Rental Inspections

Licensed rental properties in the City of Hopkins are subject to inspection a minimum of every three years.

In addition, the City of Hopkins requires all heating and cooling systems in rental properties to be inspected by a licensed heating contractor a minimum of every two years using the HVAC Inspection Form (PDF) if they are five years or older.

As a general rule, the owner of a rental property is not permitted to do plumbing, mechanical or structural work on the building per State code requirements. Only a licensed contractor obtaining a permit may perform this work. 

Property owners can find Homeline’s guide to Minnesota Rental Law on their website.

Inspection Point System

The City of Hopkins uses an inspections point system to help identify substandard dwellings (as defined in City Code Article III Section 20-245) and to classify dwellings into three categories to determine how often a dwelling needs inspection. Deficiency points are assigned to each violation during the initial inspection. You will receive a report from the inspector following the initial inspection with the violations, the code sections, the total number of points earned and the grade assigned based on the points.

• Category A: Properties with a deficiency point average of 4 or fewer points; will be inspected on approximately a three-year cycle. It is in everyone’s best interest to pass the initial inspection and score in the Category A range so another inspection will not be done for approximately three years.
• Category B: Properties with an average of 5 to 10 points; will be inspected on approximately a two-year cycle.
• Category C: Properties with an average of 11 or more points; will be inspected on approximately a one-year cycle.

Inspection Process

Approximately 30 days prior to the rental inspection, property owners and/or management companies will be contacted by the City of Hopkins to schedule an inspection time. The City will send out the Rental Inspection Deficiency Point System, along with a list of the most common repair orders, so property owners, management companies, and tenants can prepare for the inspection. It is the goal of the City of Hopkins to have everyone prepared to pass the initial inspection.

All pending orders, including all open permits, must be finalized and re-inspected by the City in order for the Truth in Sale of Housing Certificate of Approval or Rental License to be issued.

Inspection personnel will not enter an occupied dwelling unattended or when unsupervised children (under the age of 18) are present. Arrangements must be made to have an adult present during the inspection. The owner or property manager are strongly encouraged to meet the inspector at the rental unit.

Rental Property Complaint Inspections

Find information on Rental Property Complaint Inspections on the Renting in Hopkins webpage.

What Will Be Inspected?

For a complete list of what is going to be inspected, download the Rental Inspection Deficiency Point System (PDF). You may also want to view these lists: