TAFELTIME #5 - Another Day, Another Bad Housing Policy in St. Paul

St. Paul voters just approved the new Tenant Right to Repair ordinance, and I have some serious concerns about how this law could affect landlords, tenants, and housing affordability in St. Paul. I'm Adam Tafel, a St. Paul Realtor and real estate investor. I work with real estate invesstors throughout the Twin Cities, and I've seen firsthand what happens when landlords fail to maintain their buildings. Tenants deserve safe, well-maintained housing. But I think this new ordinance could create more problems than it solves. In this video, I break down five reasons I'm concerned about St. Paul's new Right to Repair law: Potential for abuse: Tenants can arrange qualifying repairs and deduct costs from rent, but the ordinance doesn't explicitly require competitive contractor bids. Higher maintenance costs: Tenants may not have access to the same affordable contractors and handymen that experienced landlords use. The 30-day inspection rule: What happens when a landlord disputes a repair but the city doesn't complete its inspection within 30 days? Existing tenant protections: Minnesota already has laws requiring landlords to maintain their properties, along with rent escrow and other legal remedies. The impact on housing investment: After St. Paul's experience with rent control, should we be adding more regulatory uncertainty to the rental housing market? According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, St. Paul permitted more than 2,000 new housing units in both 2020 and 2021, compared with just 357 in 2025. Higher interest rates and construction costs contributed to that decline, but developers have also identified housing regulations and policy uncertainty as obstacles to investment. My concern is that making rental properties more expensive and complicated to operate could discourage investment, reduce housing options, and ultimately put upward pressure on rents. I'd love to hear from landlords, tenants, Realtors, and investors. Do you think this ordinance will improve rental housing in St. Paul, or create unintended consequences? RESOURCES St. Paul Right to Repair ordinance: https://www.safehomessaintpaul.org/ordinance-language Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis housing policy analysis: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2026/housing-policies-in-saint-paul-yield-mixed-results-data-and-developers-say Minnesota Attorney General — Landlords and Tenants: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/handbooks/lt/default.asp ABOUT ADAM TAFEL Realtor, real estate investor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Duplex/triplex/fourplex/small commercial expert. 4.9 on Google, 100s of happy clients served since 2019. Real estate: https://www.UpsidePropertySales.com Podcast and investing resources: https://www.TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com Subscribe for Twin Cities real estate market analysis, multifamily investing, rental property tips, and updates on local housing policies. #StPaul #RightToRepair #RealEstateInvesting #TwinCitiesRealEstate #Landlord