Bills in the MN State Legislature
Landlords Should Know About
There are currently three bills in front of the Minnesota House of Representatives (with two of those bills having companion bills in the Minnesota Senate) that could have a great impact on the way landlords in Minnesota conduct their business. Please follow the provided links to read each of the proposed bills and inform yourself about these matters. If you feel strongly about any of these matters please click on the links on each bill to contact your House Member or State Senator and let them know what you think of these bills. Remember that to make the legislature work for us, we need to inform our legislators. This is a basic part of the democractic process.
House File # 166
"A bill for an act relating to landlord and tenant; providing for uniform residential tenant reports . . ." The companion Senate File is # 2052. For information about House File #166, click here for the bill text, or here for the bill summary. The bill text for Senate File #2052 can be found here.
House File # 1841
"A bill for an act relating to landlord and tenant; permitting victimsof domestic abuse to terminate a lease in certain circumstances; . . ." The companion Senate File is #1822. For information about House File #1841, click here for the bill text. The text for Senate File #1822 can be found here.
House File #2141
"A bill for an act relating to landlord and tenant; requiring expungement of court eviction records after one year; . . ." For information about House File #2141, click here. (No current companion Senate File Found as of 3/21/2007.) |
New State Law Requires Homes to Have Carbon Monoixide Alarms
Beginning in January 2008, all new homes in Minnesota wil be required to have carbon monoxide alarms installed within 10 feet of each bedroom. Exiting homes must have them by August 2008 and exisiting apartment buildings by August 2009. Carbon monoixde alarms usually cost between $10 and $50.
Carbon monoxide safety. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-irrating gas which, when breathed into the body, combines with the blood and prevents it from absorbing oxygen, which can cuase illenss or death. CO usually is produced while burning fuels such as gasoline, coal, wood, charcoal, kerosene, natural gas, propane, heating oil, and almost any other combustible material. There is an even greater risk of CO accumulation if your home is tightly sealed and not property ventilated.
Physical signs of carbon monoxide exposure iwll vary depending on duration and concentration of exposure and other factors. Symptoms of mild exposure may included slight headache, vomitting, blurred vision, fatigue, nausea and flu-like symptoms that disappear when the person breathes fresh air. Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/besafe to learn how to tell if CO is present in your home, what to do if you suspect a CO problem, how to prevent CO accumulation in your home, and more. You can also order a free CO safety brochure there. To order by phone, call 612-372-4727 (1-800-245-2377).
Information provided by CenterPoint Energy.
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