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The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule: Does It Apply to Renters?

As the temperature continues to drop in Minnesota, maintaining a comfortable temperature indoors becomes a necessity. Residents know that it can get dangerously cold in the winter, making apartments in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other Minnesota cities the places in which people will spend most of their time. Fortunately, a regulation called the Minnesota Cold Weather Rule makes it illegal for the city to turn off a renter’s utilities without at least seven days’ notice. This rule works well for people who pay for their utilities directly, but what about renters who don’t control their heat because the landlord takes care of it for them?

Understanding the Minnesota Cold Weather Rule

Before addressing this dilemma, it’s important to know a few basics about the Cold Weather Rule. The city must give a tenant seven days’ notice before shutting off their utilities, in order to give them time to get the appropriate sum of money together. Additionally, the rule offers decreased payment plans for those who realize they can’t afford the normal price of heat and other utilities.