Saint Paul rent stabilization calculator Chapter 193A: 3% standard, 8% self-certified, 15% staff-determined.
Enter a Saint Paul rental unit's current rent and the cap path you're using. We'll surface the §193A-capped new rent, the 30-day Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 notice math for month-to-month tenancies, and the 12-month one-increase-per-unit rule before you serve the notice — and remind you whether the Self-Certification or Staff-Determination filing with DSI needs to happen first.
Scope: Saint Paul rental units in buildings whose first Certificate of Occupancy was issued on or before December 31, 2004 (May 2025 amendment), not under an affordable-housing regulatory agreement, and not owner-occupied with 4 or fewer rental units. Post-2004 new construction is permanently exempt.
Statute summary
What Chapter 193A actually says.
In plain English:
- Standard cap = 3% per 12-month period. Statutorily fixed, NOT CPI-indexed. Has been 3% since the November 2021 ballot adoption and remains 3% for 2026.
- Self-Certification path = 3%–8%. File a Notice of Self-Certification with DSI before serving the tenant; no hearing required. The certification is on the public record and DSI can audit it. Use it for documented operating-cost increases that exceed 3% but stay under 8%.
- Staff-Determination path = 8%–15%. File a petition with DSI documenting operating costs, capital improvements, or other §193A.06 grounds. DSI staff issue a determination; the increase cannot take effect until that determination is in hand.
- Above 15% requires a hearing-examiner determination — beyond a do-it-yourself flow.
- Scope: applies to buildings with their first Certificate of Occupancy on or before December 31, 2004. The May 2025 amendment replaced the original rolling 20-year exemption with this permanent post-2004 exemption.
- Notice period: Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 requires written notice equal to the rent-payment interval — for monthly tenancies, that's 30 days. Fixed-term leases can only have rent changed at renewal; serve the renewal notice per the lease (typically 30–60 days before).
- 12-month rule: a unit's rent may not be increased more than once in any rolling 12-month window, regardless of tenant turnover.
- Partial vacancy decontrol (May 2025 amendment): after a just-cause vacancy, the rent for the next tenant may be reset by up to 8% plus the 12-month CPI-U change for the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA. No-fault, harassment-driven, or constructive vacancies do NOT qualify; those still cap at 3%.
- Affordable-housing exemption: units under HUD, MHFA, HRA, or LIHTC regulatory agreements that already fix the rent are exempt — those rules supersede.
Full statute and DSI rules: stpaul.gov Rent Stabilization Rules & Processes (2025).
Draft your Saint Paul Chapter 193A worksheet — free.
The free preview gives you the §193A-capped new rent pre-computed against the cap path you pick (standard 3% / self-cert 3–8% / staff-det 8–15%), the 30-day Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 service-window math, the 12-month next-eligible date, and a DSI pre-filing reminder for the upper two tiers — so you don't accidentally serve a self-certified increase before the Notice of Self-Certification is on file. The paid $9 flow archives the worksheet to your unit's compliance log keyed to your account, with the cap path you elected and the rule version in effect at the time. The worksheet is the documentation you'd produce in response to a §193A.08 overcharge inquiry from DSI.
Frequently asked
Saint Paul rent-stabilization FAQ
What is the Saint Paul Rent Stabilization Ordinance and who enforces it?
Saint Paul Legislative Code Chapter 193A — adopted by ballot in November 2021, amended in September 2022 (effective January 1, 2023, adding the original 20-year new-construction exemption), and amended again in May 2025 (effective June 13, 2025, replacing the rolling exemption with the permanent post-2004 exemption and adding partial-vacancy-decontrol). The Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) administers the ordinance day-to-day, processes Self-Certification Exception filings and Staff-Determination Petitions, and investigates tenant complaints.
What is the 2026 cap?
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 against CPI. It can only change if the City Council amends the ordinance. Above 3%, you must request a Self-Certification Exception (3%–8%) or a Staff-Determination Petition (8%–15%) from DSI before the increase takes effect.
Is my building covered by Saint Paul rent stabilization?
If your building's first Certificate of Occupancy was issued on or before December 31, 2004, AND it 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 — it replaced the original rolling 20-year exemption with this hard date. Verify your unit's status at stpaul.gov/rent-stabilization or by calling DSI at 651-266-8989.
What notice do I give and on what form?
There is no city-issued statutory notice form for the rent-increase notice itself. Minnesota Statutes §504B.135 requires written notice equal to one rent-payment interval — typically 30 days for month-to-month tenancies. Fixed-term leases can only be repriced at renewal; serve the renewal notice per the lease (typically 30–60 days before). For Self-Certification Exception increases (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 — order matters, and skipping the DSI step makes the increase unenforceable.
Can I raise rent more than once in a year?
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.
How does the Self-Certification Exception work?
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.
What is partial vacancy decontrol and when does it apply?
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%. Document the just-cause reason in your compliance file in case DSI audits.
What happens if I overshoot the cap?
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 — a serious loss because operating without one is a separate violation. 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 underwriting and refinancing.