Rental licence requirements in Saint Paul, MN

Requirements taken from official city sources, quoted and dated.

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Who must register

All non-owner-occupied residential buildings. § 40.01(a): "All existing buildings in the city are required to have and maintain a fire certificate of occupancy, issued by the department of safety and inspections." § 40.02 carves out only owner-occupants who are natural persons: "An owner-occupied single-family house, duplex, or condominium unit shall be exempted … 'Owner-occupied' means the house, duplex or condominium dwelling unit for which the exemption is claimed is the owner's principle residence. For the purposes of this exception, 'owner' means a natural person and does not include a corporation, partnership, or other entity." § 40.04(a)(3) brings in "One- and two-family dwellings which have a change in status from owner occupied to non-owner occupied or rental." § 40.01(b): on conversion from owner-occupied to rental, the owner must submit a provisional C of O application, an owner's self-evaluation affidavit and the fee within thirty (30) days of the change in use. § 40.04(b)(4): a first-time residential applicant "must complete the DSI landlord 101 course or have completed a similar program approved by the department of safety and inspections within the last two (2) years" and submit proof with the application.

Program

Fire Certificate of Occupancy; one- and two-unit rentals first receive a Provisional Fire Certificate of Occupancy. Saint Paul does not issue a separate "rental license" — the Fire C of O is the operative authorization for non-owner-occupied residential property.

Fee

From Legislative Code § 40.10 (as codified through Ord. No. 26-12, adopted March 4, 2026, Supp. No. 132). § 40.10(a): no fee for original issuance on new or substantially rehabilitated buildings where the building official issues a certificate of occupancy or certificate of code compliance. § 40.10(b) residential rate: 1 unit $239.00; 2 units $280.00; 3 units $292.00; 4 units $306.00; 5 units $318.00; 6 units $330.00; 7 units $344.00; 8 units $356.00; 9 units $369.00; 10 through 15 units $381.00; 16 through 20 units $436.00; 21 through 25 units $545.00; 26 through 30 units $648.00; 31 through 35 units $749.00; 36 through 40 units $851.00; 41 through 100 units $931.00; 100+ units $1,099.00. § 40.10(c) reinspection: the renewal fee covers one inspection and one reinspection; "A reinspection fee of fifty (50) percent of the renewal fee shall be levied for each additional reinspection required to demonstrate compliance with applicable safety codes." § 40.10(d) referral/complaint-based reinspection: "a referral reinspection fee of eighty-nine dollars ($89.00) shall be collected for every subsequent reinspection until the violation is corrected." § 40.10(e) provisional: "A fee of one hundred twenty-six dollars ($126.00) will be charged for each provisional certificate of occupancy. This is an annual fee until the building is granted a fire certificate of occupancy." § 40.10(f) no-entry fee: $89.00 when the owner fails to cooperate with a scheduled inspection.

Renewal

Cycle length depends on the building's safety-code compliance class, assigned from violation points at inspection (§ 40.05). "(2) Renewal cycle. … a. Class A properties shall be renewed every six (6) years. b. Class B properties shall be renewed every four (4) years. c. Class C properties shall be renewed every two (2) years. d. Class D properties shall be renewed every year." Classes are set by average points per dwelling unit: Class A fewer than 5; Class B 5 to under 11; Class C 11 to under 40; Class D 40 or more. Buildings with only one or two dwelling units "shall be treated as if they contain three (3) dwelling units" for classification. Commercial/nonresidential cycles are set by DSI guidelines and "shall not exceed three (3) years." A Provisional Fire Certificate of Occupancy carries an annual $126 fee until the full certificate is granted.

Inspection

Yes. The certificate is issued on inspection and renewed on the class-based cycle above (Class A every 6 years, B every 4, C every 2, D every year). § 40.07(a): "The fire code official is authorized … to inspect all buildings, whether having a fire certificate of occupancy hereunder or not," limited to seeking compliance with applicable safety codes and only at reasonable hours or as agreed. § 40.07(c): "Access during reasonable times shall not be denied by any owner, occupant or other person in charge of the premises," with an administrative search warrant available on probable cause. § 40.05(3) allows an out-of-cycle inspection triggered by a complaint of a safety code deficiency.

What tenants must receive

§ 40.09(d) (Posting): "The fire certificate of occupancy shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises and shall not be removed except by authorized persons. Single-family and duplex occupancies need not post the fire certificate of occupancy but it shall be available on the premises." § 40.09(a)(2): an owner of a residential building with a Fire C of O who must notify tenants of potential mortgage foreclosure or contract-for-deed cancellation under Chapter 53 "must file proof of such notice being given with the fire code official within thirty (30) days." Inspection results are also public: DSI publishes a Certificate of Occupancy Map showing each property's most recent inspection grade (https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/renting-property/certificate-occupancy-map).

Penalty for operating unlicensed

§ 40.13 (Penalty): "A violation of, or failure to comply with, any section, provision or requirement in this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the legislative code, and to applicable state statutes. This chapter is a part of the city health, safety, housing, building, fire prevention and housing maintenance codes, and a violation shall be deemed to be a violation for purposes of state statutes allowing escrow of rent to remedy violations." § 40.12 (Illegal occupancy): "No person shall occupy any building which does not have a fire certificate of occupancy. Any unit or structure which is so occupied shall be subject to the provisions of section 34.23(2) of the legislative code relating to illegal occupancy. Such illegal occupancy also constitutes a hazard to the health, safety or welfare of the occupants and the public, and may be condemned by the fire code official under section 34.23 of the legislative code." Unpaid fees are collectible under § 40.11.

What the ordinance says

§ 40.01(a): "All existing buildings in the city are required to have and maintain a fire certificate of occupancy, issued by the department of safety and inspections. The fire certificate of occupancy shall be an indication that the building meets, at the time of inspection, all relevant codes to maintain the health, safety and welfare of the building's occupants and the general public." § 40.02: "An owner-occupied single-family house, duplex, or condominium unit shall be exempted from the requirement to have and maintain a fire certificate of occupancy." — Saint Paul Legislative Code, Part II, Title VI — Building and Housing, Chapter 40 — Fire Certificate of Occupancy (§§ 40.01–40.15). Key sections: 40.01 (requirement), 40.02 (owner-occupied exception), 40.04 (certification process; Landlord 101 at 40.04(b)(4)), 40.05 (renewal cycle and class system), 40.07 (inspections), 40.09 (regulations; posting), 40.10 (fees), 40.12 (illegal occupancy), 40.13 (penalty). Codified through Ordinance No. 26-12, adopted March 4, 2026 (Supplement No. 132).

Source: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/renting-property · checked 2026-08-14