Bill > SF4015

This bill establishes the Minnesota Fair Chance Access to Housing Act, which imposes certain requirements on landlords regarding the use of applicants' criminal records in rental decisions. The key provisions include: 1. Landlords are prohibited from rejecting rental applications solely based on an applicant's criminal record, and must disclose whether they will consider criminal history before accepting an application fee. 2. Landlords can only consider certain serious criminal convictions (such as arson, human trafficking, or recent felonies) after making a conditional offer to the applicant. Landlords must then conduct an individualized assessment and provide the applicant an opportunity to submit mitigating evidence before withdrawing the offer based on the criminal record. 3. Landlords must notify applicants in writing if a conditional offer is withdrawn due to their criminal record, inform them of their right to file a complaint, and provide the applicant with the documents used in the decision, upon request. 4. Landlords with fewer than 4 units, at least one of which is owner-occupied, are exempt from the law. The Commissioner of Human Rights can impose penalties for violations, ranging from $500 to $2,000 per violation depending on the number of units.

Housing and Urban Affairs, Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF4015&ssn=0&y=2023