Real Estate Radon in Minnesota
Radon shows up in almost every Minnesota home sale, because state law puts it there. The Minnesota Radon Awareness Act, Minnesota Statutes section 144.496, requires sellers to disclose radon information in writing before a purchase agreement is signed, and buyers routinely test during the inspection window. When the clock is running, independent, MDH-licensed contractors anywhere in Minnesota quote and schedule on transaction timelines.
What Minnesota Sellers Must Disclose
For sales beginning January 1, 2014, section 144.496 requires written disclosure to the buyer of:
- Whether a radon test or tests have occurred on the property
- The most current records and reports pertaining to radon concentrations in the dwelling
- A description of any radon concentrations, mitigation, or remediation
- The MDH publication Radon in Real Estate Transactions, delivered to the buyer
The required publication is available from MDH: Radon in Real Estate Transactions. MDH's radon in real estate page explains the law in plain language. A seller who knows of radon issues and fails to disclose can be liable to the buyer under the statute.
Buying on a Deadline
Inspection contingencies in Minnesota purchase agreements are short. The workable sequence: order a licensed measurement during the inspection window, and if the result comes back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, get a written mitigation quote before the contingency expires so you can negotiate the fix or a credit with real numbers. The Minnesota Department of Health reports typical installed costs of $1,500 to $3,000, which is small against the purchase but worth getting in writing. Our Minnesota cost guide shows what drives the number.
Credit at Closing or Seller-Installed System?
When a mid-transaction test comes back high, the negotiation usually lands in one of two places, and each carries a tradeoff. A seller-installed system gets the work done before closing, but the seller is choosing the contractor and has every incentive to take the lowest bid, so put three things in writing: the contractor's MDH license, the numbered system tag on the finished install, and a post-installation verification test. A credit at closing keeps contractor choice in your hands; you pick the licensed installer after you own the home, at the cost of managing the job yourself. Either way, a written quote turns the negotiation from a guess into a number, and the Minnesota cost guide shows what that number should itemize.
Selling Without a Mid-Transaction Surprise
Sellers who test before listing decide the timeline themselves. If the level is fine, the result becomes part of a clean disclosure. If it is elevated, a system installed by a licensed contractor, tagged under the MDH program, converts a negotiation risk into a selling point. Buyers in high-test markets like Rochester and the Twin Cities know to ask; see our Minneapolis and St. Paul pages for how radon plays in those markets.