Scott County, MN Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Scott County, MN, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Rent control
- Only by voter referendum
- Statute
- MN Stat. §471.9996
- Scott County cities
- No rent cap
- Rent increases
- No legal limit
- Cities that have it
- St. Paul, Minneapolis
Summary
Minnesota neither bans local rent control outright nor allows it freely. Under MN Stat. §471.9996 a city, county, or town may control rents only if voters approve the measure at a general election. No Scott County city has done so, so rents here are set at market.
Subdivision 1 does not preclude a statutory or home rule charter city, county, or town from controlling rents on private residential property to the extent that the city, county, or town has the power to adopt an ordinance, charter amendment, or law to control these rents if the ordinance, charter amendment, or law that controls rents is approved in a general election.
Full Breakdown
Minnesota is not a flat-ban state like Georgia or Florida, and not a free-for-all either. Section 471.9996 blocks any local rent control unless it is approved at a general election. St. Paul (2021) and Minneapolis passed voter-approved rent stabilization under that door, but no Scott County community has put such a question on the ballot. In Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake, and the county's townships, a landlord sets the initial rent at market and raises it at renewal to any amount the lease allows. For a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord must give written notice at least one full rental period before an increase takes effect.
Violations & Fines
No penalty applies because no rent cap exists in Scott County. Any local ordinance capping or freezing residential rents adopted without a general-election vote is void and unenforceable under MN Stat. §471.9996.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there rent control in Scott County?
How much can my landlord raise the rent?
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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