Richfield, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 409 § 409.03
Transfer of ownership
Operative Text
Subdivision 1. Notice . Within 30 days after the transfer of ownership of an affordable housing building, the new owner shall give written notice to each affordable housing unit tenant of the building that the property is under new ownership. The notice must include the following information: (a) The name, mailing address, and telephone number of the new owner. (b) The following statement: Richfield City Code Section 409 provides for a three-month tenant protection period for affordable housing unit tenants after an affordable housing building is transferred to a new owner. Under Section 409 , affordable housing unit tenants are entitled to relocation assistance from the new owner if, during the tenant protection period, the new owner: (1) Without cause, terminates or does not renew the tenant's rental agreement; (2) Raises the rent and the tenant submits a written notice of termination of their rental agreement; or, (3) Requires existing affordable housing unit tenants to comply with new residency screening criteria and the owner or tenant terminates or does not renew the tenant's rental agreement. (c) Whether there will be any rent increase during the tenant protection period, the amount of the rent increase, and the date the rent increase will take effect. (d) Whether the new owner will require existing affordable housing unit tenants to comply with new residency screening criteria during the tenant protection period and, if so, a copy of the new screening criteria. (e) Whether the new owner will, without cause, terminate or not renew the tenant's rental agreement during the tenant protection period, and if so, the date the rental agreement will terminate and the amount of relocation assistance that will be provided. (f) The date the tenant protection period will expire. (g) Whether the new owner, on the day immediately following the tenant protection period, intends to: increase rent; require existing affordable housing unit tenants to comply with new residency screening criteria; or, without cause, terminate or not renew affordable housing unit rental agreements. Subd. 3. Copy of notices to city. The new owner shall provide a copy of the notices required by this subsection to the City at the same time notice is provided to the tenant or tenants. Subd. 4. Copy of rent roll to city. If the new owner claims the property or the unit does not meet the definition of Affordable Housing Building or Affordable Housing Unit, upon request, the owner shall provide a copy of the rent roll, including the amount of contract rents paid by tenants, to the City. Subd. 5. Language requirement. Each notice required by this subsection shall contain an advisory that reads as follows: "This is important information about your housing. If you do not understand it, have someone translate it for you now, or request a translation from your landlord." This advisory must be stated in the notice in the following languages: Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. Upon request by a tenant, the owner must provide a written translation of the notice into the tenant's native language.
Richfield Code of Ordinances § 409.03 governs what must happen when an affordable housing building changes hands. Within 30 days of the transfer, the new owner is required to send each affordable housing unit tenant a written notice containing specific details — including the new owner's contact information, whether rents will rise or new screening criteria will apply during the three-month tenant protection period, and what relocation assistance may be owed. Notices must include a multilingual advisory in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, and copies of all notices must be filed with the City simultaneously.
Plain English — not legal advice.
A compliant new owner of an affordable housing building in Richfield acts promptly after closing: under § 409.03, written notices go out to every covered tenant within 30 days of the ownership transfer, and a copy reaches the City at the same time. The notice package addresses each required disclosure — contact information, rent-increase plans, any new screening criteria, relocation-assistance amounts, the tenant protection period's expiration date, and post-period intentions — and includes the prescribed multilingual advisory in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, with full translations available to tenants upon request. Owners who believe a property falls outside the affordable housing definitions should be prepared to furnish a rent roll to the City upon request, as § 409.03, Subd. 4 contemplates.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Richfield Code § 409.03, tenants in affordable housing buildings have the right to receive a detailed written notice within 30 days whenever their building is sold, covering rent changes, new screening criteria, relocation assistance, and the length of the three-month tenant protection period. If a notice was never received, was incomplete, or lacked the required multilingual advisory, that may be relevant to any rights or remedies available under § 409. Tenants who have questions about whether they received proper notice, or about what the notice means for their housing situation, may wish to contact the City of Richfield or a local tenant-rights organization for 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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