{
	"id": "saint-paul",
	"name": "Saint Paul",
	"schema_version": "1.0",
	"refreshed": "2026-04-22",
	"statute": {
		"short": "Saint Paul Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Chapter 193A)",
		"citation": "Saint Paul Legislative Code, Chapter 193A — Rent Stabilization (originally adopted by ballot Nov 2021; amended Sept 2022 effective Jan 1, 2023; amended May 7, 2025 effective June 13, 2025)",
		"url": "https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/rent-stabilization"
	},
	"cpi_source": {
		"name": "BLS CPI-U, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA, 12-month change as published August (used for the partial-vacancy-decontrol \"8% + CPI\" reset only — the standard 3% cap is fixed in the ordinance and is NOT CPI-indexed)",
		"url": "https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/mn_minneapolis_msa.htm"
	},
	"statewide": {
		"cap_pct": 3.0,
		"formula": "Fixed 3% per 12-month period (not CPI-indexed). Landlords may seek a 3%–8% Self-Certification Increase Exception (annually administered by DSI) without a hearing, or petition for an 8%–15% staff-determination increase with documentation. Above 15% requires a hearing examiner.",
		"year": 2026,
		"rates_by_term": [
			{ "lease_term": "standard", "label": "Standard 3% cap (no exception filed)", "cap_pct": 3.0 },
			{ "lease_term": "self_certified", "label": "Self-Certification Exception (3%–8%, no city approval needed)", "cap_pct": 8.0 },
			{ "lease_term": "staff_determination", "label": "Staff-Determination Petition (8%–15%, requires DSI approval)", "cap_pct": 15.0 }
		],
		"current_rgb_order": {
			"number": 2026,
			"label": "Saint Paul Rent Stabilization 2026",
			"adopted": "2021-11 (ballot); amended 2022-09; amended 2025-05",
			"effective": "ongoing — fixed 3% cap, no annual reset",
			"expires": "ongoing",
			"citation": "Saint Paul Legislative Code §193A.04 (rent-increase cap) and §193A.06 (exception process)",
			"source_url": "https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/rent-stabilization/rules-processes",
			"note": "Unlike DC and NY, the Saint Paul cap is statutorily fixed at 3% and is NOT recalculated annually against CPI. The Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) administers the exception process. The 8%-cap shown here is the maximum allowed under self-certification; you must still file a Notice of Self-Certification with DSI before the increase takes effect."
		}
	},
	"prior_rent_control_year": null,
	"age_exemption_years": null,
	"local_overrides": [],
	"scope": {
		"covered_buildings": "Most private residential rental units in the City of Saint Paul. The cap applies regardless of building type, unit count, or whether the landlord is an LLC or natural person. Each tenancy and unit must be tracked separately for the 12-month one-increase rule.",
		"excluded": "Newly-constructed residential rental properties whose first Certificate of Occupancy was issued after December 31, 2004 (May 2025 amendment — replaces the prior 20-year rolling exemption with a permanent post-2004 exemption); affordable housing units under regulatory agreement with HUD, MHFA, or the Saint Paul Housing & Redevelopment Authority where the contract rent rule supersedes (LIHTC-restricted, Section 8 HAP project-based, etc.); owner-occupied buildings where the landlord lives in the same building and has 4 or fewer rental units; transient lodging (hotels, hostels, ≤30-day stays); rooms rented in the landlord's primary residence; institutional, nursing, or hospital housing; and units exempted by separate DSI determination.",
		"notice_form": "No statutory form prescribed by the ordinance itself. Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 requires written notice equal to the rent-payment interval (typically 30 days for month-to-month) before the increase takes effect. For Self-Certification Exception increases (3%–8%), a Notice of Self-Certification must be filed with DSI; for petition (>8%) increases, DSI staff determination must be obtained BEFORE the increase notice is served on the tenant."
	},
	"exemptions": [
		"Newly-constructed residential rental properties with first Certificate of Occupancy issued after December 31, 2004 (post-2025 amendment — permanent exemption).",
		"Affordable housing units under federal, state, or local regulatory agreement that fixes the rent (LIHTC-restricted units, Section 8 HAP project-based, MHFA-financed, HRA-restricted, public housing).",
		"Owner-occupied buildings of 4 or fewer rental units where the owner resides in the building.",
		"Transient lodging (hotels, motels, hostels, short-term rentals of 30 days or fewer).",
		"Rooms rented within the landlord's primary residence (room-in-house arrangement).",
		"Institutional housing — nursing facilities, hospitals, long-term care, dormitories, treatment facilities.",
		"Units granted a Determination of Exemption by DSI under §193A.07."
	],
	"notice_periods": [
		{ "rule": "Month-to-month tenancy (Minnesota Statutes §504B.135) — written notice equal to the rent-payment interval", "days": 30 },
		{ "rule": "Fixed-term lease — increase cannot take effect until lease renewal; written notice per lease terms (typically 30–60 days before renewal)", "days": 60 }
	],
	"twelve_month_rule": {
		"summary": "A unit's rent may not be increased more than once in any rolling 12-month period, regardless of tenant turnover within that period (subject to the partial-vacancy-decontrol exception below).",
		"citation": "Saint Paul Legislative Code §193A.04(a)"
	},
	"vacancy_rule": {
		"summary": "Partial vacancy decontrol (added by the May 2025 amendment): on a just-cause vacancy where the prior tenant's tenancy ended for a permitted reason under §193A.05, the landlord may reset the rent for the next tenant by up to 8% plus the published 12-month CPI-U change for the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA. Vacancies caused by no-fault eviction, harassment, or constructive eviction do NOT qualify for partial decontrol; the cap remains 3% for those.",
		"citation": "Saint Paul Legislative Code §193A.04(c) (May 2025 amendment)"
	},
	"capital_improvement_surcharge": {
		"summary": "Capital improvements above the 3% cap require either a self-certification (up to 8% combined with the base) or a staff-determination petition for higher amounts (up to 15%). Documentation of contractor invoices, scope, and useful-life amortization must be filed with DSI. Self-help capital-improvement surcharges without an approved exception are overcharges and a tenant defense.",
		"citation": "Saint Paul Legislative Code §193A.06"
	},
	"faq": [
		{
			"q": "What is the Saint Paul Rent Stabilization Ordinance and who enforces it?",
			"a": "The Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Saint Paul Legislative Code Chapter 193A) was adopted by Saint Paul voters in November 2021. The City Council amended it in September 2022 (effective Jan 1, 2023, adding the original 20-year new-construction exemption) and again in May 2025 (effective June 13, 2025, replacing the rolling 20-year exemption with a permanent post-Dec-31-2004 exemption and adding partial-vacancy-decontrol). The Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) administers the ordinance day-to-day, processes exception requests, and investigates tenant complaints."
		},
		{
			"q": "What is the 2026 cap?",
			"a": "3% per 12-month period. Unlike DC's CPI+2 formula or New York's RGB-set rates, the Saint Paul cap is a fixed number written into the ordinance and is NOT recalculated annually. It can only change if the City Council amends the ordinance again. Above 3%, you must request a Self-Certification Exception (3%–8%) or a Staff-Determination Petition (8%–15%) before the increase takes effect."
		},
		{
			"q": "Is my building covered by Saint Paul rent stabilization?",
			"a": "If your building's first Certificate of Occupancy was issued on or before December 31, 2004, AND the building is not under an affordable-housing regulatory agreement that fixes the rent, AND you do not live in the building with 4 or fewer rental units, your unit is almost certainly covered. The May 2025 amendment permanently exempted everything built after 2004. Affordable units under HUD/MHFA/HRA regulatory agreements are exempt because their contract rent is set by separate rule. Verify your unit's status at stpaul.gov/rent-stabilization or by calling DSI at 651-266-8989."
		},
		{
			"q": "What notice do I give and on what form?",
			"a": "There is no city-issued statutory notice form. Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 requires that any change to a month-to-month tenancy be communicated in writing at least one rent-payment-interval in advance — for monthly tenancies that's 30 days. For fixed-term leases, the increase cannot take effect until the lease renews; serve the renewal notice per the lease (typically 30–60 days before renewal). If you're using the Self-Certification Exception (3%–8%), you must ALSO file a Notice of Self-Certification with DSI before the new rent takes effect. For staff-determination petitions (>8%), get the DSI determination first, THEN serve the tenant."
		},
		{
			"q": "Can I raise rent more than once in a year?",
			"a": "No. §193A.04(a) bars more than one rent increase per unit in any rolling 12-month period. The only exception is partial vacancy decontrol after a just-cause vacancy under the May 2025 amendment — you can reset the rent for a new tenant by up to 8% plus CPI even if the unit was last raised within 12 months."
		},
		{
			"q": "How does the Self-Certification Exception work?",
			"a": "If you need to raise rent between 3% and 8% in a 12-month period, file a Notice of Self-Certification with DSI before serving the tenant. No hearing is required; DSI maintains a public record of the certification and may audit. The exception is annually self-evaluated — you can use it each year you need to. Above 8% requires a separate Staff-Determination Petition with documented operating-cost or capital-improvement justification, capped at 15% absent a hearing examiner determination."
		},
		{
			"q": "What is partial vacancy decontrol and when does it apply?",
			"a": "The May 2025 amendment lets a landlord reset rent for a new tenant by up to 8% plus the prior-12-month CPI-U change (Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA) when the prior tenancy ended for a 'just cause' reason — voluntary move-out, lease expiration without renewal, breach of lease for nonpayment or other material violation, owner move-in. It does NOT apply to no-fault evictions, harassment-driven move-outs, or constructive evictions; those vacancies are still capped at the standard 3%."
		},
		{
			"q": "What happens if I overshoot the cap?",
			"a": "Tenants can complain to DSI, which can order rent rollback, refund of overcharges, and civil penalties under §193A.08. Landlords with a pattern of overcharging can lose their Saint Paul rental license. Tenants can also raise the overcharge as a defense in eviction proceedings, which typically blocks the eviction outright. Finally, the city's rental-license database flags units with active rent-stabilization violations, which can affect insurance and refinancing."
		}
	]
}