Columbia Heights, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 5A (2026) § 5A.411
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Operative Text
(A) Criminal background check required. The city is interested in rental property owners being well informed about a prospective renter's past criminal history, regardless of whether or not the owner decides to enter into a lease with the prospective tenant. Therefore, the licensee shall conduct criminal background checks on all prospective tenants. The criminal background check must include the following: (1) A statewide (Minnesota) criminal history check of all prospective tenants covering at least the last seven years. The checks must be done by utilizing the most recent update of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's criminal history files; (2) A statewide criminal history check from the prospective tenant's previous state of residence shall be conducted if the tenant is moving directly from the previous state; (3) A criminal history check of any prospective tenant in their previous states of residence shall be conducted covering the last seven years if they have not resided in Minnesota for three years or longer; (4) A statewide (Minnesota) court history check of all prospective tenants covering at least the last seven years. This check, which includes Unlawful Detainer actions, can be done utilizing the most recent update of the Minnesota Judicial Branch Trial Court Public Access database. (B) Any company that the licensee contract with to conduct criminal history checks must meet the same standards as established above. (C) Documentation of the criminal background checks must be kept on file by the property owner for the length of the tenant’s lease. The lessor must display documentation of the background check upon request by the Police Department. (D) If the licensee fails to comply with the requirements of this section, the rental dwelling license for the premises may be denied, revoked, suspended, or not renewed. An action to deny, revoke, suspend, or not renew a license under this section shall be initiated by the City Council at the request of the Police Department in the manner described in § 5A.408 . (Ord. 1532, passed 11-26-07; Am. Ord. 1592, passed 5-9-11)
Columbia Heights Ch. 5A Rental Housing § 5A.411 requires licensed rental property owners to run criminal background checks on every prospective tenant before a lease is signed. The checks must cover at least the last seven years and draw from Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension records, Minnesota court history (including Unlawful Detainer actions), and, where applicable, criminal history from any prior state of residence. Records of these checks must be kept on file for the duration of the tenancy and made available to the Police Department upon request, and failure to comply can result in denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal of the rental dwelling license.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 5A.411, compliant operators run the required Minnesota statewide criminal history and court history checks on every applicant, using the most current BCA and Minnesota Judicial Branch databases, and extend those checks to prior-state records when an applicant has lived outside Minnesota within the last seven years. Any third-party screening company used must meet the same standards the ordinance sets out. Operators keep documentation of each background check on file for the full length of the tenant's lease and produce those records promptly when the Police Department requests them, since non-compliance can trigger license denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal under § 5A.411(D).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 5A.411 establishes that every licensed rental property owner in Columbia Heights is obligated to conduct standardized criminal background checks on prospective tenants — the rule governs the landlord's process, not a tenant's eligibility determination alone. Tenants who believe a landlord is not following the required procedures, or who have questions about how their background check information is being handled, may contact the Columbia Heights Police Department, which plays a role in enforcement under § 5A.411(D). Tenant-rights organizations in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area can also help individuals understand how this provision interacts with other fair-housing and screening protections.
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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