Rental License

The City of Hopkins requires an annual license for all premises rented in whole or in part as a dwelling unit (City Code Article III Section 20-149). This includes:

  • All apartment complexes
  • Single family homes
  • Condominiums
  • Townhomes
  • Double bungalows
  • Rooming units
  • Owner occupied double bungalows

License Fee (Effective January 1, 2026)

Buildings With 3 or More Units

  • $200 per building + $10 per unit

Duplexes and Double Bungalows

  • One unit rented: $110
  • Both units rented: $120

Single Family Units (Including Individually Owned Condos or Townhouses)

  • $105 per unit

The rental licensing period runs from January 1-December 31. Rental licenses must be renewed every year before December 31. Rental license renewal fees double when they are 30 days or more past due. Beginning January 30, all rental license fees will double unless they are a new rental license application. The fine for renting without a license is $500 and it’s a violation of City Code Article III Section 20-149.

Applying for / Renewing a Rental License

Renew a Rental License

You must sign-in or create an account with RevTrak before completing the application form below. 

Use this form to Renew a Rental License.

New Rental License

You must sign-in or create an account with RevTrak before completing the application form below. 

Use this form to Apply for a New Rental License.

You can also print and return your completed rental license application (PDF) with the appropriate fee to the City of Hopkins. 

Requirements

If you meet the following requirements, the City will grant your license and issue you a license receipt, which should be kept for your records.

1. Pre-Rental Inspection

An inspection is required in order to obtain a new rental license. Once you’ve applied and paid for the rental license, fill out the Rental Inspection Request Form to schedule an inspection. The Inspection fee schedule and rating system is the same as that of the routine rental inspection.

2. Criminal Background Check

Any rental licensee in the City of Hopkins must conduct criminal background checks on all prospective tenants. The criminal background check must include the following:

  1. A statewide (Minnesota) criminal history check of all prospective tenants covering at least three years. The check must be done utilizing the most recent update of the state criminal history files.
  2. A statewide criminal history check from the prospective tenant’s previous state of residence, if available, if the tenant is moving directly from the previous state.
  3. A criminal history check of any prospective tenant in their previous states of residence, if available, covering the last three years if they have not resided in Minnesota for three years or longer.
  4. A criminal history check of any prospective tenant must be conducted in all seven counties in the metro Twin Cities area (Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Washington) covering at least the last three years including all misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony convictions.

3. Disorderly Behavior Lease Provisions

All tenant leases must contain crime-free drug-free provisions (view example of a Crime-Free Drug-Free Housing Lease Addendum (PDF)) or equivalent that prohibits the disorderly behavior identified in City Code Section 20-273.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental units are dwelling units offered to transient guests for a period of less than thirty (30) days (Airbnb, VRBO or the like). Such units are subject to the provisions of Section 102-580(h). Short-Term Rental Units may also be subject to a Lodging License from Hennepin County.