Minnesota landlord guide — St. James, Madelia, Butterfield, south-central Minnesota agriculture, Watonwan River valley, small rural county & Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B
🏛️ County Seat: St. James 👥 Population: ~11,000 🏭 State: MN
Watonwan County is a small, agricultural county in south-central Minnesota along the Watonwan River, situated between Mankato to the northeast and Worthington to the southwest along the US-60 corridor. Its approximately 11,000 residents are concentrated in St. James (the county seat, population roughly 4,600) and Madelia (~2,300), with Butterfield and a handful of small townships rounding out the county’s settlement pattern. The county’s economy is defined by intensive corn, soybean, and hog production on highly productive south-central Minnesota soils, supplemented by St. James’s role as a regional commercial and healthcare center. Mayo Clinic Health System has a presence in St. James, providing clinic services and healthcare employment. The county has a significant Hispanic and Latino population — similar to neighboring Nobles and Martin counties — reflecting decades of workforce migration to the region’s meatpacking and food processing operations. County government, the St. James public school district, local retail, and agricultural services employ the non-agricultural workforce. The rental market is small and serves healthcare workers, county and school district employees, food processing workers, and agricultural professionals, with rents at the lower end of the Minnesota spectrum reflecting the county’s modest economic scale.
All residential landlord-tenant matters in Watonwan County are governed by Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B. Eviction actions are filed at the Watonwan County District Court in St. James. Minnesota has no statewide rent control and no just-cause eviction requirement. No Watonwan County municipality has enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance. There are no tribal trust land jurisdictional complications in Watonwan County.
St. James (~4,600), Madelia (~2,300), Butterfield (~500)
Median Rent
~$500–$750
Major Economy
Corn, soybean & hog agriculture, Mayo Clinic Health System (St. James clinic), food processing, county government, school districts; Hispanic & Latino workforce community
Rent Control
None (no statewide or local ordinance)
Landlord Rating
3/10 — small rural market; low rents; stable but limited demand; Fair Housing compliance particularly important; patient buy-and-hold
⚖️ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
14-Day Pay or Vacate
Lease Violation
Reasonable time to cure
No-Cause (Month-to-Month)
One full rental period written notice (≥30 days)
Court
Watonwan County District Court, St. James
Process Name
Eviction (Unlawful Detainer)
Post-Judgment Move-Out
As ordered by court; writ issued after judgment
Avg Timeline
3–6 weeks (uncontested)
Watonwan County Local Ordinances
County and municipal rules that apply alongside Minnesota state law
Category
Details
Rental Registration
No county-wide rental registration or landlord licensing in Watonwan County. No municipality has enacted a formal rental inspection program. Pre-1978 properties require federal lead paint disclosure under 42 U.S.C. §4852d; older housing stock in St. James and Madelia makes this routine compliance for many rentals.
Rent Control
None. No Watonwan County municipality has enacted rent stabilization. Minnesota has no statewide rent control statute.
Security Deposit
No statutory cap in Minnesota. Minn. Stat. §504B.178 requires return within 21 days after tenancy ends and landlord receives forwarding address. Itemized deductions required. Annual interest at MN Dept. of Commerce rate. Wrongful withholding: up to 2× damages plus attorney’s fees.
Landlord Entry
Minimum 24 hours’ advance notice for non-emergency entry under Minn. Stat. §504B.195. Emergency entry permitted without notice.
St. James, Madelia & County Economy
Watonwan County’s identity is rooted in the agricultural abundance of south-central Minnesota. St. James serves as the county seat and commercial hub, with Mayo Clinic Health System operating a clinic that provides regional healthcare access and professional employment. The Watonwan River valley’s productive soils support intensive corn, soybean, and hog production that generates significant agricultural income even in a county of modest population. Madelia, the county’s second city, is historically known as the site of the 1876 capture of members of the James-Younger Gang following the Northfield Bank Raid — an event that draws heritage tourism and gives the community a distinctive place in Minnesota outlaw history. The county’s Hispanic and Latino community, which grew through meatpacking and food processing employment similar to neighboring Nobles County (Worthington) and Martin County (Fairmont), has become a permanent and established part of St. James’s demographic fabric. Fair Housing Act compliance is particularly important in Watonwan County given its diverse population — landlords must apply screening criteria consistently and cannot discriminate on the basis of national origin, familial status, or any other protected class.
Just-Cause Eviction
No just-cause requirement in Watonwan County or any of its municipalities. Month-to-month tenancies may be terminated with one full rental period’s written notice (§504B.135). Minneapolis’ just-cause ordinance does not apply.
Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B statutes, notice requirements, and landlord rights that apply in Watonwan County
⚡ Quick Overview
14
Days Notice (Nonpayment)
Varies - reasonable cure period; immediate for illegal activity
Days Notice (Violation)
21-90
Avg Total Days
$$285-320
Filing Fee (Approx)
💰 Nonpayment of Rent
Notice Type14-Day Notice to Pay or Quit
Notice Period14 days
Tenant Can Cure?Yes - tenant can pay all rent within 14 days to stop eviction
Days to Hearing7-14 days
Days to WritImmediate after judgment (24 hours to vacate) days
Total Estimated Timeline21-90 days
Total Estimated Cost$400-800
⚠️ Watch Out
CRITICAL (2024): 14-day notice must include specific accounting of total due (rent; late fees; other charges); landlord contact info; statement that tenant has right to seek legal help and emergency rental assistance; information about financial/legal resources. Court MUST dismiss and expunge case if notice is deficient. Tenant can 'redeem tenancy' by paying all rent owed plus court costs before sheriff executes writ. Eviction records sealed from public until final judgment entered. For leases over 20 years: 30-day notice required. 2025 change: landlord must also send court papers electronically if regularly communicates with tenant electronically.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the District Court or Housing Court (Hennepin/Ramsey Counties). Pay the filing fee (~$$285-320).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Minnesota eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Minnesota attorney or local legal aid organization.
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Minnesota landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Minnesota —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Minnesota's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
St. James (county seat, Mayo Clinic, diverse community), Madelia (James-Younger Gang history), Butterfield. Watonwan River valley. S-central MN ag county. No rent control, 14-day pay or vacate.
Watonwan County
Screen Before You Sign
Apply screening criteria consistently across all applicants — Fair Housing Act compliance is non-negotiable in a diverse community. Healthcare, county, and school employees are your most stable profiles. Document everything and treat every applicant the same way.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Watonwan County, Minnesota
Watonwan County occupies a slice of south-central Minnesota prairie where the Watonwan River winds through some of the state’s most productive agricultural land. It is a small county — 11,000 people, two real towns, and miles of corn and soybean fields in every direction — with a rental market to match. What distinguishes it from the surrounding agricultural counties is its demographic diversity and the particular Fair Housing obligations that diversity creates for every landlord operating here.
St. James: The County Hub
St. James is Watonwan County’s commercial, governmental, and healthcare center. Mayo Clinic Health System operates a clinic in St. James that provides regional primary and specialty care, employing physicians and clinical staff as one of the city’s primary professional employers. County government, the St. James public school district, and local retail serving the surrounding farm community provide stable year-round employment. The city’s Hispanic and Latino community — established over decades of food processing and agricultural workforce migration from Mexico and Central America — is a permanent and woven-in part of St. James’s social and economic fabric. Many families are now second- and third-generation residents with deep community roots, local businesses, and civic participation. For landlords, this means operating in a genuinely diverse rental market where Fair Housing Act compliance is not a formality but a daily operating reality. Every screening criterion must be applied consistently, every denial must be documented, and no applicant can be treated differently on the basis of national origin, familial status, race, or any other protected characteristic.
Madelia and the Outlaw History
Madelia holds a distinctive and colorful place in Minnesota history as the site of the 1876 pursuit and capture of members of the James-Younger Gang following their disastrous raid on the First National Bank of Northfield. After the Northfield raid failed spectacularly, the gang scattered into the Minnesota countryside pursued by posses; it was near Madelia, in the Watonwan River bottomland, that three Younger brothers were finally cornered and captured. The Madelia area commemorates this history with local heritage attractions that draw visitors interested in the Wild West era. For a county seat of 2,300 people, this historical distinction gives Madelia a cultural identity unusual for a community of its size.
State Law and Fair Housing
Watonwan County has no local landlord-tenant ordinances. Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B governs entirely: 14-Day Pay or Vacate for nonpayment (§504B.285); security deposit return within 21 days, 2x damages for wrongful retention (§504B.178); 24-hour entry notice (§504B.195); 68°F minimum heat October through April; no rent control; no just-cause eviction; self-help eviction illegal (§504B.375). All evictions filed at Watonwan County District Court in St. James. The federal Fair Housing Act applies fully, including protections based on national origin, race, color, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Minnesota’s Human Rights Act adds additional protected classes. In Watonwan County’s diverse community, landlords should ensure written screening criteria are applied identically to every applicant and that rejection decisions are documented with objective, lawful reasons.
Watonwan County landlord-tenant matters are governed by Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B. Nonpayment notice: 14-Day Pay or Vacate (§504B.285). Lease violation: reasonable time to cure. No-cause termination: one full rental period written notice (§504B.135). Security deposit return: 21 days; up to 2× damages for wrongful retention plus attorney’s fees (§504B.178). Security deposit interest required annually at MN Dept. of Commerce rate. Landlord entry: 24 hours’ advance notice required (§504B.195). Minimum heat: 68°F, Oct. 1–Apr. 30. No rent control. No just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction actions filed at Watonwan County District Court, St. James. Self-help eviction: illegal, up to $500/day civil penalty + misdemeanor (§504B.375). Fair Housing Act and Minnesota Human Rights Act apply; consistent screening and documentation required. No tribal trust land complications. Minneapolis just-cause ordinance does not apply. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Watonwan County, Minnesota and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always verify current requirements with a licensed Minnesota attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
