1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to housing; requiring the Housing Finance Agency to require reasonable
1.3 pet policies in buildings financed by the agency; proposing coding for new law in
1.4 Minnesota Statutes, chapter 462A.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [462A.41] REASONABLE PET POLICY REQUIREMENT .
1.7 Subdivision 1.Requirement.The agency shall require each housing development that
1.8is financed, on or after January 1, 2024, by a grant, by a loan, or by any other money
1.9administered or otherwise provided by the agency to authorize a resident of the housing
1.10development to own or otherwise maintain one or more common household pets within the
1.11resident's dwelling unit, subject to applicable state laws and local government ordinances
1.12related to public health, animal control, and animal anticruelty, and subject to other reasonable
1.13conditions.
1.14 Subd. 2.Reasonable conditions allowed.Reasonable conditions on pet maintenance
1.15or ownership include but are not limited to policies on nuisance behaviors, leashing
1.16requirements, requirements to carry liability insurance coverage, limitations on the number
1.17of animals in a unit based on the unit's size, and prohibitions on dangerous or potentially
1.18dangerous dogs, as defined by section 347.50, subdivisions 2 and 3. A prohibition on a
1.19breed of common household pets or a limitation on the weight of a pet is not a reasonable
1.20condition. A onetime nonrefundable or monthly fee for the ownership or maintenance of
1.21common household pets is not a reasonable condition.
1.22 Subd. 3.Defense to eviction action.Tenants may use the protections afforded in this
1.23section as an affirmative defense in an eviction action.
1Section 1.
REVISOR MS/RC 23-0139212/22/22
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 831
NINETY-THIRD SESSION
Authored by Reyer, Howard, Norris, Kozlowski, Her and others01/25/2023
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Housing Finance and Policy 2.1 Subd. 4.Common household pet.For the purposes of this section, "common household
2.2pet" means a domesticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish, or turtle, that is
2.3traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes.
2.4 Subd. 5.Limitations.(a) This section does not alter or affect the rights and duties of a
2.5landlord with respect to preventing harm to third parties caused by a resident's pet.
2.6 (b) This section shall not be construed to limit or otherwise affect applicable state laws
2.7and local government ordinances related to public health, animal control, and animal
2.8anticruelty, or other statutes or laws that require reasonable accommodations to be made
2.9for an individual with a disability who maintains an animal to provide assistance, service,
2.10or support.
2.11 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
2Section 1.
REVISOR MS/RC 23-0139212/22/22