Lakeville, MN Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration required
- Before renting any dwelling unit (§ 9-9-3)
- Adopted
- Ord. 1084, Sept. 18, 2023; amd. Aug. 5, 2024
- Update window
- 30 days after ownership/manager/unit changes
- Grace period
- 90 days for owners at adoption
- Exemptions
- MDH facilities, hotels/motels, owner-occupied units
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor for false info or non-registration (§ 9-9-6)
Summary
City Code § 9-9-5 makes it unlawful to rent any dwelling unit in Lakeville without first registering it with the city and receiving a certificate of registration. Every owner or their appointed rental manager must file a separate registration form for each property disclosing ownership, background-check practices and whether a written lease or Drug Free/Crime Free addendum exists, and update it within 30 days of any ownership or occupancy change in the City of Lakeville, Minnesota.
9-9-5: REGISTRATION: ... A. All residential rental properties shall be registered with the city by either the residential rental property owner or rental manager. If the rental property owner resides out of state, an in-state rental manager shall be assigned. Registration of each residential rental property shall be made on a separate form provided by the city ... ... B. Upon completion of the registration form, the city shall issue to the registrant a certificate of registration as proof of the registration. Certificates of registration shall be non-transferable and state the following: the date of issuance; the name and address of the residential rental property owner; the name(s) and contact information of the rental manager(s); and the number of dwelling units located within the residential rental property.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9 of Title 9, adopted by Ordinance 1084 on September 18, 2023 and amended by Ordinance 1090 on August 5, 2024, requires every residential rental property owner or rental manager to register each property on a city form under § 9-9-5. The form must list the owner's and rental manager's contact information, the property address (and, for an apartment building, the building name and unit count), whether the owner or manager runs a criminal background check on tenants over 18, whether a written lease exists, and whether a Drug Free/Crime Free Lease Addendum is attached to each lease.
The city then issues a non-transferable certificate of registration stating the issuance date, owner and manager contact information, and the number of dwelling units, and § 9-9-4 separately requires every owner to appoint a rental manager able to accept legal notices on the owner's behalf, with an out-of-state owner required to name an in-state manager. Owners who held rental property when the chapter took effect had 90 days to comply, and any owner or manager must file a new form within 30 days of a transfer of ownership, a change in rental manager, a change in the number of units, or a conversion from owner-occupancy to tenant occupancy.
Exempted uses are Minnesota Department of Health licensed care facilities, hotels and motels, and owner-occupied dwelling units. The registration requirement applies to garages, storage buildings and other appurtenances of a covered dwelling as well as the dwelling itself.
Violations & Fines
Section 9-9-6 makes it unlawful to submit false information on a registration form or to operate a residential rental property without first registering it, and both are misdemeanors under the citywide general penalty in § 1-4-1. The zoning administrator and other officials named in § 1-4-1-1 may issue a citation in lieu of arrest, and the city may also pursue a civil action to compel registration or collect unpaid fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every landlord in Lakeville have to register a rental property?
What has to be on the registration form?
What happens if I don't update my registration after a sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakeville
Compare Lakeville to another location·View the Minnesota rental property rules overview
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