The St. Paul City Council voted 5-2 Aug. 5 against placing a proposed tenant “right to repair” ordinance on the November ballot, citing concerns that parts of the measure could conflict with state law.
The proposed ordinance would have allowed tenants, after giving notice to a landlord, to make certain repairs costing up to $500 or one-half of one month’s rent.
Council Vice President HwaJeong Kim and Council Member Nelsie Yang voted to place the measure on the ballot. Council President Rebecca Noecker and council members Anika Bowie, Molly Coleman, Saura Jost and Cheniqua Johnson voted against it.
Council officials said the primary concern was whether the proposal would regulate areas of the building code controlled by state law. They also raised concerns that an ordinance approved by voters could not be amended or repealed for one year, complicating efforts to respond if legal problems emerged after passage.
The vote does not necessarily end the push for a repair-and-deduct policy in St. Paul. The council said it could consider a revised ordinance addressing the legal questions identified during its review. Petition organizers could also prepare another proposal for consideration at a future general election.
The decision means the proposal will not go before St. Paul voters in the 2026 general election in its current form.
The measure would have created Chapter 34A of the St. Paul Legislative Code. The council did not vote on whether the underlying repair policy should ultimately become city law; its Aug. 5 action concerned whether the proposed language should advance to voters.
More information, including the city’s statement on the vote, is available from the St. Paul City Council.
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