You have a right to know the average energy costs when searching for your next apartment. Apartment buildings and rental homes must provide this information to potential renters at or before the time of rental application. Condominiums and townhomes are not included in this ordinance.
This information can help you:
- Compare housing options
- Know which buildings have historically been more energy efficient and less costly
- Start a conversation with the property owner about your potential energy costs as a renter
How energy information is shared with you depends on a building's size. There are three categories of rental buildings in Minneapolis: small, medium and large.
Find out which category your building is in
Small buildings: One to four units
For small buildings, you can view energy cost data and compare rental properties on our public dashboard. The dashboard shows electricity and gas cost data provided by Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy that's matched to rental license addresses.
Some buildings may have missing or incomplete data while the City and utilities work to improve data access.
View our energy comparison dashboard for small buildings
Medium buildings: 5 or more units and under 50,000 square feet
Property owners of medium-sized apartment buildings must provide building Energy Cost Reports in their rental application. These reports detail the energy use and energy costs for the entire building. See the example Energy Cost Report below and how to use it.
How to read your energy cost report
- Verify the address and building characteristics to make sure the report is for the correct building
- Use the monthly per bedroom cost to compare energy costs of your different housing options. Lower historical energy costs may indicate a more energy efficient, comfortable and budget-friendly home.
- Multiply the monthly per bedroom and per square foot costs by 12 (for twelve months in a year) and by the unit’s number of bedrooms or square feet to determine historical yearly energy costs for a similar-sized unit.
- Be sure to use both the natural gas and electricity reports to get the complete cost.
- Talk to the property owner or manager about which energy costs are a tenant’s responsibility and which are paid for by the owner. This will help you better understand an apartment’s total housing costs and avoid surprise expenses.
Large buildings: 5+ units and over 50,000 square feet
For large rental buildings, energy information is listed on the City Health Department website. Use the ENERGY STAR Score to find out the building's energy efficiency. Like medium buildings, ask the property owner which energy costs, such as heat and electricity, you may be responsible for paying.
View energy information for large apartment buildings
What to do if the building doesn’t provide energy information
Owners and managers are required by law to provide this information. First first ask the property owner to provide it. If they still do not, contact 311 to report a complaint.