St. Paul voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to adopt a "Right to Repair" ordinance that lets tenants fix problems their landlords ignore and subtract the cost from their rent. Early voting is already underway for City Question 1, which follows a framework Duluth voters approved a year ago.
Supporters say the measure answers a familiar frustration. Eleanor Berkenblit said three cold months were spent fighting with a faulty heating system, followed by a broken toilet and a leaky faucet in the spring. Cole Hanson, an organizer whose building is managed by an out-of-state firm, said repair tickets keep getting closed by the landlord while the dishwasher racks rust. Both are among the renters' rights advocates canvassing the city for a "yes" vote.
Under the proposal, a tenant would give the landlord 14 days' written notice of a needed repair. If the problem is not fixed, the tenant could pay for it and either deduct the cost from rent or ask the landlord for reimbursement. The deduction would be capped at $500 or half a month's rent, whichever is greater, and the tenant would need to provide receipts. For tenants with government rental subsidies, the cap would be half the apartment's fair market rent. The ordinance covers 26 categories of repair, from bathtubs to trash removal, and requires work to be done in a workmanlike manner and by licensed people where the law demands it.
Landlords have a way to push back. They have 14 days to send written notice disputing that a repair is needed and to arrange for a city inspector, who would then have 30 days to inspect. A landlord who stays silent waives the right to dispute the claim. If an inspection confirms the need, or none happens within 30 days, the tenant may proceed. City officials have warned they may lack the staff to handle heavy demand. Tenants could not use the process for damage they, their family or people under their control caused deliberately or through negligence. Landlords who break the rules could face civil penalties of up to $500, administrative citations or misdemeanor charges, and acting against a tenant within 90 days, such as by evicting or raising rent, would count as illegal retaliation.
Opponents raise legal and practical objections. The St. Paul City Attorney's Office has challenged the ordinance's enforceability before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and a ruling could come at any time. The office has questioned whether it would let tenants make repairs without required permits and whether it would overwhelm inspectors, and the city has called it potentially unenforceable. The City Council voted 5-2 to keep it off the ballot, but a court quickly overruled that decision. Proponents reply that most repairs costing $500 or half a month's rent would not need a building permit. Hanson said the ordinance points to fixtures landlords must already maintain under city code.
Joe Abraham, who owns several hundred Twin Cities apartments through Pergola Management, called the measure a solution in search of a problem. He pointed to the state's court-supervised escrow process and to the city's new civil fine schedule, and said, "That administrative citation process, let's let that play out." He also argued that layers of policy are driving investors away, and said his company is not buying in St. Paul. Housing construction has fallen, with permits for 357 new units in 2025, down from 404 the year before, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In peak years the city issued permits for more than 2,000 new homes.
Cecil Smith, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association, said the change could affect property and liability insurance underwriting and premiums in St. Paul. Property managers also worry about unsafe do-it-yourself repairs, such as electrical work, and about work that spills into common areas.
Duluth offers the closest precedent. Proponents and the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association both say they know of no legal challenges there. Hanson, a spokesperson for the Safe Homes St. Paul coalition, said the goal was to give tenants a common-sense option to negotiate with absentee landlords without court filings. The coalition is staffed by members of the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, and the ordinance has also drawn endorsements from labor and faith groups and some elected officials. No organized door-to-door campaign opposes it. The full text is available at safehomessaintpaul.org/ordinance-language.
