Minneapolis Renters

HOME Line’s tenant hotline serves tenants throughout Minnesota for free except for renters who live in the city of Minneapolis (unless you’re affected by a landlord foreclosure; in that case call us and mention the foreclosure: 612-728-5767).  Ideally, we would have enough financial support to eventually serve Minneapolis with the same free services we currently offer throughout the state—however, this is not currently an option for us. We are now offering paid services in response to the closing of the city-sponsored Minneapolis Housing Services.

Information about our paid landlord/tenant attorney consultations for Minneapolis renters is below. Minneapolis renters may also find HOME Line’s book on tenants’ rights useful.

Free Information & Services
Minneapolis renters can find self-help materials online at LawHelpMN.org, and low-income renters may qualify for Legal Aid: 612-334-5970. Additionally, the Minnesota Attorney General’s office has basic tenant/landlord legal information available on their website: http://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/housing/lt/default.asp

Low-cost Attorney Consultations
Minneapolis renters can hire a HOME Line tenant/landlord attorney for a consultation.  Consultations are with one of HOME Line’s four staff attorneys, who have a combined 36 years of representing and advising over 44,000 Minnesota renters. HOME Line’s attorneys were also key authors of the recently published book, How to be the Smartest Renter on Your Block, A Minnesota Tenant’s Guide.

Attorney consultations can help renters in many situations from minor disputes with landlords or neighbors all the way to eviction defense. We frequently advise tenants on how the application process works, what is important to review in a written lease, how to successfully sue landlords in conciliation court (security deposits and other money wrongly withheld, privacy violations, etc.), how to prepare a Rent Escrow case (repairs), how to deal with privacy intrusions, and we provide sample letters and relevant laws that help tenants negotiate common rental issues.

The rates for HOME Line attorney consultations (both in-person & phone) are:

• 20 minute consultation: $25
• 40 minute consultation: $50
• 1 hour consultation: $75

If you are interested in a consultation, please read everything below carefully, and then submit your information below.

We prefer that consultations take place in-person (we are located at 3455 Bloomington Ave, Minneapolis, MN  55407), however we also provide phone consultations.  When you schedule below, you can submit your preferred date and time for a consultation, and we’ll call you promptly to confirm.

If you have any documents relevant to your rental issue (a lease, a notice from a landlord, proof of rent payment, etc.), we need you to email or fax it to us in advance, or bring it with for an in-person meeting.  Email your documents to appointments@homelinemn.org with the subject line “Attention: Attorney Appointment.”  Alternatively, fax your documents to 612-728-5761 (write “Attention Attorney Appointment” on the cover page).

Our legal consultations are limited to the field of residential landlord/tenant law. You must be a residential tenant with a question regarding your own landlord or rental unit.

Schedule an appointment online:

Please complete the form below and one of our staff members will call to schedule an appointment and confirm payment. Many of the fields below are required to submit the form–this is to ensure we can maximize your paid attorney consultation time rather than spend it asking questions about your rental unit and demographic information. All of this information is confidential; demographic information is used to inform our funders about the populations we serve.

We will not provide an attorney consultation to you until we have received payment; either online, via phone, mailed in advance, or in-person when you arrive for your appointment.

By submitting your information and making a payment, you agree to HOME Line’s consultation agreement (click here to view the agreement).

Minneapolis renters: Submit your information

1. Type of consultation:
2. In-person Phone
3. Preferred payment method:
4. Credit/debit online Credit/debit card via phone Credit/debit card in-person Cash/check in-person Cash/check via mail
5. What date and time do you prefer for your consultation (must be during our business hours):(required)
6. First Name(required)
7. Last Name/Surname(required)
8. Email(required)
9. Phone #(required)
10. Gender Prefer not to answer Male Female (required)
11. Race/Ethnicity Prefer not to answer African American Asian/Pacific Islander Caucasian Hispanic Native American Other (required)
12. Address of rental unit in question(required)
13. City(required)
14. ZIP Code(required)
15. County(required)
16. Household Size (Adults)(required)
17. (Children)(required)
18. Estimated annual household income(required)
19. Housing subsidy (if you have subsidized housing) Don't Know None Section 8 Voucher Section 8 Project Based Public Housing Section 42 (Tax Credit) Rural Housing (required)
20. Public Assistance (if you receive any) Don't Know None MFIP GA/EGA SSI (required)
21. Who referred you to HOME Line?(required)
22. Please provide a brief explanation of your question.
23. Your Question(required)

 

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HOME Line Attorney Consultation agreement
Print out a copy of this consultation agreement for your records.

1. Parties. This agreement is made between HOME Line (“we,” “our,” “us”) and you. This agreement becomes effective when you make payment in full online or by submitting payment via phone, mail, or in person.
2. Services provided. We will provide one 20-, 40-, or 60-minute ($25, $50, and $75 fees due, respectively) legal consultation in person or by telephone. Our relationship will terminate at the end of our consultation. You understand that every legal matter is unique and we cannot promise or guarantee any particular result for you. We cannot and will not make any promises about the results in your legal matter.
3. Our duties. We will use our best efforts to respond to your legal questions and to assist you in determining the best course of action in your legal matter. This may include making referrals, reviewing documents, providing guidance, or otherwise assisting you, as appropriate.
4. Your duties. You agree to be truthful and cooperative. You must provide us with your current contact information. You must make the payment required by this agreement, and you expressly represent that you are authorized to make the payment using whatever method you choose.
5. Consultation fee. You must pay a fee of $25, $50, or $75, dependent on the length of your consultation. No legal consultation or services will be due to you or provided to you until you pay the fee. This fee will not be held in any trust account. Should you wish to cancel the consultation, you are entitled to a refund if you cancel prior to the consultation.
6. Termination. Our relationship will terminate at the conclusion of the consultation. After payment, but prior to the actual consultation, you may terminate this agreement and receive a refund.