Minnesota Release of Rent (Rent Escrow) is a legal process that allows a tenant to pay their rent into a third-party escrow account when the landlord has not made the necessary repairs or taken other action required by the lease or state law. This allows the tenant to use the rent money to make the repairs or take other action on their own. The landlord may be legally required to pay additional costs related to the repairs. There are two types of Minnesota Release of Rent (Rent Escrow): voluntary and court-ordered. A voluntary Release of Rent is when the tenant and landlord agree to the escrow arrangement. A court-ordered Release of Rent is when a judge orders the landlord to release the rent money to the tenant in a court order.