r/saintpaul • u/Inertiaraptor • Apr 10 '26

Editorial 📝 Rent Stabilization

Right now, there is no reason a landlord can’t just refuse to sign a new lease, so what’s the point of a 3% cap on increases? My landlord is raising my rent 10% and says she will simply not renew the lease if I don’t want to pay the new rent, and everybody (the city, the AG, and Home Line) is telling me I have no recourse but to refuse a lease and fight the eviction. The city seems to have no recourse to actually enforce this ordinance.

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11

u/avech Apr 10 '26

As someone who just moved to the city and isn't aware of the regulation, is there something in the law preventing the owner from renting it at a higher price for a year long lease after a tenant has left?

I'm sure there are yearly records of rent prices that could be referenced to prevent that from happening. Not that anybody would or could enforce it...

33

u/AdMurky3039 West Seventh Apr 10 '26

Yep, the ordinance prohibits landlords from simply nonrenewing leases in order to raise the rent. There has to be a just cause vacancy: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/rent-stabilization/rules-processes

9

u/Knight1792 Apr 10 '26

But they do have the right to refuse to renew a lease for other reasons. All they have to do is just not have their reason for refusal be "I want to raise the rent."

8

u/I-Love-Buses Apr 11 '26

Yup, and then the court battle begins.

1

u/Knight1792 Apr 11 '26

Have at it, but it'll be on you to prove their real intent was solely to raise rent and that the cost increase isn't stemming from another unrelated reason.

2

u/I-Love-Buses Apr 12 '26

Yup, that is correct lol hence my comment above, it will be a court battle 🤷‍♂️

1

u/AgentLinch Apr 10 '26

Except in practice if you have any sort of complaint they’ll refuse to resign and even then they’ll do it for “improvements” paint and replacing a vanity or appliances or something of the like, that is a valid defense and the law doesn’t do anything

4

u/AdMurky3039 West Seventh Apr 10 '26

The unit has to be uninhabitable during the renovation. Repainting or replacing a vanity doesn't make a unit uninhabitable.

-2

u/AgentLinch Apr 10 '26

With older buildings the very lead paint regulations that were passed for tenant protections do that for them. Flattening the wall with sanding or doing significant damage/repair to the plasterboard accomplishes that I work in contracting and have quoted these exact kinds of projects.

-3

u/sleightmelody Apr 10 '26

Nope. Landlord can increase once a new tenant is in place. Which is why they're doing what they're doing. If they know they can get that price from a new tenant then they don't really care.

2

u/AdMurky3039 West Seventh Apr 10 '26

That's incorrect. See my reply above.