Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Minnesota (2026)
A typical Minnesota range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Minnesota
Minnesota deposits sit near the national typical range in the Twin Cities and below it in outstate markets like Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud. State law sets no cap but requires simple interest on the deposit at a modest statutory rate, gives landlords about three weeks to return it with an itemized statement, and adds a statutory penalty for bad faith retention on top of the withheld amount, so confirm the current rate and deadline. Severe winters mean furnace strain, ice dams, and frozen pipes are the main sources of move-out damage disputes, and most of that is climate wear.
Tips for Minnesota buyers
- Show interest as a separate line every time; the rate is small but omitting it invites a challenge.
- Three weeks passes quickly in winter; get estimates the week of move-out rather than waiting on final invoices.
- Spell out in the lease who keeps heat on during winter vacancies so responsibility for pipe damage is clear.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.