St. Paul council grants six rent‑stabilization appeals for Ashland Avenue properties after split votes

The St. Paul City Council granted six appeals of rent‑stabilization determinations for units at 934 and 942 Ashland Avenue after extended public hearing and deliberation. The appeals tested how the city applies its rent‑stabilization ordinance when inspectors and the department do not document “substantial deterioration” separate from routine wear and tear.

The cases before the council were filed by attorneys from the Housing Justice Center representing tenants at 934 Ashland (Unit 1 and Unit 2) and multiple units at 942 Ashland. The appeals challenged city staff determinations that had authorized rent increases above the 3% default cap for certain landlords; council members debated whether the Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) had followed the ordinance’s requirements to establish substantial deterioration and code violations before the rent increases were approved.

Councilmembers disagreed about both legal role and process. Some members said the council is not the proper forum to establish the implied warranty of habitability or to make binding legal findings about habitability; they said those determinations typically occur in housing or district court.…