HF 3809 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Listing a minor as a defendant prohibited in an eviction action, and expedited eviction process requirements modified.

HF 3809 modifies Minnesota's expedited eviction process for specific situations, directly affecting residential tenants and landlords in cases involving safety threats or property damage. The bill requires landlords to file an affidavit with specific facts proving why an expedited hearing is needed (e.g., tenant endangering others or damaging property), sets strict hearing timelines (5-7 days after summons), and imposes a $500 civil penalty for misuse of the process. It also restricts courts from combining expedited hearings with other claims like nonpayment of rent. This bill applies only to the specified emergency eviction scenarios, not standard eviction cases.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Last action Apr 13, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 6 edits · Apr 15, 2026

MODERATE

This bill introduces a prohibition against landlords listing minor children as defendants in eviction actions, unless the minor is the sole tenant. It also increases the penalty for abusing the expedited eviction process from $500 to $750 and clarifies that 'assault' in eviction contexts includes attacks on landlords and their employees. Both new provisions and the penalty increase take effect on August 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of eviction protections by adding a specific ban on suing minors as co-defendants and by broadening the definition of assault to include landlords' staff.

ELIGIBILITY

Landlords are now prohibited from listing a minor child as a defendant in an eviction complaint unless the minor is the only person renting the unit.

REQUIREMENT

Leases cannot include clauses that waive the protection against listing minors as defendants; such clauses are void.

ENFORCEMENT

Tenants can recover actual damages or $300 (whichever is greater) if a landlord violates the rule against listing minors as defendants.

The civil penalty for abusing the expedited eviction process was increased from $500 to $750.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'assault' in expedited eviction cases now explicitly includes assaults on the landlord or the landlord's employees and contractors.

TIMELINE

New provisions prohibiting minor defendants and the increased penalty become effective on August 1, 2026.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 13, 2026

Committee

Joint rule 2.03, Deadlines, re-referred to Rules and Legislative Administration

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt and re-refer to Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Housing Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors