The RentWise Blog
Guides, tips, and resources for renters

Facing an eviction in Minnesota, what to do in the first 72 hours
An eviction notice is not an eviction. Minnesota gives tenants real procedural rights, time to respond, and ways to fight or delay. The first 72 hours matter most.

How to get your security deposit back in Minnesota
Minnesota gives landlords 21 days to return your deposit. Here is the law in plain English, what landlords can legally withhold, and what to do if yours keeps the money without a good reason.

How to check a landlord before signing a lease in Minneapolis
A step-by-step guide for Minneapolis renters: public records, court filings, neighbor checks, and tenant reviews to run before you sign a lease.

What to do when your landlord refuses to make repairs in Minnesota
Minnesota law requires landlords to keep rentals habitable. If yours is ignoring repair requests, you have real options including rent escrow, city inspections, and lease termination, in roughly that order.

Renting without a written lease in Minnesota, what your rights actually are
No written lease does not mean no rights. Minnesota tenants on verbal or month-to-month agreements have nearly all the same legal protections, plus a few extra risks worth knowing.

Saint Paul rent prices, 2000 to 2023, what a quarter-century of Census data actually shows
Median gross rent in Saint Paul more than doubled in nominal terms between 2000 and 2023, but inflation-adjusted, the picture is less dramatic. The Census numbers, what they mean, and what they do not tell new renters.