as immediate hazards to health, safety, and welfare.

The city inspector enforces these standards through a written compliance order under section 18-262, and a dwelling with defects severe enough to endanger occupants can be declared unfit for human habitation and ordered vacated under section 18-262(d).