Minnesota Renter's Credit: How to Claim It, Even If You Missed It
Minnesota renters used to file a separate property tax refund form every summer. That form is gone. The Renter's Credit now rides on your state income tax return, and if you skipped it for 2024 or 2025, you haven't lost it yet. Here's who qualifies, what the landlord owes you, and how to claim money you left on the table.
AT A GLANCE
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What changed, and why people are missing it
Starting with 2024 taxes, the Minnesota Department of Revenue moved the renter's refund into the income tax system. You claim the Renter's Credit as part of Form M1, and you can no longer file an original Renter's Property Tax Refund return (Form M1PR).
That sounds like a small paperwork change. In practice it trips up a lot of people:
Low-income renters who don't normally file. If your income is under the filing threshold, you might never open a tax return. The department says that to get the Renter's Credit, you must file both a federal and a state return, even if you aren't required to.
People who filed fast. Some filers send in a return without the CRP information and never claim the credit at all.
People still waiting for August. Under the old system, renters filed Form M1PR by August 15. That date no longer applies to renters for 2024 and later.
The credit is still there. What moved is the form, and a lot of renters didn't move with it.
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Do you qualify?
According to the department, all of these must be true:
You have a valid Social Security Number or ITIN.
You were a full-year or part-year Minnesota resident. Full-year nonresidents aren't eligible.
You lived in and paid rent on a Minnesota building where the owner was assessed property tax or made payments in lieu of property tax. If you aren't sure, the instructions say to ask your building manager or the county treasurer's office.
Your household income was below $77,570. That's the limit on the department's page for the 2025 return. Limits can change from year to year, so check the instructions for the year you're filing.
You can't be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.
When you're not eligible even if you rent
The 2025 Schedule M1RENT instructions list two situations that rule you out:
All of your rent was paid by Medical Assistance (Medicaid), Supplemental Security Income, Minnesota Supplemental Aid or Minnesota Housing Support.
The property is exempt from paying property taxes.
Mobile homes
You rent the mobile home itself: You should get a CRP from the property manager and claim the Renter's Credit on Schedule M1RENT. If you also get a separate CRP for the lot, combine the rent from both.
You own the mobile home and pay lot rent: You don't qualify for the Renter's Credit based on lot rent alone. You file Form M1PR for the Homestead Credit Refund instead.
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"Household income" is lower than you might think
The income test doesn't use your gross pay. Household income for the Renter's Credit starts with your adjusted gross income and then subtracts amounts for older or disabled filers and for dependents. Those subtractions can help you qualify or raise your credit.
Subtraction | Amount on 2025 Schedule M1RENT |
|---|---|
You or your spouse were 65 or older (born before January 2, 1961) or disabled | $5,200 (same amount even if both of you qualify) |
1 dependent | $7,280 |
2 dependents | $14,040 |
3 dependents | $20,280 |
4 dependents | $26,000 |
5 or more dependents | $31,200 |
For the disability subtraction, the instructions count you as disabled if Social Security certified you on or before December 31, 2025. If you weren't certified, you may still qualify if you couldn't work for at least 12 consecutive months because of a disability during 2025, or if you're blind under the definition in the instructions.
How the credit is figured
On Schedule M1RENT, you take the total rent from line 3 of your Certificate(s) of Rent Paid, multiply it by 17%, and then look up your credit in the Renter's Credit table in the Form M1 instructions, using that number and your household income. Tax software does this lookup for you.
Two caps apply in care settings. If you lived in a nursing home or intermediate care facility, the rent you can count is limited to $650 a month. In an adult foster care home, it's limited to $1,010 a month.
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The CRP: the one document you can't skip
The Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) shows how much rent you paid in the previous year. Your property owner or managing agent must give you a completed CRP by January 31.
If the CRP is missing or wrong
Ask the landlord first. Request a corrected or missing CRP from the owner or managing agent.
After February 1, ask the state. If they still don't provide or fix it, you can request a Rent Paid Affidavit (RPA) from the Department of Revenue. It issues RPAs starting February 1 each year.
Send the RPA with proof of rent. You must include a copy of the RPA and proof of rent paid with your return, even if a CRP shows up later.
To request an RPA, call 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094, or email individual.incometax@state.mn.us. If you email, include only the last four digits of any Social Security Number. The department asks for:
About you: name, current address, phone number, date of birth and SSN or ITIN (plus your spouse's name, date of birth and SSN if you're married)
About the landlord (required): name, address and phone number
About the unit: address, county, number of renters, dates rented, total rent you paid for the year and any rent subsidies, such as Section 8
Other CRP situations
No Electronic Certificate Number (ECN) on your CRP: Ask the provider for a corrected CRP with an ECN. If you don't get one, file with the CRP you have. The department may contact you.
Roommates: Generally, the landlord must give each roommate a separate CRP showing an equal share of the rent, no matter who actually paid what or whose name is on the lease. Each of you uses only your own income.
An adult dependent got a CRP for part of your rent: You can add the rent from your dependent's CRP to yours.
You moved during the year: Use the Worksheet for Multiple CRPs in the instructions. Don't file a separate Schedule M1RENT for each CRP.
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How to claim it
On this year's return
Filing electronically: Use tax software. It will ask for the information on your CRP and create an electronic version, so you don't attach paper copies.
Filing on paper: Complete Form M1, Schedule M1REF and Schedule M1RENT, and include copies of all your CRPs. Without them, the department says your refund may be delayed or denied.
Your income was $0: You must file a paper return. The department says that if you had even $1 of income, such as savings interest, you should be able to e-file.
If you missed it for 2024 or 2025
This is the part worth doing now. The rules depend on whether you filed a return at all.
Your situation | What to file | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
You filed a Minnesota return but didn't claim the credit | Form M1X, Schedule M1REF and Schedule M1RENT, after your original return has processed | Within 3½ years of the original due date |
You didn't file a Minnesota return at all | A federal return, then Form M1, Schedule M1REF and Schedule M1RENT, with a copy of your federal return | Within 3½ years of the regular due date to get a refund |
You need a 2023 or earlier renter's refund | Original Form M1PR can no longer be filed (the last day for 2023 was August 15, 2025) | You can still amend an existing M1PR with Form M1PRX |
The department says that starting with tax year 2025, you can file an amended Minnesota return electronically if your software offers it.
If you get a refund but owe Minnesota taxes or certain public agency debts, the department applies the refund to the debt first and sends you any difference.
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Special filing situations
The Schedule M1RENT instructions include a long table for unusual households. The cases renters ask about most:
If you | Then |
|---|---|
Filed jointly and lived together all year | Use the AGI from line 1 of Form M1 and all your CRPs |
Filed jointly but lived apart all year | The renter includes only their own income and their own CRP, and attaches an explanation if the income doesn't match Form M1 |
Filed separately but lived together all year | Only one of you may claim the credit, using your combined rent and combined AGI |
Rented during 2025 and owned and lived in a home on January 2, 2026 | You can claim the homeowner refund on Form M1PR and the Renter's Credit for the months you rented |
Paid more in rent than your taxable income | Check the box on Schedule M1RENT and list nontaxable income such as nontaxable Social Security, government assistance or scholarships |
If line 1 of Schedule M1RENT doesn't match line 1 of your Form M1, the instructions say to enclose an explanation, or your refund may be delayed or denied.
One warning: the instructions say a fraudulent claim that produces a refund can bring a penalty equal to 50% of the refund tied to the fraud.
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Free help, and what's open right now
The department says VITA sites generally help people who are 60 or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have income below $70,244. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites have no income or age limits.
Most free sites run from February 1 to April 15, and some stay open through October 15. That means many sites have closed for the season by late October. You can still find sites with the department's search tool or by calling its automated site locator at 651-297-3724 or 1-800-657-3989. You can also call the department's main line with questions.
While you're on the return, check the other refundable Minnesota credits. The department's current pages describe a Child Tax Credit of $1,750 per qualifying child and a Working Family Credit of 4% of earned income up to $379. Both are claimed on Schedule M1CWFC, and their income limits are on those pages.
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Before you call
☐ Your CRP (or CRPs) for each year you're claiming, or the landlord's name, address and phone if you need an RPA
☐ A copy of your federal return for that year, or your W-2s and 1099s if you haven't filed
☐ Records of rent paid, such as receipts, bank statements or money order stubs, if the CRP is missing
☐ Birthdates and SSNs or ITINs for everyone on the return
☐ Any rent subsidy amounts, such as Section 8, for the year
☐ Paper to write down who you spoke with and what they said
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WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Related help
Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026. Income limits, subtractions and the $2,720 maximum are from the 2025 return; 2026 figures weren't posted yet.
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