Housing

Home Building and Remodeling

Whether you plan to build, remodel or add on, your home improvement project is likely to be expensive, which makes selecting the right contractor important. While most contractors are reputable professionals, there are some who lack necessary skills, try to sell you items you do not need, or are not financially viable should a problem arise. To help people navigate the home building and remodeling process, we have prepared a brochure with information on selecting a contractor, writing a home improvement contract, and Minnesota's mechanic's lien law entitled "Home Building and Remodeling."

Home Improvement Scams

Door-to-door home improvement scams increase in warm weather, when some scam artists go from town to town ripping people off. These scam artists may use deceptive estimates and aggressive sales tactics to pressure people into making quick decisions before they have time to shop around. If a homeowner pays up-front, the scam artist may run off leaving work undone, perform shoddy work, or require extra payments to complete the job. If you suspect a door-to-door scam is occurring in your neighborhood, you should promptly contact your local police department or sheriff's office. For more information on home improvement scams and tips on how to protect yourself from this type of fraud, see our flyer entitled "Shut the Door on Door-to-Door Home Improvement Scams."

Condominium and Townhome Associations

Owning a condominium or townhome is significantly different than owning a free-standing home. By purchasing a condominium or townhome, a person joins an association comprised of all owners in the community. The association administers the condominium or townhome association, which includes setting and enforcing rules regarding the use and operation of the community and individual units. The operation and management of condominium and townhome associations is generally controlled by the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act and the organization's governing documents (i.e., articles of incorporation, bylaws, and declaration). Depending on when a particular condominium or townhome association was formed and its governing documents, Chapters 515 or 515A of the Minnesota Statues may apply as well. For more information on condominium and townhome associations and your rights as a homeowner in such an association, see our flyer entitled "Condominium and Townhouse Associations."

Manufactured Homes

Owning a home in a manufactured home park is significantly different than one on its own land. Residents of a manufactured home park are generally afforded the rights of residential tenants under Minnesota law and may form a “resident association,” which is organized for the purpose of resolving matters relating to the living conditions in the manufactured home park. In most situations, a tenant or resident association may request that the Minnesota Department of Health conduct an inspection for code violations. Contact information for the Health Department is available below. The "Manufactured Home Parks Handbook" has more information on manufactured home parks and the rights and responsibilities of residents and park owners.

If you have a question or experience a problem related to housing, we want to hear from you. Complaints from members of the public help us to identify potential violations of Minnesota law and new problems occurring in the marketplace. You may call us at (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities), or submit a Consumer Assistance Request Form.

Additional Resources

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office offers the following materials, which are designed to provide information to Minnesota citizens about housing related topics:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) is the state agency with authority to license residential building contractors in Minnesota. To check whether a contractor is licensed or obtain information about a licensed contractor, or to file a complaint about a licensed contractor or unlicensed activity, contact DLI as follows:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Construction Codes and Licensing Division
443 Lafayette Road North
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 284-5012 or (800) 657-3944
www.dli.mn.gov

Board of Architecture

If you are considering hiring a contractor who purports to provide design or architectural services, contact the Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design to ensure the contractor is licensed to do this sort of work. You may contact the Board of Architecture as follows:

Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying,
Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design
85 East 7th Place, Suite 160
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 296-2388
www.mn.gov/aelslagid

Minnesota Department of Health

The Minnesota Department of Health is the state agency with authority to license, regulate and inspect manufactured home parks in Minnesota. For more information or to file a complaint regarding a manufactured home park, contact the Department of Health as follows:

Minnesota Department of Health
Orville L. Freeman Building
625 Robert Street North
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164
(651) 201-5000
www.health.state.mn.us