Minnesota Deceased Tenant Estate and Landlord Coordination Packet
MINNESOTA DECEASED TENANT ESTATE AND LANDLORD COORDINATION PACKET
Before use: Minn. Stat. § 504B.265 applies to a residential lease other than a lease at will, entered into or renewed after May 12, 1981. If the lease names multiple tenants, all must have died for this death-specific termination route. A landlord or the tenant's personal representative may give its notice; death itself does not end the lease or establish abandonment of personal property.
Lease, authority and property record
| Fact | Document, date and result |
|---|---|
| Lease, start or renewal date, and lease-at-will check | [LEASE / DATE / REVIEWER] |
| All named tenants and death records | [NAMES / DOCUMENTS / DATES] |
| Personal representative's appointment and contact | [COURT / CASE / DOCUMENT / ADDRESS] |
| Rent ledger, deposit and forwarding instructions | [LEDGER / AMOUNT / ADDRESS] |
| Separate possession and abandonment assessment | [KEYS / OCCUPANCY / PROPERTY / EVIDENCE] |
| Lease termination date selected after two-month notice calculation | [DATE / REVIEWER] |
A. Personal representative: written lease termination notice
Date: [__/__/____] To landlord: [NAME / ADDRESS]
I am the duly appointed personal representative of the estate of [TENANT NAME], appointed by [COURT / CASE NUMBER] on [DATE]; my appointment document is attached. The residential lease for [PREMISES] was entered into or renewed on [DATE]. ☐ The deceased was the only tenant. ☐ Every named tenant has died; supporting records are attached. The lease is not a lease at will.
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, I give at least two months' written notice terminating this lease effective [LAST DAY OF CALENDAR MONTH / DATE]. My calculation is [DELIVERY DATE / TWO-MONTH PERIOD / MONTH-END DATE]. I request a coordinated property review and handoff appointment on [DATE / TIME] or [ALTERNATE], subject to other lawful possessory and property claims. Please send the rent and deposit ledger and any proposed itemization to [ESTATE MAILING ADDRESS / DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS]. The estate remains responsible for amounts owed before and during the notice period and for supported restoration costs, ordinary wear and tear excepted; this notice does not make me personally liable.
Personal representative signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]
Delivery: ☐ hand delivered ☐ first-class United States mail, postage prepaid. Address and proof: [ADDRESS / DATE / RECEIPT]
B. Landlord: written lease termination notice
Date: [__/__/____] To: [PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAME / ADDRESS, IF KNOWN] Former premises: [ADDRESS]
The lease for [PREMISES] was entered into or renewed on [DATE], is a residential lease other than a lease at will, and lists [TENANTS]. Based on [DEATH RECORDS], the tenant or all tenants have died. Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, I give at least two months' written notice terminating the lease effective [LAST DAY OF CALENDAR MONTH / DATE]. The calculation is [DELIVERY DATE / TWO-MONTH PERIOD / MONTH-END DATE]. Please contact [LANDLORD NAME / PHONE / ADDRESS] to coordinate an inventory, authorized property handoff, keys, and a forwarding address or delivery instructions for deposit accounting.
This notice concerns the lease only. It grants no permission to enter, sell or discard estate property. Amounts properly owed before and during the notice period and supported restoration costs, except ordinary wear and tear, remain matters for estate accounting.
Landlord signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]
Delivery: ☐ hand delivered ☐ first-class United States mail, postage prepaid, to ☐ representative's address ☐ premises formerly occupied by the tenant. Proof: [ADDRESS / DATE / RECEIPT]
C. Access and physical property receipt
Date and place: [DATE / PREMISES]. Recipient: [NAME / APPOINTMENT OR OTHER AUTHORITY / ID CHECK]. Landlord: [NAME].
| Item | Identification and condition | Handed over, stored or remains |
|---|---|---|
| [ITEM] | [DETAIL / PHOTO] | [STATUS / LOCATION] |
| [ITEM] | [DETAIL / PHOTO] | [STATUS / LOCATION] |
Keys and next appointment: [DETAIL]. This receipt records physical custody only. It does not decide title, appoint a representative, or establish abandonment.
Recipient signature: ____________________ Landlord signature: ____________________ Date: [__/__/____]
D. Landlord: separate property and deposit decision record
| Required check | Entry and proof |
|---|---|
| Lease notice delivered by an authorized actor, with at least two months ending on the last day of a calendar month | [NOTICE / DELIVERY / DATE] |
| Estate authority and other occupants or property claimants checked | [DOCUMENTS / RESULT] |
| If § 504B.271 is considered: independent factual basis for abandonment of rented premises | [FACTS / DATE / REVIEWER] |
| If abandoned-property route applies: storage and care, later of the two 28-day triggers, and any 14-day pre-sale notice | [INVENTORY / LOCATION / DATES / NOTICE] |
| Any authorized representative's written demand for return; 24-hour or off-premises 48-hour clock, excluding weekends and holidays where specified | [DEMAND / LOCATION / DATE / RESPONSE] |
| Tenancy termination date and deposit recipient or delivery instructions verified separately | [DATE / AUTHORITY / ADDRESS] |
| Within three weeks after termination, deposit plus applicable interest returned or written reasons for withholding furnished after receipt of mailing address or delivery instructions | [CALCULATION / ITEMIZATION / DELIVERY] |
Reviewer and next lawful step: [NAME / DATE / DECISION]. Death and a § 504B.265 lease notice alone do not trigger § 504B.271 disposal authority.
About this template
- Last updated
- October 3, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 3, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Minnesota
- Category
- Landlord & Tenant
Legal authority
- Minn. Stat. § 504B.265
- Minn. Stat. § 504B.271
- Minn. Stat. § 504B.178
Landlord-tenant paperwork governs who can stay in a property, on what terms, and what happens when something goes wrong. Leases, notices to quit, security deposit demands, and habitability complaints all have state and often city-specific requirements for timing, content, and service. Getting the paperwork right is what makes an eviction actually succeed or a security deposit actually come back, because judges regularly dismiss cases over small procedural mistakes.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 3, 2026.
Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, subd. 1 (checked October 3, 2026): "Any party to a lease of residential premises other than a lease at will may terminate the lease prior to its expiration date in the manner provided in subdivision 2 upon the death of the tenant or, if there is more than one tenant, upon the death of all tenants."
Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, subd. 2 (checked October 3, 2026): "Either the landlord or the personal representative of the tenant's estate may terminate the lease upon at least two months' written notice, to be effective on the last day of a calendar month, and hand delivered or mailed by postage prepaid, first class United States mail, to the address of the other party."
Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, subd. 2 (checked October 3, 2026): "The landlord may comply with the notice requirement of this subdivision by delivering or mailing the notice to the premises formerly occupied by the tenant."
Minn. Stat. § 504B.265, subd. 2 (checked October 3, 2026): "The termination of a lease under this section shall not relieve the tenant's estate from liability either for the payment of rent or other sums owed prior to or during the notice period, or for the payment of amounts necessary to restore the premises to their condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted."
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