Attorney General Ellison secures over $5 million in relief for Minnesota renters

Over 4,000 households will be eligible to receive restitution as a result of this settlement

July 30, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his Office reached a settlement in his case against Investment Property Group, UT, Inc., (IPG), who has agreed to provide more than $5 million in relief to Minnesota tenants. In his October 19, 2023 lawsuit, Attorney General Ellison alleged that IPG illegally charged thousands of tenants at numerous Minnesota apartment complexes exorbitant utility fees, and alleging in an amended complaint that IPG failed to return many tenants’ security deposits, in violation of Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws. Under the settlement, IPG will pay $1.8 million into a restitution fund for distribution to tenants harmed by these practices.  It will also provide a $350 rent credit per household for tenants at certain properties.  Additionally, IPG will provide outstanding rent and utility debt forgiveness to former tenants, up to a cap of $3,698,372, cease any collection efforts for the debt, and instruct credit reporting companies or tenant screening companies that the debt has been satisfied. Over 4,000 Minnesota households were illegally charged for utilities by IPG and will be eligible for restitution.

“My mission is to help Minnesotans afford their lives, and it’s hard to afford your life when your landlord decides to start charging you hundreds of dollars in utilities fees with almost no warning,” said Attorney General Ellison. “This resolution is a strong one for Minnesota renters who were surprised with illegal mid-lease charges they couldn’t anticipate or plan for, and who waited in vain for security deposits to be returned. I am pleased my office was able to stop illegal practices harming tenants and will be able to put hard-earned money back in tenants’ pockets. I encourage Minnesotans who believe their landlord is violating the law to share their concerns with my office.” 

The Attorney General’s Office brought a lawsuit against IPG for imposing unanticipated utility charges to tenants at most of its properties, often in the middle of leases. Some of those charges were more than $200 a month. IPG charged tenants for utilities at its single-metered residential buildings, where tenants’ actual usage is not measured, but rather, the whole building’s usage is measured and then apportioned amongst tenants. Although landlords can charge for some utilities separate from rent if they follow certain regulations and laws, IPG did not comply with them. 

The Attorney General’s lawsuit against IPG alleged that the landlord started charging thousands of tenants at numerous Minnesota apartment complexes for exorbitant electric and gas utility fees in the middle of their leases and had filed evictions against tenants for a failure to pay these fees.  It was alleged that IPG had violated the law governing the return of security deposits at the end of a tenancy. The AG’s lawsuit further alleged that in April 2023, IPG filed dozens of unlawful eviction actions against its tenants at Greenway Apartments on the basis of fake and illegal utility fees, which the company dismissed and expunged after Attorney General Ellison’s Office stepped in.  

As part of the settlement, IPG has agreed to do the following:

The Attorney General will distribute $1.8 million to current and former IPG tenants who were charged for the illegal utility billing. Tenants who are entitled to restitution will receive communication from our Office in the months to come.  IPG will also provide a $350 rent credit per household for tenants at certain properties who still rent from IPG and who began renting prior to November 9, 2023.  Approximately 650 households will benefit from the credit at the following properties: Aldrich Avenue Apartments, Bolero Flats Apartments, Cambridge Towers Apartment, Central Park Manor Apartments, Creek Point Apartments, Greenway Apartments, Knollwood Towers East Apartments, Knollwood Towers West Apartments, Lyndy Apartments, Maven Apartments, and Wayzata Woods Apartments. Tenants residing at Blaisdell Apartments and Parkview Apartments are not eligible for the rent credit.

Filing a complaint as a tenant

Tenants in Minnesota who believe their landlord is violating their rights are encouraged to file a report with the Attorney General’s Office online. Minnesotans may also contact the Attorney General’s Office by calling (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota). For information about your rights as a tenant, visit the Office’s online publication titled Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities. 

Tenants who have disputes with their landlords that they have been unable to resolve about gas or electricity charges, including those about payment agreements, can seek assistance from the Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Affairs Office at 651-296-0406 or consumer.puc@state.mn.us.