What are Home Inspection Laws in Minnesota?
There’s plenty that goes into buying or selling a home. The process can sometimes take months, showing a generous amount of red tape throughout. Home inspections are among the most important factors in determining home sale prices. These inspections ensure the house doesn’t have any major issues, which is vital if you’re the buyer.
A home inspection for the buyer and the seller is a critical part of the process, and there are laws upheld to keep the transaction honest. Understanding the laws surrounding home inspections in Minnesota ensures you end up working with a reputable company and ultimately receive legitimate results.
Let’s examine some Minnesota home inspection laws to keep your home buying or selling process simple!
Disclosure Requirements
One major component of the home inspection laws has to do with what the seller must tell to the buyer. The seller must disclose certain components of the home to the buyer, including:
Radon
Radon is an odorless, colorless, naturally-occurring gas that leads to lung cancer after prolonged exposure. The seller must disclose what they know about the radon levels and if they have conducted tests for it.
Lead Paint
Before 1978, lead paint on homes was pretty common until the damaging effects of the substance came to light. So, the seller has to acknowledge if lead-based substances have been applied throughout its history if it’s an older home.
Sewage Treatment Systems
The seller is obligated to disclose how the system runs throughout the property. In addition, the seller must reveal where the sewage system directs, whether it goes to a public or private facility.
Disclosure Exceptions
There are also some aspects of a home a seller does not have to disclose to the buyer, including:
Death
A seller does not have to share whether someone died on the property due to natural causes, accidental, or suicide. Additionally, the seller does not have to share whether the house potentially houses paranormal activities.
Public Facilities
Information is not needed on the existence of any nearby nursing homes, community centers, nursing homes, or adult family homes.
Learn more about how a home inspection works for you, the seller.
Mandatory Inspection Components
After the inspection, the seller might want to back out or request a lower sell price if the home has major issues. But, while many problems can be negotiated between the buyer and seller, there are some parts of an inspection that must pass for a legitimate transaction:
Code Compliance
The house must be up to code to the city’s standards for sale to be final.
Truth-in-Housing Inspections
Before a sale is made and new occupants move in, an authorized inspector will conduct an inspection to document the home's overall condition. No immediate repairs need to be made if the inspector finds issues. This is mostly just the purpose of keeping documentation of the house's state with the city.
Who Can Perform A Home Inspection?
Another extremely vital element of home inspections is who is authorized to perform them. If a random person were to walk in off the street to inspect your home, this wouldn’t be legitimate.
According to Minnesota law, home inspectors don’t have to be licensed. But, if you want to ensure a thorough, accurate examination, it’s best to go with an InterNACHI® certified inspector.
Call DMC Home Inspections as a Buyer & a Seller
With over 150 components thorough inspection, you can count on DMC Home Inspections to leave no stone unturned! All our inspectors are certified and experienced, so you can trust our reports.
Schedule an inspection online or give us a call at 612-310-1692 today!