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10/9/2025
Council Members Osman, Wonsley, and Chowdhury with impacted renters launching Slumlord Tier Oversight and Protection.
MINNEAPOLIS – On October 9th, 2025, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to approve the Slumlord Tier Oversight and Protection ordinance, commonly called STOP Slumlords. Under the new policy, rental properties with multiple violations will require a Council vote in order to have their license renewed.
“Neglect by slumlords has left many tenants without safe and decent housing for far too long. This ordinance gives the City real tools to hold bad landlords accountable. For tenants, that means safer homes, quicker repairs, and a City that will stand with them when landlords fail to act. I want to thank every community member who advocated for this policy and my colleagues for their support in passing this important ordinance.” said Council Member Jamal Osman, lead author on the policy.
“Thousands of renters are suffering because the Frey administration is unable or unwilling to enforce City standards on landlords. Landlords are not above the law. STOP Slumlords holds landlords accountable to comply with the law,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley, co-author of the policy.
The City of Minneapolis has about 23,400 rental licenses covering about 123,000 units of rental housing. Of these, about 160 licenses covering about 2,250 rental units, are designated as Tier 3, meaning they have significant violations impacting tenant health, safety and livability. These are concentrated in areas with low-income renters, renters of color, and student renters.
“The goal of this policy is to ensure that our city has fewer high risk rental properties, holding landlords accountable when their rental properties have various violations and that in a majority renter city, residents have access to safe, healthy, and livable rental properties,” said Council Member Aurin Chowdhury. “Regardless of someone's income level or neighborhood they live in, everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home. This policy is an important first step and I’m proud the City Council unanimously approved."
“Too many renters across our city have been living in buildings with major health and safety problems, fighting to get public attention to their absentee landlords,” said Council Member Katie Cashman, co-author of the policy. “I’m proud that we united as a Council and passed this ordinance unanimously to bring public accountability to high-risk rental licenses. It was long overdue.”
STOP Slumlords goes into effect on January 1, 2027.
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