Minn. Stat. § 504B § 504B.255
TERMINATION NOTICE REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
Operative Text
The landlord of federally subsidized rental housing must give residential tenants of federally subsidized rental housing a one-year written notice under the following conditions: (1) a federal Section 8 contract will expire; (2) the landlord will exercise the option to terminate or not renew a federal Section 8 contract and mortgage; (3) the landlord will prepay a mortgage and the prepayment will result in the termination of any federal use restrictions that apply to the housing; or (4) the landlord will terminate a housing subsidy program. The notice shall be provided at the commencement of the lease if the lease commences less than one year before any of the conditions in clauses (1) to (4) apply. NOTE: Clause (3) of this section was found preempted to the extent that it creates a longer termination timeline than under applicable federal law in Forest Park II v. Hadley, 336 F.3d 724 (8th Cir. 2003).
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.255, landlords of federally subsidized rental housing are required to give tenants at least one year of written advance notice before certain significant changes occur — such as the expiration or termination of a Section 8 contract, the prepayment of a federally backed mortgage that would end use restrictions, or the termination of a housing subsidy program. If a new lease begins less than one year before any of these triggering events, the notice must be provided at the start of that lease. It is worth noting that a federal appeals court (Forest Park II v. Hadley, 8th Cir. 2003) found the mortgage prepayment clause partially preempted by federal law where it would impose a longer timeline than federal law requires.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of federally subsidized rental housing in Minnesota must be familiar with Minn. Stat. § 504B.255, which establishes a one-year written notice obligation tied to specific contract and mortgage events. Compliant operators typically track upcoming Section 8 contract expiration dates and subsidy program changes well in advance so that notices can be issued on time. When a new lease begins within a year of a triggering event, the notice is generally delivered at lease commencement rather than one year before the event itself.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Minn. Stat. § 504B.255 gives tenants in federally subsidized housing the right to receive at least one year's written notice before their landlord's Section 8 contract expires, is terminated, or before a subsidy program ends. If a tenant believes this notice was not provided as required, that failure may be relevant as a defense in eviction proceedings or as the basis for a complaint with a local housing authority or tenant-rights organization. Tenants can also consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to better understand how this provision applies to their housing situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.