Minnesota Late Fee Law
Written agreement
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a), a landlord of a residential building may not charge a late fee if the rent is paid after the due date unless the tenant and landlord have agreed in writing that a late fee may be imposed, and the agreement must specify when the late fee will be imposed.
Statute text
A landlord of a residential building may not charge a late fee if the rent is paid after the due date, unless the tenant and landlord have agreed in writing that a late fee may be imposed. The agreement must specify when the late fee will be imposed.
Maximum late fee
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a), in no case may the late fee exceed eight percent of the overdue rent payment. A late fee charged or collected is not considered to be either interest or liquidated damages.
Statute text
In no case may the late fee exceed eight percent of the overdue rent payment. Any late fee charged or collected is not considered to be either interest or liquidated damages.
Early-payment discounts
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a), the "due date" does not include an earlier date by which the tenant earns a discount if the rent is paid.
Statute text
For purposes of this paragraph, the "due date" does not include a date, earlier than the date contained in the written or oral lease by which, if the rent is paid, the tenant earns a discount.
Subsidized tenancies
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(b), if a federal statute, regulation, or handbook permitting late fees for a tenancy subsidized under a federal program conflicts with paragraph (a), the landlord may publish and implement a late payment fee schedule that complies with the federal statute, regulation, or handbook. Under § 504B.177(c), a late fee charged by a landlord who has entered into a housing assistance payments contract with the federal, state, or local government must be calculated and assessed only on the portion of rent payable by the tenant.
Statute text
Notwithstanding paragraph (a), if a federal statute, regulation, or handbook permitting late fees for a tenancy subsidized under a federal program conflicts with paragraph (a), then the landlord may publish and implement a late payment fee schedule that complies with the federal statute, regulation, or handbook.
A late fee charged by a landlord who has entered into a housing assistance payments contract with the federal, state, or local government must be calculated and assessed only on the portion of rent payable by the tenant.
City and county rules
This page covers statewide law only. Some cities and counties have their own late fee rules, and this page does not list them. Check with your city or county.
Official sources
About this page
This page is general information about Minnesota law from Deedhold LLC, which operates DeedVault. It is not legal advice, it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deedhold LLC is not a law firm and does not practice law.
We wrote each summary from the official statute text linked beside it and last checked the page on November 1, 2026. The statute, not this summary, is the law. Statutes are amended, courts interpret them, and cities, counties and lease terms can add requirements this page does not cover. We may not learn of a change right away, and we remove any page we have not re-checked within 7 months.
This page is provided as is, without any warranty that it is complete, current, or right for your situation. Do not rely on it alone for a decision about a late fee, a tenant, or a dispute. Check the official sources linked on this page, or consult an attorney licensed in Minnesota.
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