Park Rapids, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 152 (2026) § 152.002
DEFINITIONS
Operative Text
(A) Whenever the words DWELLING , DWELLING UNIT or PREMISES are used in this chapter, they shall be construed as though followed by the words “or any part thereof.” (B) For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. BASEMENT. A portion of a building located partly underground but having less than half its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. The Park Rapids City Council shall act as the Park Rapids Board of Adjustment. CELLAR. A portion of a building located partly or wholly underground and having half or more than half of its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground. DWELLING. Any building, including a manufactured home, which is wholly or partially used or intended to be used for living or sleeping by human occupants; provided that temporary housing shall not be regarded as a DWELLING . DWELLING UNIT. Any building, room, or group of rooms, including a manufactured home, located within a dwelling and forming a single habitable unit with facilities which are used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating by human occupants. EXTERMINATION. The control and elimination of insects, rodents, or other pests by eliminating their harborage places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food; by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, or trapping; or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination methods approved by the city. GARBAGE. The animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, and consumption of food. GUEST. Any person or persons renting or occupying a short-term rental. HABITABLE ROOM. A room or enclosed floor space used or intended to be used for the purposes of living or sleeping, excluding bathrooms, water closet compartments, laundries, pantries, foyers, or communicating corridors, closets, and storage spaces. A room or enclosed floor space used or intended to be used for the purposes of cooking or eating shall be considered as a room or space being used or intended to be used for the purpose of living under this definition. INFESTATION. The presence, within or around a dwelling, of any insects, rodents, or other pests. INSPECTOR. Police Chief, City Administrator, and other persons designated by the City Administrator. LINEAR STREET DENSITY CONTROL(S). The linear distance measurement along the street right-of-way centerline as measured from the adjacent parcel boundary line and intersecting street right-of-way corner all the way through until the other point of street ending or city limits line, whichever occurs sooner. The total number of permitted short-term rental units within this total LINEAR STREET DENSITY CONTROL distance shall be calculated by measuring the total street length divided by the density divisor for the total number of permitted short-term rentals on a given street. This is irrespective of how close each permitted premises is from the next without a buffering or spacing requirement. MULTIPLE DWELLING. Any dwelling containing 2 or more dwelling units. OCCUPANT. Any person over 1 year of age, living, sleeping, cooking or eating in or having actual possession of a dwelling unit. OPERATOR. Any person who has charge, care, or control of a building or part thereof in which dwelling units are let. ORDINARY MINIMUM WINTER CONDITIONS. The temperature 15°F above the lowest recorded temperature for the previous 10-year period. OWNER. Any person who alone, jointly, or severally with others: (a) Shall have legal title to any dwelling or dwelling unit, with or without accompanying actual possession thereof; or (b) Shall have charge, care, or control of any dwelling or dwelling unit as owner or agent of the owner, or as executor, executrix, administrator, administratrix, trustee, or guardian of the estate of the owner. Any such persons thus representing the actual owner shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this section and of any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, to the same extent as if they were the OWNER . PLUMBING. Any of the following supplied facilities and equipment: gas pipes, gas burning equipment, water pipes, garbage disposal units, waste pipes, water closets, sinks, installed dishwashers, lavatories, bathtubs, shower baths, installed clothes washing machines, catch basins, drains, vents, and any other similar supplied fixtures, together with all connections to water, sewer, or gas lines. RENTAL. The leasing of a rental unit to a non-owner for a fixed or non-fixed period of time and shall include LEASE TO BUY , CONTRACT FOR DEED , INSTALLMENT SALES , PURCHASES whereby nonpayment of a periodic payment means the occupants may be evicted without the necessity of either a statutory mortgage foreclosure procedure, a statutory termination of contract for deed procedure, or a statutory repossession procedure and other similar procedures. RENTAL UNIT. Any room or group of rooms located within a dwelling and forming a single habitable unit. RUBBISH. Combustible and noncombustible waste materials except garbage, and the term shall include, but not be limited to the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke, and other combustible material, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral matter, glass crockery, and dust. SHORT-TERM RENTAL. A rental unit rented for a period of less than 30 days. This term does not include bed and breakfasts, motels, hotels, or resort rooms. SHORT-TERM RENTAL HOST. Any person who is the owner or local agent of a dwelling unit used as a short-term rental. SUPPLIED. Paid for, furnished, or provided by or under the control of the owner or operator. TEMPORARY HOUSING. Any tent, trailer, or other structure used for human shelter which is designed to be transportable and which is not attached to the ground, to another structure, or to any utilities system on the same premises for more than 30 consecutive days. (Am. Ord. 473, passed 12-12-2006; Am. Ord. 611, passed 12-8-2020)
Section 152.002 of Park Rapids Ch. 152 establishes the foundational vocabulary used throughout the chapter governing manufactured home parks and rental housing. It defines key terms — such as "dwelling," "dwelling unit," "rental," "short-term rental," and "operator" — that determine how the chapter's requirements apply to specific properties and people. Notably, the definitions clarify that terms like "dwelling" and "premises" extend to any part of those structures, and that temporary housing such as tents or trailers occupied for fewer than 30 consecutive days falls outside the chapter's definition of a dwelling.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and operators subject to Park Rapids Ch. 152 § 152.002 should be familiar with how the chapter defines their roles: an "owner" includes not just titleholders but also agents, trustees, and others with charge or control of a dwelling, all of whom are bound to comply with the chapter's provisions to the same extent as the actual owner. The definition of "rental" is broad, encompassing lease-to-buy arrangements, contracts for deed, and installment sales where nonpayment can trigger eviction without standard foreclosure procedures. Operators managing short-term rentals — defined as rentals of fewer than 30 days — should also note the chapter's specific definitions for "short-term rental host" and "linear street density controls," which govern how many such units may be permitted on a given street.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in or considering a rental in Park Rapids should understand that § 152.002 of Ch. 152 broadly defines who qualifies as an "occupant" and what constitutes a "dwelling unit," which in turn determines what protections and standards apply to their living situation. The definition of "rental" is expansive and includes arrangements like contracts for deed or installment sales, meaning occupants in those situations may still fall under the chapter's protections. Tenants who have questions about whether their housing arrangement qualifies under these definitions may find it helpful to contact the Park Rapids City Administrator's office or consult a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
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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