Otsego, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 100 (2026) § 4-6-6
RESPONSIBILITIES OF OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS
Operative Text
No owner or other person shall occupy or let another person occupy any rental dwelling unit, unless the premises is clean, sanitary, fit for human occupancy and complies with all applicable legal requirements of the State and the City, including the following requirements: A. License And Inspection Required: The owner of a rental dwelling unit shall obtain and license and shall pass the required inspection prior to any occupancy of the rental dwelling unit. B. Maintenance: 1. Shared Or Public Areas: Every owner of a rental dwelling unit shall maintain in a clean, sanitary and safe condition the shared or public areas of the building and premises thereof. 2. Occupied Areas: All occupants of a rental dwelling unit shall maintain in a clean, sanitary and safe condition that part or those parts of the building and premises thereof that she/he occupies and controls. C. Storage And Disposal Of Garbage And Rubbish: 1. All occupants of a rental dwelling unit shall store and dispose of all their rubbish in a clean, sanitary and safe manner. 2. All occupants of a rental dwelling unit shall store and dispose of all their garbage and any other organic waste which might provide food for insects and/or rodents in a clean, sanitary and safe manner. 3. Every owner of a rental dwelling unit shall supply facilities of adequate size for the sanitary and safe storage and disposal of rubbish and garbage. D. Pest Control: 1. Pest Extermination: Every owner of a rental dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of vermin infestations and/or rodents on the premises. Every occupant of a dwelling unit containing more than one dwelling unit or an occupant of a nonresidential building containing more than one unit shall be responsible for the extermination whenever his unit is the only one infested. Notwithstanding, however, whenever infestations caused by the failure of the owner to maintain a building in a reasonable rodentproof or reasonable verminproof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner. Whenever infestation exists in two (2) or more of the units in any building, extermination thereof shall be the responsibility of the owner. Whenever extermination is the responsibility of the owner, the extermination must be performed by a licensed pest control contractor. 2. Rodents: a. No occupant of a rental dwelling unit shall accumulate boxes, lumber, scrap metal, or any similar materials in such a manner that may provide a rodent harborage in or about any dwelling unit or building. Stored materials shall be stacked neatly. b. No owner of a rental dwelling unit shall accumulate or permit the accumulation of boxes, lumber, scrap metal, or any other similar materials in such a manner that may provide a rodent harborage in or about shared or public areas of a building or its premises. Materials stored by the owner or permitted to be stored by the owner shall be stacked neatly. c. No owner or occupant of a rental dwelling unit shall store, place or allow to accumulate, any materials that may serve as food for rodents in a site accessible to rodents. E. Sanitary Maintenance Of Fixtures And Facilities: Every occupant of a rental dwelling unit shall keep all supplied fixtures and facilities therein in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be responsible for the exercise of reasonable care in the proper use and operation thereof. F. Minimum Heating Capability And Maintenance: In every rental dwelling unit, when the control of the supplied heat is the responsibility of a person other than the occupant, a temperature of at least sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit (68°F), or such lesser temperature required by government authority, shall be maintained at a distance of three feet (3') above the floor and three feet (3') from exterior walls in all habitable rooms, bathrooms and water closet compartments from September through May. G. Minimum Exterior Lighting: The owner of a rental building shall be responsible for providing and maintaining effective illumination in all exterior parking lots and walkways. H. Driveways And Parking Areas: One off street parking space must be provided for each tenant age of eighteen (18) years or older. The owner of a rental building shall be responsible for providing and maintaining in good condition paved and delineated parking areas and driveways for tenants consistent with title 11, chapter 21 of this Code. (Prior Code § 7-11-6) I. Yards: The owner of the building shall be responsible for providing and maintaining the yards of premises consistent with section 5-2-3 of this Code. J. Exterior Storage: Owners and occupants of rental dwelling units shall comply with the City's exterior storage requirements as regulated by section 11-18-3 of this Code. (Prior Code § 7-11-6; amd. 2018 Code) K. Public Nuisances: Owners and occupants of rental dwelling units shall comply with the City public nuisance ordinance as provided in title 5, chapter 1 of this Code. L. Taxes, Fees And Charges: The property owner shall be responsible for payment of all Property Taxes, City utility fees, special assessments, and interest. Delinquent utility accounts shall be subject to section 8-1-9 of this Code. (Prior Code § 7-11-6)
Otsego Ch. 100 § 4-6-6 establishes a comprehensive set of baseline conditions that rental dwelling units must meet before and during occupancy. The rule divides responsibilities between owners and occupants: owners are generally accountable for licensing, inspections, shared-area upkeep, pest extermination in multi-unit buildings, heating systems, exterior lighting, parking, and property taxes, while occupants are generally accountable for keeping their own units clean, disposing of waste properly, and maintaining supplied fixtures. Neither an owner nor any other person may lawfully rent or occupy a unit that fails to meet these standards or applicable state and city requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Otsego Ch. 100 § 4-6-6, compliant rental property owners typically secure the required license and pass the mandatory inspection before any tenant moves in, and they keep shared or public areas clean, safe, and sanitary throughout the tenancy. Owners generally supply adequately sized garbage and rubbish facilities, arrange licensed pest control when infestations affect two or more units or stem from the building's condition, maintain heating systems capable of reaching 68°F in habitable rooms from September through May when heat is owner-controlled, and ensure exterior lighting, paved parking, and yards meet city standards. Owners are also responsible for paying all property taxes, city utility fees, and special assessments, with delinquent utility accounts subject to the procedures in § 8-1-9.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Otsego Ch. 100 § 4-6-6 gives tenants a clear baseline: the unit must be clean, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy before move-in, and the owner must have obtained a license and passed inspection. Tenants are responsible for keeping their own space and fixtures clean and sanitary, storing and disposing of garbage and rubbish properly, and avoiding the accumulation of materials that could harbor rodents. If an owner appears to be failing their obligations under § 4-6-6—such as neglecting pest control in a multi-unit building or failing to maintain heat—tenants may consider documenting conditions, contacting the relevant Otsego city department, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
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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