Our house is pretty much sold with the offer made and accepted, inspection done, appraisal done. Closing date is set for Dec.1. My lawn is fairly large with a lot of trees and getting rid of the leaves every year is a multiple weekend task with a dozen bags full each time.
I know my city has rules about cutting your lawn if it gets over a foot tall but as far as I know there is nothing about raking your leaves. Just no burning them or blowing them out into the street.
Can I / should I just let them go this year? I’ve even found articles on line that recommend leaving them lie.
I am sure the new owners will have plenty to do for the move.
Clean up the yard. If you don’t have time, hire someone.
It is the correct thing to do. And you will be a hero.
When I bought my house, the water main on the street side broke. This was the day of the closing. The seller paid to have it fixed. He didn’t have to. But, it was very nice. I still remember it.
I would. Its probably not legally necessary but I would feel like a total jerk if I didn’t.
Generally speaking, the expectation is that you will maintain the home and yard until the transaction is completed. If you would normally bag the leaves, you should bag them. One possible out: you can ask your realtor to check with the buyer’s realtor to see what the buyer prefers. They may indeed prefer that the leaves stay on the lawn. If not, you’ll need to bag them, but it can’t hurt to ask.
It’s still your house. You can’t be sure how long it will take to close, or if it ever will. I might not do the best job of raking, but I’d clean things up.
If I bought a house, I wouldn’t worry about how the landscaping was maintained for a month or two.
The money’s not yet in your bank account. So do it.
Check the P&S agreement. It may specifically require you to maintain the grounds to the same standard as you’ve been doing. Mine did.
I sold a house a month ago. It closes in two days, but I’m mowing it today. It’s still my house and it looks shaggy.
Be a sport.
Another vote for “You have not sold the house. Your house, your cleanup.”
Sales fall thru quite often. If your sale tanks, you want the yard to look it’s best the second it goes back on the market. That means taking care of it now.
Maybe it depends on how the buyers treated you during the sale process. If they were honorable, you probably should be so , too. If they tried to screw you over, maybe not.
But… Noting where you live, there will likely be snow on the ground when the new people move in. The Golden Rule says: rake the lawn, especially since it might be a major PITA for the new owners to do so in December. And clean the house, too. 
I’d do the maintenance, tho perhaps not up to the standard if I were going to stay in the house. So, in your case, I might mulch the leaves instead of raking/bagging. (I generally mulch leaves myself). Or maybe give it a good raking when most of the leaves are down, but then not do the final clean-up before winter really hits.
Same with cutting down annuals/perennials. If I enjoyed doing it, I would. But if not, I might convince myself that I was doing the new owner a favor, letting them know where certain plants were…
Perhaps I should say, tho, that I generally keep my yard in really nice shape. I could let standards drop a few notches, and still be at the average for my neighborhood.
What’s wrong with leaves in the yard? I’ve never understood raking. Let it turn into nice composted soil for the spring.
If the leaves are deep enough, it kills the grass. Plus depending on the type of tree, the earthy smell of composting leaves can make things unpleasant.
If the leaves are deep enough, I figure the shade from the trees has already killed the grass. Lawns don’t grow in a forest. And that earthy smell is the smell of fall! Enjoy it. Beats pumpkin spice if you ask me. 
About the only problem I’ve had with leaves is they can be slippery sometimes. Keep them off your walkways and clear them if you’re planning on a pickup football game.
Leaves can also cause problems for stormwater runoff in your neighborhood. They can sit over a drain and cause a flood.
I say do the work. Actually if you can afford it I say pay someone to do it, this one last time, because doing leaves is no fun!
Have you closed? Have you conveyed title?
No? Then it’s still your property, and still your responsibility. FFS.
I’m sure your neighbors would appreciate it.
Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.
You should rake, especially if you have any oaks. Oak leaves are generally damaging to a lawn. Maples just get too deep. Fruit trees like cherry, apple and dogwood can just be mulched and left. These are actually good for the soil.
But yes, you shouldn’t leave the leaf pick up for the new owners. Especially as in Minneapolis area almost all the leaves should be down before the close.