Scott County, MN Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in Scott County, MN, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Just cause
- Not required statewide
- Deposit return
- 21 days, with interest
- Deposit statute
- MN Stat. §504B.178
- Eviction
- Court order required
- 2024 reforms
- Stronger notice, habitability
Summary
Minnesota has no statewide just-cause eviction law, and no Scott County city adds one. But Chapter 504B gives tenants real protection: written notice, a court eviction before removal, and return of the security deposit within 21 days with interest under MN Stat. §504B.178.
and after receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, return the deposit to the tenant, with interest thereon as provided in subdivision 2, or furnish to the tenant a written statement showing the specific reason for the withholding of the deposit or any portion thereof.
Full Breakdown
No statute requires a landlord in Shakopee, Savage, or Prior Lake to prove cause before ending a tenancy. A landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with written notice of one rental period, then must file an eviction action under Chapter 504B and win a court order before anyone is removed. Self-help lockouts and utility shutoffs are illegal. The 2024 tenant-law reforms tightened notice and habitability rules statewide. One concrete money protection: §504B.178 requires the landlord to return the deposit, with interest, within three weeks (21 days) after the tenancy ends, or send a written statement itemizing exactly what was withheld and why.
Violations & Fines
A landlord who withholds a deposit in bad faith owes the tenant the amount wrongly withheld plus a punitive sum under MN Stat. §504B.178. Illegal lockouts and utility cutoffs expose the landlord to damages under Chapter 504B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my landlord need a reason to evict me?
When do I get my security deposit back?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scott County
Compare Scott County to another location·View the Minnesota rental property rules overview
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