Attorney General Ellison sues landlord for illegally withholding security deposits

Alleges west-central MN landlord Suite Liv’n charged tenants for turn-over expenses that are landlord’s responsibility

November 4, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today filed a new civil-enforcement lawsuit against SL Holdings, LLC, doing business as Suite Liv’n (“Suite Liv’n”), alleging that the landlord illegally withheld money from tenants’ security deposits. Suite Liv’n owns and rents a large portfolio of multifamily and single-family homes across west-central Minnesota. It operates through a set of 15 limited-liability companies that own the rental properties. 

Under Minnesota law, landlords can withhold from security deposits only amounts reasonably necessary “to restore the premises to their condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted.” Instead, Attorney General alleges in the lawsuit that Suite Liv’n charged tenants — by withholding money from their security deposits — for apartment turnover expenses that are the landlord’s responsibility. For instance, the AGO alleges that Suite Liv’n systematically charged tenants $45 an hour for cleaning labor, regardless of apartment condition, and even when tenants cleaned their apartments meticulously. It also frequently charged for carpet cleaning when the apartments were left clean and even charged for “COVID sanitization” cleaning. Suite Liv’n collected substantial money from tenants for these fees.

Attorney General Ellison also alleges that Suite Liv’n misled their tenants by intentionally communicating confusing, deceptive, and wholly illegal assertions about tenants’ responsibilities at the end of the lease. It represented to its tenants that they could be charged for any cleaning and that they had to return the apartment to “the same or better condition” as it was in when they moved in, which is simply not true.

“Tenants deserve safe, affordable housing, and part of that affordability requires landlords return security deposits to tenants as the law requires. And the law is clear: landlords cannot enrich themselves by charging tenants for expenses that the landlord is required to bear, or for expenses the landlord did not even incur.  It’s illegal to do so, yet this is what we allege Suite Liv’n did—so I’m taking them to court to hold them accountable,” Attorney General Ellison said. “A great many landlords do the right thing by their tenants, and I thank them for it. Those that do not should be on notice that I will not hesitate to hold them to account.”

Attorney General Ellison encourages tenants who have had amounts withheld from their security deposits for normal wear and tear to contact the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office by filling out the dedicated Tenant Report Form on the Attorney General’s website. Minnesotans can also report violations by calling Attorney General Ellison’s office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).