North Dakota Rent Control Laws in 2025
So this landlord calls me last April—owns a couple rental houses in Grand Forks, been doing it maybe twelve years. He's totally confused because his tenant just gave 30-day notice out of nowhere. Good tenant too, been there almost three years, never late on rent.
When I ask what happened, he mentions he raised the rent. Not even that much, like $95 or something. Seemed fair to him since his property tax bill went up and he hadn't touched the rent since she moved in.
But here's what went wrong: He gave her exactly 30 days notice. Which is legal, yeah. But she's working two jobs, single mom with a kid, and she needed actual time to figure out if she could swing the extra money or if she needed to start looking around. The way she saw it, he basically forced her hand. So she left.
He spent almost two months finding someone new. Lost about $2,200 in rent, another $600-something fixing things up between tenants. All over what could've been avoided with maybe 40 days notice instead of 30, and a simple "hey, my taxes went up" conversation.
I see this kind of thing constantly at Hemlane. The laws around rent increases here aren't that complicated, but there's this gap between what you're allowed to do and what actually makes sense. Let me walk you through how this stuff really works.
Rent Control? We Don't Have That
North Dakota has zero rent control laws. None. The National Multifamily Housing Council keeps track of this—we're one of 37 states with no caps on rent increases.
Cities could pass their own rules if they wanted to. Grand Forks did something back in 2020 but it only applies to properties that got city money for construction or renovations. So it affects basically nobody in the regular market. The Attorney General's office has basic tenant info on their site but nothing about limiting rent.
Does this mean landlords can charge whatever they want? Legally, pretty much. Practically, not really. Because even without rent control, there are still rules about how you raise rent and breaking them causes problems.
When Can Rent Go Up?
Here's something most people don't realize: North Dakota law doesn't say anything about when or how often you can raise rent. You could do it monthly if you really wanted to, long as you give proper notice each time.
Obviously nobody does this because it's stupid—you'd just piss off your tenants and they'd leave. But legally there's no restriction on frequency.
Most landlords stick to annual increases. Makes sense for everyone, tenants know what to expect, and it's less paperwork for the landlord.
You also don't have to explain yourself. The law doesn't require you to justify why rent's going up. Costs increased, market went up, you want more money—doesn't matter. You can raise it for any reason.
But again, what is legal and what is smart are different things.
The Notice Rules (This Is Where People Screw Up)
Okay, so North Dakota Century Code § 47-16-15 says you have to give written notice before raising rent. How much notice depends on the lease:
Month-to-month: 30 days minimum
Annual or longer: 60 days minimum
Has to be written. Text doesn't count, phone call doesn't count. Actual written notice.
So if your tenant pays on the first and you want rent to go up January 1st, you need to notify them by December 1st for month-to-month, November 1st for annual.
Except here's what I tell everyone: add a week or two. Seriously. Mail gets lost, people are traveling, emails go to spam. I've seen so many arguments over whether notice was "really" given on time. Just give yourself buffer room—35-40 days for month-to-month, 65-70 for annual.
If you mess up the notice, the increase isn't valid. Tenant doesn't have to pay the higher amount until you've actually met the requirement.
Can You Raise Rent Mid-Lease?
Nope. Sign a year lease at $850? That's the rent for the full year. You can't change it halfway through because you saw other places charging more.
Only exception is if the original lease has a rent escalation clause built in. Like "rent increases to $900 at month six." I've maybe seen this in 5% of leases, probably less. It's uncommon in residential stuff here.
Without that clause, trying to bump rent mid-lease is a contract violation. Tenant can ignore it.
When Raising Rent Becomes Illegal
Even though there's no cap on the amount, some rent increases are still illegal.
Retaliation
This trips up landlords all the time.
Say your tenant complains in February about a leaky pipe. You don't fix it right away. They complain again. Still nothing. So they file a complaint with the city. Now suddenly you fix it—but you're annoyed. March rolls around and you send notice that rent's jumping $180.
That's retaliation. It's illegal under the North Dakota Fair Housing Act (§ 14-02.4). Doesn't even matter if you had other reasons—the timing alone makes it look retaliatory.
This also covers raising rent because someone joined a tenant group, reported code violations, or used any other legal right they have.
Saw this happen in Bismarck maybe two years back. Tenant got a free lawyer from Legal Services of North Dakota (1-800-634-5263), sent one letter, and the landlord backed down immediately. Smart move because retaliation cases can cost you damages and attorney fees.
HUD enforces this federally too.
Discrimination
Can't raise rent because of someone's race, religion, sex, where they're from, disability, whether they have kids, age, marital status or because they get public assistance.
That's the Fair Housing Act plus North Dakota's own laws. Even if you try to hide it—like saying it's for "extra wear and tear" when really it's because they have children—if the real reason is discriminatory, you're breaking federal law.
File complaints with the ND Department of Labor and Human Rights (1-800-582-8032) or HUD directly.
Trying to Force Someone Out
While there's no legal max on increases, if you raise rent by some absurd amount specifically to make a tenant leave, that could get challenged.
Like going from $800 to $2,000 when market rate is $850, and you've been trying to get them out? A court might view that as an illegal workaround to proper eviction procedures.
Rare, but it happens.
How Much Should You Actually Raise Rent?
No legal limit, so the real question is what makes sense.
North Dakota's market is way more stable than coastal states. Apartment List data from 2023 showed median one-bedroom rent around $779 statewide, with most places seeing 2-3% growth year-over-year.
Breaks down differently by city though. Fargo was around $875 (up 3.8%), Bismarck about $825 (up 2.1%), Grand Forks closer to $725 and Minot around $795.
HUD's Fair Market Rent database is useful for checking county-by-county rates—that's what they use for housing assistance programs.
Turnover Costs More Than You Think
Quick math: You've got a $900/month place with a solid tenant. Been there two years, pays on time, no problems. You're thinking about bumping rent $130 because you read something about maximizing returns.
They leave. Now what?
- Vacancy while you find someone: 1 to 3 months = $900 to $2,700 lost
- Cleaning, repairs: $300-$800
- Paint, carpet, whatever else: $200-$600
- Your time dealing with it: a few hundred bucks worth
- Risk the next tenant sucks
Total: Probably $2,000-$4,000 when it's all said and done.
That $130 increase would have been $1,560 for the year, except you will not see it because they left. If you'd gone with $50 instead, you'd have an extra $600 annually with zero turnover cost, and you'd still have a reliable tenant.
We've looked at thousands of renewals at Hemlane. Pattern's consistent: smaller regular increases (3-5% annually) keep tenants way longer than skipping increases for years then hitting them with a big jump.
Turnover kills your returns. Sometimes keeping a good tenant slightly under market rate is the smartest move financially.
What Landlords Should Do
Give Extra Notice
I keep harping on this because it matters. Minimum is 30 or 60 days. Do 35 to 45 for month-to-month, 65-75 for annual leases.
Prevents arguments and gives tenants real time to plan.
Document Everything
Certified mail with return receipt or email with read receipt. Keep copies.
Hemlane automates this because landlords are terrible at keeping records. But if you're doing it yourself, just be organized about it.
Talk to Your Tenant Like a Person
Not required, but it helps.
Instead of just a formal notice:
"Hey, wanted to give you a heads up rent's going to $915 when the lease renews in July. Property taxes jumped about 7% this year, insurance went up $380—costs are getting ridiculous. Tried to keep this as low as possible. Let me know if you want to talk about it."
Takes two minutes. Makes the whole thing go way smoother most of the time.
Sometimes Don't Raise It At All
If you've got a tenant who's been there forever, never misses payment, treats the place like they own it, and you're already at market rate? Leave it alone.
The risk of losing them isn't worth $35 more per month.
Or if the market's softening—Williston after the oil crash, for example—you might need to hold steady or even drop rent to avoid long vacancies.
Empty units cost more than small increases earn. That's just reality.
What Tenants Should Do
Check If It's Even Valid
Before freaking out, verify a few things:
Written notice? (Verbal does not count)
Enough advance warning? (30 days for month-to-month, 60 for annual)
Are you mid-lease? (Can't raise it then unless your lease allows it)
If something's off, the increase might not be enforceable.
See What Other Places Go For
Check Zillow, Apartments.com, whatever. If your landlord wants $1,300 but everything else is $1,150, you've got room to negotiate.
Census Bureau housing data shows median rents by county too.
Try Negotiating
If you've been a decent tenant (be honest with yourself), ask for less.
"Got your notice about the $115 increase. I really like it here and want to stay, but that's gonna be tight. I looked around and most places are cheaper. Could you do $70? Or maybe phase it in over a few months?"
Worst case they say no. Best case you save money and avoid moving.
Get Help If Something's Wrong
Think it's retaliation or discrimination? Don't just accept it.
Legal Services of North Dakota - 1-800-634-5263 (free for qualifying folks)
ND Department of Labor & Human Rights - 1-800-582-8032
HUD Fair Housing - 1-800-669-9777
If You're Moving, Do It Right
Can't afford the increase? Okay, but don't stop paying rent.
That leads to eviction, which will screw you for years on background checks. Every landlord screens now.
Give proper notice per your lease (usually 30 days for month-to-month). Check the actual lease.
If money's tight, try the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency—they've got assistance programs depending on your situation.
North Dakota's Market Is Different
Worth understanding some context here.
We're Pretty Stable
Unlike places that saw insane rent spikes during COVID, North Dakota stayed relatively calm. We've only got about 779,000 people in the whole state according to the Census Bureau. That's less than Charlotte, North Carolina—which is one city.
Lower population generally means more affordable rent, though it also means less inventory in small towns.
The Oil Boom Hangover
If you were here 2010-2014, you remember Williston going crazy. Oil workers everywhere, not enough housing. Landlords were getting $2,000+ for basic one-bedrooms.
Oil crashed, rents crashed. By 2016 those same places were $700-800. The Minneapolis Fed wrote about this. Good reminder that markets shift fast.
Affordability Still Matters
Yeah, we're cheaper than San Francisco. But that doesn't mean it's easy for everyone.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition says you need about $15.46/hour full-time to afford a basic two-bedroom here. Federal minimum wage is $7.25. Do the math—it doesn't work.
For people in retail, food service, entry-level jobs, even a $50 increase can mean choosing between rent and food. The North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People deals with this constantly.
I'm not saying run a charity. Property costs money. But understanding what tenants actually deal with helps explain reactions that might seem overblown to you.
Technology Changed Things
Ten years ago everything was paper, phone calls, sticky notes. Now platforms like Hemlane handle a lot of the admin—reminders for notices, templates that follow state law, digital records you can access from anywhere.
Prevents the "oops forgot to send notice" mistakes. But software can't tell you if you should raise rent, or by how much, or whether your specific tenant is worth keeping under market. That's still your call.
Other big change: information transparency. Tenants used to have no idea if their rent was fair. Now they pull up Zillow Rent Index or Apartment List in seconds and see exactly what comparable units cost.
Mostly good—makes things more fair. But you can't ask $1,200 when everything else is $950 anymore.
Bottom Line
North Dakota gives landlords lots of freedom on rent. No caps, no limits on frequency, minimal rules beyond notice requirements and anti-discrimination stuff.
But legal freedom doesn't equal smart business. Maxing out rent burns through tenants, costs you in turnover, hurts your reputation.
Successful landlords charge fair rates, communicate clearly, make increases predictable and modest, treat it like a professional relationship where both sides need to feel okay about things.
For tenants, know your rights but be realistic. If your landlord gave proper notice, the increase matches the market, and they've been responsive when stuff breaks, it's probably fair. If something feels wrong—bad timing, possible discrimination, improper notice—use your resources.
This is just people renting from other people. Works better when everyone's professional, communicates, and at least tries to see the other side.
Resources
Landlords:
Tenants:
- Legal Services of ND - 1-800-634-5263
- ND Dept Labor & Human Rights - 1-800-582-8032
- HUD Fair Housing - 1-800-669-9777
- ND Housing Finance Agency
- ND Coalition for Homeless People
FAQs
How much can landlords raise rent in North Dakota?
No legal limit. They can raise it by any amount with proper notice (30 days month-to-month, 60 days annual). Can't be retaliatory or discriminatory though. Excessive increases meant to force you out could potentially be challenged, but that's rare.
Is North Dakota tenant-friendly?
Not really. More landlord-friendly. No rent control, few restrictions on increases, limited tenant protections compared to places like California or New York. Basic protections against discrimination and retaliation exist though.
Can my landlord raise rent mid-lease?
Usually no, unless your lease has an escalation clause you agreed to when signing. Fixed-term leases lock the rent for that full term. Increases only happen at renewal or when it converts to month-to-month.
What if I think my rent increase is illegal?
Call Legal Services of North Dakota at 1-800-634-5263 for free advice if you qualify. Think it's discriminatory? File with ND Department of Labor and Human Rights (1-800-582-8032) or HUD. Document everything—timing, communications, all of it.
How often can rent go up?
No legal limit on frequency. Could technically happen every month with proper notice each time. In reality most do annual increases because more frequent ones drive tenants away.
Can cities pass rent control here?
Yeah, cities could under home rule authority. Almost none have though. Grand Forks has something narrow that only applies to subsidized properties. Most cities haven't touched it.
Disclaimer: This is based on 2024 North Dakota law and is for educational purposes only. Not legal advice. Need specific help? Talk to a lawyer or contact Legal Services of North Dakota.
About Hemlane: We're a property management platform for tenant screening, lease tracking, maintenance, rent collection, compliance stuff. Built to help landlords follow rules, keep good tenant relationships, and cut down on administrative headaches.
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