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- Renters Resource Guide
Renters Resource Guide
The City offers a variety of volunteer opportunities to support our dynamic West St. Paul community.
Volunteer!
Share your time and talents to help the community and environment! Volunteer at events or adopt a park, bus shelter, street section, or neighborhood.
Join a Committee!
Committees help advise the City Council and make recommendations that will benefit our community. The strength of our committees is in being representative of our community. Renters, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and all West St. Paul residents interested in influencing the community in a positive manner are strongly encouraged to apply.
City Council meetings are a great way to stay up to date on what’s happening in the community!
When: Held the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 6:30pm*
Where: City Hall 1616 Humboldt Ave
Seating is available in the Council Chambers or meetings are also available on Cable Channel 18 or streaming online.
Speak at Council: Attend in person to comment.
*Date and time subject to change, check wspmn.gov for official dates and times.
Did you know?
Landlords in Dakota County are required to make recycling available to their tenants.
These things belong in your recycle:
- Cartons
- Metal cans
- Cardboard and paper
- Glass jars and bottles
- Plastic #1, #2 & #5 bottles, containers and jugs
Never put plastic bags in the recycling bin.
Learn how to donate, recycle or dispose of almost anything with the recycle guide.
Courtney Selstad, Recycling Coordinator
cselstad@wspmn.gov 651-552-4118
COUNTY RESOURCES
- General Information 651.437.3191
- Dakota County Crisis Intervention 952.891.7171
- 24-hour response and referral in a mental health crisis.
- Dakota County Housing Crisis Line 651.554.5751
- Emergency shelter, assistance to prevent eviction and information on housing resources and referrals.
FOOD ASSISTANCE
- Minnesota Food Helpline 651.486.9860
- Anyone in Minnesota can call to get assistance with food resources.
- Fare For All 763.450.3880
- A low-cost mobile grocery purchase program.
- The Open Door 651.686.0787
- Residents access food through a fixed-site food pantry in Eagan, Mobile Pantry sites, the Mobile Lunch Box, and the Garden To Table program.
HELPLINE
- United Way 2-1-1 651.291.0211
LEGAL
- HOME Line 612.725.5767
- Hotline for free legal advice for tenants and their rental housing problems in Minnesota
- Southern MN Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) 651.222.4731
- Free legal help for low-income people and immigration services.
- Immigrant Law Center of MN 800.223.1368
- Legal help for immigrants and refugees.
MULTI-SERVICE AGENCIES
These agencies may help with food, housing, transportation, utilities, and emergency assistance.
- 360 Communities 952.985.5300
- Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention available
- CAP Agency 651.322.3500
- Neighbors Inc. 651.455.5000
- Salvation Army 651.746.3400
This directory is a general guide to resources and does not imply endorsement by the City of West St. Paul. The information is subject to change.
City Hall: 651-552-4100
Rental Inspections Department: 651-552-4114
South Metro Fire Department Non-Emergency: 651-552-4176
West St. Paul Police Department Non-Emergency: 651-322-2323
Minnesota Attorney General Tenant Handbook
RENT ESCROW 504B.385*
Rent Escrow can be used if a tenant has an unresolved maintenance problem in their apartment building, it means a tenant will send their rent money to the court instead of the landlord.
Before filing for a Rent Escrow, a tenant must notify the landlord, in writing, of the repair issue. The landlord has 14 days to fix the problem. If the problem isn’t fixed, you may choose to file with the court.
To file a Rent Escrow with the court, the tenant needs to fill out an Affidavit of Rent Escrow (available from the court) and pay any filing fee or fill out a form if they can’t pay. Then they deposit any owed rent with the court.
If the court finds a problem, it can do one or more of the following: Reduce the rent for past payments. Allow some or all of the rent to be used for repairs. Tell the tenant to pay rent to the court until the issue is fixed or lower future rent until repairs are made. Or, impose fines if needed.
RETALIATION 504B.441*
A tenant cannot be evicted, have their lease terms made tougher, or face reduced services if these actions are meant to punish them for reporting safety problems, asking for help from community, requesting repairs, joining a tenant association, or testifying in court. If a tenant believes they are being retaliated against, the landlord must prove that their actions were not retaliatory if they happened within 90 days of the tenant speaking up. If the landlord's action happened more than 90 days later, the tenant has to prove that it was retaliation.
RIGHT TO PRIVACY 504B.211*
A landlord usually must give at least 24 hours’ notice and may only enter for a reasonable purpose. Some reasonable purposes include: showing the unit to new tenants or buyers, doing repairs, allowing official inspections, addressing disturbances, checking for lease violations, confirming legal occupancy, or if the tenant has moved out. The notice should tell the tenant when the landlord will come, and they can only enter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
In emergency situations, the landlord can enter the home without notice. This includes situations where they need to:
- Prevent someone from getting hurt or fix something important.
- Check if the tenant is safe.
- Follow local laws about illegal activities happening in the home.
If the landlord enters when the tenant is not home and didn't give notice, they must leave a written note inside the home to inform the tenant.
MAINTENANCE/REPAIRS 504B.161*
Landlords have maintenance responsibilities. They must ensure that the living spaces and common areas are suitable for their intended use and are in good repair throughout the lease. This includes handling issues like insect or rodent infestations, unless the damage is caused intentionally or due to irresponsible actions by the tenant. They must maintain compliance with health and safety laws at all levels of government, except when violations are caused by the tenant. Finally, landlords must provide heating at a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit from October 1st to April 30th. It’s important to note that both parties cannot change or ignore these responsibilities in the lease agreement.
*Minnesota State Statutes
OFFICER JOE GOBELY
jgobely@wspmn.gov 651-206-0023
The Multi-housing Officer helps build good relationships between property owners, managers, residents, and the police. Their main job is to encourage a safe place to live by promoting a crime-free atmosphere. They act as the main contact for anyone in the community who has questions or concerns on developing issues or complaints.
17 parks
145 acres of city park land
4 Major Facilities*
Thompson Activity Center is a shared facility
94% of residents within a 10 minute walk of a park
WHEN TO CONTACT CITY INSPECTORS
If there is a problem with the maintenance in your rental home, you need to tell the property owner or property manager. It’s best to do this in writing. If you have already spoken to them about the problem, make sure to write it down as well. Give them enough time to fix the issue.
If the property owner or manager does not fix the problem in a reasonable time, you can report it to the City of West St. Paul Inspection Department.
HOW TO CONTACT CITY INSPECTORS
Online: FORM TO REPORT A CONCERN TO THE CITY
Phone: 651-552-4114
Email: inspectionrequest@wspmn.gov
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CONTACT CITY INSPECTORS
What to expect after you file your report of concern with the city inspectors:
- An inspector will contact you within two business days.
- You can give the inspector documents about your concerns or ask for an in-person inspection.
- The inspector will check if the problems are within building codes that the management must fix.
- If there are code violations, property management will get a notice about what needs to be fixed and how long they have to do it.
- The inspector will check in with you as needed until the repairs are finished and the case is closed.
The City wants to hear about your rental concerns, even if they cannot help with everything. City inspectors can only address building issues within the building code rules. However, they will record all concerns to understand what the community needs. Your feedback is important and helps improve our community.
COMMON CODE VIOLATIONS
- Fire alarms
- Loose handrails
- Water leaks
- No hot water
- Deck safety issues
- Broken windows
- Heat below 68* (Oct 1st-April 30th)
NOT CODE VIOLATIONS
- Amenity availability
- Neighbor disputes
- Bathroom mildew
- Washer/Dryer availability
- Burnt out lightbulbs in unit
- Pool closed