A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in McHenry County, North Dakota
McHenry County is a large, geographically diverse north-central North Dakota county whose rental market benefits from a feature that many rural ND counties lack entirely: practical commuter access to a significant city. Velva, the county’s largest community, sits just 20 miles north of Minot on U.S. Highway 52, placing it squarely within Minot’s daily commuter shed. This proximity means that McHenry County’s rental market is shaped not only by local agricultural and public-sector employment but also by the Minot Air Force Base economy, Minot’s healthcare system, and the broader commercial activity of North Dakota’s fourth-largest city.
Velva: The Minot Commuter Hub
Velva is McHenry County’s largest community and its most active rental market, driven largely by its position as a bedroom community for Minot. With approximately 1,000 residents, Velva offers lower housing costs than Minot while providing easy highway access to Minot Air Force Base, Trinity Health, Minot State University, and the retail and services employment that a city of 50,000 generates. Military personnel and civilian MAFB employees, hospital workers, university staff, and Minot-based government employees are among the tenant profiles most commonly found in Velva’s rental market. Velva also experienced significant flooding from the Souris River in 2011, and the community’s recovery and rebuilding shaped its housing stock in ways that landlords should understand — some properties were rebuilt to modern standards while others in flood-prone areas may carry ongoing risk.
Towner: The County Seat
Towner — not to be confused with Towner County, which is a separate county to the northeast — is McHenry County’s seat of government, located in the northern part of the county along the Souris River. With roughly 500 residents, Towner is smaller than Velva and farther from Minot, making its rental market more dependent on local employment: county government offices, the TGU (Towner-Granville-Upham) school district, grain elevators, and agricultural services. Towner’s rental demand is thin but stable, anchored by the institutional employment that comes with county seat status.
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge
The Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, occupies a substantial portion of McHenry County along the Souris River. The refuge employs wildlife biologists, conservation officers, maintenance workers, and administrative staff — federal employees whose stable government salaries and benefits make them among the most creditworthy tenants in any rural market. Refuge employment is year-round, and the USFWS’s presence also supports visiting researchers and seasonal workers who may need temporary housing during field seasons.
Agricultural Foundation
McHenry County is a significant agricultural county, with wheat, canola, soybeans, corn, and sunflowers grown on productive soils across the county’s expansive acreage. The county’s grain elevators in Velva, Towner, Granville, Upham, and Anamoose are the commercial backbone of the agricultural economy, and the services businesses that support farming — equipment dealers, seed and chemical suppliers, custom harvesters, and crop insurance agents — employ workers year-round across multiple communities. Cattle operations on the county’s pastureland add a livestock dimension. Farm operators who rent in town while farming surrounding land are a stable tenancy segment.
North Dakota Law in McHenry County
McHenry County landlords operate under NDCC Ch. 47-16 and Ch. 47-32. The 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit for nonpayment (after the mandatory 3-day grace period under § 47-16-07(2)), the 3-Day Notice to Quit for lease violations with no cure right, and the 30-Day Written Notice for month-to-month terminations are the operative notice timelines. The McHenry County District Court at 407 Main St. S. in Towner, part of the Northeast Central Judicial District, handles eviction filings. Hearings are typically set within 3 to 15 days of summons service. LLCs and other entities must retain licensed North Dakota counsel. Attorney fees are recoverable by the prevailing landlord under § 47-32-04.
McHenry County landlord-tenant matters are governed by NDCC Ch. 47-16 and Ch. 47-32. Nonpayment notice: 3-day pay or quit (after 3-day grace period). Lease violation: 3-day quit (no cure). Month-to-month termination: 30-day written notice. Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent; pet deposit up to $2,500 or 2 months. Deposit return: 30 days; interest required if occupancy 9+ months. Late fees must be in lease; no charge during 3-day grace period. Legal entities must use licensed ND attorney in eviction. Attorney fees recoverable by prevailing landlord (§ 47-32-04). Hardship stay: up to 5 days. Eviction filed at McHenry County District Court, 407 Main St. S., Towner, ND 58788, (701) 537-5729. Filing fee ~$80. Northeast Central Judicial District. 2025 SB 2238: eviction record sealing after 7 years. No rent control. No just-cause eviction requirement. Last updated: May 2026.
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