Which Minnesota Cities Require
a Truth in Housing inspection?
Key insights
- Minnesota homeowners in 18 metro cities will need to get a professional seller inspection before they sell their home.
- Each city that requires a TISH inspection has their own terms and costs. Be sure to follow them to the letter.
- There are ways to prepare your home for a TISH inspection, including checking common plumbing elements and smoke detectors.
What is a “Truth-in-Sale of Housing” Inspection?
Unlike a buyer’s inspection, which can hone in on quirks or inconsistencies, the TISH report is focused on risks to life or health that can be found within the home. The report is usually made up of a checklist of recommended or required fixes.
Once sellers receive their TISH report, they must complete the required fixes before closing. In some cases, if they aren’t able to complete the checklist of necessary repairs, the seller may negotiate with the buyer, who can perform the repairs post-close.
Buyers should be well aware of what the TISH report outlines, as sellers are typically required to include the report within their disclosures to potential buyers.
What cities in Minnesota require a TISH inspection?
Several cities don’t require a traditional TISH inspection, but they do require sellers to order an inflow/infiltration inspection to check for excess flow of clear water into the city’s sewer system:
City of Duluth Inflow and Infiltration Inspection
City of Golden Valley inflow and infiltration inspection
City of Mounds View H2OPP Program
City of Newport Sewer Inspection
City of Orono inflow and infiltration inspection
City of St. Anthony Village inflow and infiltration inspection
City of Tonka Bay inflow and infiltration inspection
City of West St. Paul inflow and infiltration inspection
Please note: due to the nature of individual city ordinances being created or updated at any time, this list is subject to change. Please contact your city to check if there are new rules pertaining to any required pre-sale inspections.
How to prep for a Truth in Sale of Housing inspection
1. Look for missing backflow preventer for faucets
For example, if you are filling a bucket with bleach and water, you only want the water flowing out — it could contaminate drinking water if the bleach flowed back through the faucet and into your home’s or your neighborhood’s water supply.
Depending on the city, missing backflow preventers could be marked as a required fix on a TISH report.
2. Check smoke alarms
You’ll also want to check your city requirements to ensure you have the legally required number of smoke detectors in your home. Many cities require a smoke alarm on every level and outside each sleeping area.