Albert Lea, Minn., Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. II § 26.021
Purpose
Operative Text
The purpose of this article is to protect the public health, safety, and the general welfare of the citizens of the city who have as their place of abode, a room furnished to them for payment of a rental charge (including money, services, or other type of consideration) to another. The general objectives include: (1) To maintain a quality of character and stability of rental housing within the city; (2) To correct and prevent rental housing conditions that adversely affect or are likely to adversely affect the life, safety, general welfare and health of persons occupying rental dwelling units within the city; (3) To assist in enforcing minimum standards for cooking, heating, sleeping and sanitary equipment necessary to the health and safety of the occupants of rental dwelling units; (4) To assist in enforcing minimum standards of light and ventilation necessary to health and safety; (5) To prevent overcrowding of rental dwelling units; (6) To assist in enforcing minimum standards for the maintenance of rental housing; and (7) To preserve and promote tax base growth throughout the city.
Albert Lea Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. II § 26.021 establishes the foundational purpose of the city's rental housing article. The provision sets out a framework aimed at protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of people who live in rental housing by defining a set of objectives — including maintaining housing quality, preventing overcrowding, and enforcing minimum standards for sanitation, light, ventilation, heating, and maintenance. It also reflects a broader civic goal of preserving and growing the city's tax base. This section does not itself impose specific duties but signals the intent behind the regulations that follow in the article.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Albert Lea Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. II § 26.021 signals that the rental housing article is built around a broad set of public-welfare objectives, which inform how subsequent provisions in the article are interpreted and enforced. Operators who maintain rental units in compliance with minimum standards for sanitation, heating, ventilation, lighting, and occupancy limits are generally acting in alignment with the purposes this section articulates. Understanding this foundational purpose can help property managers anticipate the spirit behind specific code requirements that appear later in the article.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Albert Lea Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. II § 26.021 makes clear that the rental housing article exists specifically to protect the health, safety, and welfare of people living in rental units in the city. Tenants can point to this stated purpose when raising concerns about conditions in their unit — such as inadequate heating, poor ventilation, sanitation problems, or overcrowding — as context for why the article's standards exist. Local tenant-rights organizations or the city's code enforcement office can be resources for understanding how this purpose translates into enforceable rights under the provisions that follow § 26.021.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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