New Prague, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 150 (2026) § 154.03

(A) License required.


(1) Beginning on January 1, 2024, no person shall operate a rental dwelling without first having obtained a license to do so from the city. A license shall be granted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter by the compliance official.


(2) Exceptions.


(a) An owner whose only rental dwelling is a single-family dwelling homesteaded by a relative is exempted. Compliance of this exemption may require written proof from the county.


(b) A residential property owned by a "snowbird" where the property is rented to another person for a period of less than 120 consecutive days while the owner is residing out of the State of Minnesota is exempted. The owner must occupy the property during the remainder of the year to qualify for the exception.


(c) The following are also exempted: on-campus college or university housing units; Minnesota Department of Health licensed rest homes; convalescent care facilities; licensed group homes; nursing homes; hotels; motels; owner-occupied units; or any other residential facility that is subject to a regular inspection program implemented by the county, state, or federal government.


(3) When more than one building containing rental dwelling units exists on one property, a separate license shall be required for each building.


(4) Licenses shall be issued for a single rental dwelling unit in the case of a freestanding dwelling, a condominium, a townhouse, a dwelling in a cooperative, or a dwelling in a nonresidential structure; for a two-unit rental dwelling; or for an apartment building.


(B) License term. Except for a provisional license as identified herein, a rental license issued by the city under this chapter will be valid for up to a two-year time period unless a renewal term otherwise qualifies for a four-year term as authorized in § 154.03 (D). All licenses may be reviewed at any time by the compliance official after the commencement of the license term to determine whether the rental dwelling continues to be in compliance with this chapter.


(C) License application and renewal. The license application or renewal shall be made by the owner, property manager, or local agent. Application forms are available from the city and must be completed in full and accompanied by the appropriate license fee as established by the City Council. Every licensee shall give notice in writing to the city within ten business days after any change of information on the application or if the licensed premises is sold or otherwise conveyed in any way. Depending on the nature of changes, the city may require a new inspection of the licensed premises.


(D) License period; renewals.


(1) The license period shall be for no longer than two years, and to maintain staggering renewals, all licenses for rental dwellings located in Le Sueur County shall expire on December 31 of odd-numbered years and all licenses for rental dwellings located in Scott County shall expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. An application for renewal of a license and the appropriate fee must be filed with the city at least 30 days prior to the expiration date of an existing license. Any renewal license application and fee not received before the expiration date shall be assessed a late fee as established by the City Council.


(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a renewed license term for any rental dwelling that is duly requested by the existing licensee shall be effective for four years if the following two conditions are satisfied at the time of such renewal: (i) there are no documented violations associated with the respective rental dwelling during the prior license term; and (ii) there are no new adult occupants residing in the respective rental dwelling since the date the license was issued for the prior license term. Any licensee requesting such four-year renewal shall provide the city with proof of occupancy so that adherence to the above conditions can be confirmed.


(E) Inspections. Within 30 days of receipt of a completed application and license fee required by this chapter, for both new applications and renewals, the inspector shall schedule an inspection. No license shall be granted or renewed until the inspector has determined that all life, health safety violations, or application inconsistencies have been corrected. In cases where a weather deferral for repairs has been granted by the inspector, the license may be granted on conditions of the repairs being completed before a specific date in the future. If the license application is incomplete, or the applicant does not meet the requirements of this section during the term of a provisional license issued under § 154.04 , the application shall be denied.


(F) License and inspection fees.


(1) License fees, as set forth by City Council resolution, shall be due 30 days prior to the license expiration date; in the cases of new unlicensed units, license fees shall be due at time of application. Fees are nonrefundable. A delinquency penalty of 15% of the amount of the license fee may be charged to the operators of the dwelling unit when fees are not paid on time.


(2) Fees for inspections of a rental dwelling are part of paid license fees. Reinspection fees will only be charged for subsequent inspections after failure to comply with official orders or when the owner or agent fails to keep a scheduled inspection without prior notice to the inspector. All reinspection fees are listed on the city's fee schedule. If the reinspection is being performed as part of the licensing process, fees must be paid prior to the time of license issuance or renewal.


(G) Minimum licensing standards. The following minimum standards and conditions must be met in order for an owner to renew or be granted a rental dwelling license under this chapter. Failure to comply with any of these standards or conditions shall be adequate grounds for denial, nonrenewal, suspension or revocation of a rental dwelling license.


(1) The licensee or applicant must have a current, complete, and accurate rental dwelling application on file with the city.


(2) The licensee or applicant shall have paid the required license fee and any other fees required by this chapter.


(3) The licensee or applicant must be current on the payment of all utility fees, property taxes, assessments, fines, penalties, or other financial claims due to the city on the licensed premises and any other rental dwelling in the city owned by the licensee or the applicant. In the event a suit has been commenced under M.S. §§ 278.01 through 278.03 questioning the amount or validity of taxes, the city may upon request of the licensee or applicant waive strict compliance with this provision; provided, however, that no waiver may be granted for taxes or any portion thereof that remain unpaid for a period exceeding one year after becoming due.


(4) The rental dwelling must be in compliance with all federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to all provisions of this chapter and all applicable zoning laws.


(Ord. 344, passed 11-6-23)