Rental License & Inspections

All residential rental property is required to be licensed and inspected on an annual basis.

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2010 Rental Homes and Apartment License Application

Rental Property List

Landlords     Apartment Safety     Apartment Remodeling

All residential rental property is required to be licensed and inspected.

The purpose of the rental license requirements is to assure that rental housing in the city is decent, safe and sanitary, that it is operated and maintained so as not to become a nuisance to the neighborhood, and that it does not become an influence that fosters blight and deterioration or creates a disincentive to reinvestment in the community.  The operation of rental residential properties is a business enterprise that entails certain responsibilities.  Operators are responsible to take reasonable steps to assure that their rental properties provide an environment for residents that is:  safe, secure and sanitary; free from unreasonable noise, nuisances or annoyances; and free from unreasonable fears about safety of persons and security of property.

Richfield City Ordinance requires a rental license to be obtained when property is occupied by persons other than the legal owner.

Areas of particular interest are as follows:

• The ordinance (see link below to view ordinance) requires that owners of a rental property make application to the city for a license.
• A city inspector will conduct an inspection of interior, exterior and common areas of the property.  Appointments will be made with owners/managers in advance, giving them reasonable notice.
• If violations exist at the time of inspection, a report will be given to the owner/manager, indicating the areas that need correcting and the timeframe in which this is to be accomplished.
• Licenses will be renewed on an annual basis.

Please take time to review the ordinance.  If you have any questions regarding either the ordinance or the process used by the city, please contact the Inspections Division at 612-861-9882.

Occupancy Limits for Dwellings and Apartment Units

Owners of rental property are responsible to ensure the property is in compliance with City Code Section 405.15 for total number of occupants of the property.  Section 405.15 aims to set occupancy limits for all housing in the City, both rental and owner occupied.  This is necessary to prohibit and deter residence situations that stress the limits of a home, its neighbors and all its building systems by having too many individuals living in a structure that was not intended to handle large numbers of occupants and by preventing negative health impacts on individuals living in overcrowded residences.

405.15 Subd. 2.  General Rule.  No person may occupy or let to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the requirements of this subsection.  The total number of persons occupying the dwelling or dwelling unit must not exceed the maximum requirements established by this subdivision.  The maximum number of occupants for any dwelling or dwelling unit shall be determined according to Table 1 below.  For purposes of this subsection, a “sleeping room” includes rooms that by design and layout are intended as bedrooms.  A “sleeping room” does not include kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, closets or multiple purpose rooms.  A multiple purpose room includes a living room, dining room, den or other room that by design or layout is not intended as a bedroom, but that is otherwise habitable.  For purposes of this subsection, “occupant” is defined as an individual residing therein.  

Table 1:

Zoning Code Compliance

Owners of rental property are also responsible to ensure that the use of their property complies with the Richfield Zoning Ordinance. In the R and R-1 Zoning Districts, single family homes must be occupied by a single housekeeping unit or family as defined by Zoning Code subsection 507.07.  In multi-family residential districts, each dwelling unit may only be occupied by a single housekeeping unit or family. 

The Zoning Code, subsection 507.07, Subd. 45 defines a family as:

507.07, Subd. 45.  “Family” – A person living alone or any of the following groups, provided that the members of the group live together as a single housekeeping unit and do not exceed the maximum occupancy limits under chapter 4 of the city code:

(i)     An individual plus one (1) or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption, guardianship or other duly-authorized custodial relationship, including foster children and bona fide domestic servants employed on a full-time basis by the family in the dwelling unit; or

(ii)   Two unrelated people and any children related to either of them; or

(iii) One or more persons occupying a premises, subject to a limit of not more than three (3) unrelated persons eighteen (18) years of age or older.

The definition of family is established for the purpose of preserving the character of residential neighborhoods by controlling population density, noise, disturbance and traffic congestion and shall not be applied so as to prevent the city from making reasonable accommodation where the city determines it necessary under applicable federal fair housing laws.