It’s A New Day For Denver Landlords
Denver will force landlords to get licenses to rent their properties
The program will take a few years to fully implement.
The Denverite 5-3-21
Renting out properties in Denver is about to get a little more complicated.
Denver City Council on Monday approved a new program requiring landlords to get a license to rent out properties. Lawmakers said the licensing program will help the city get a clearer picture of its rental stock and enforce basic living conditions for renters.
City Council President Stacie Gilmore, who introduced the bill, said it took two years to craft. She said it focuses on tenant’s rights and protections.
“For the first time in Denver’s history, we will have significant renter protections, through the Healthy Residential Rental for All License,” Gilmore said, referring to the bill’s formal name.
Denver joins cities including Portland and Seattle in establishing rental licensing programs. Closer to home, cities like Boulder and Westminster have similar programs.
Denver’s housing stock includes nearly 520,000 properties and units; more than a third are rentals, according to 2019 figures.
The program would require property owners to gets licenses that must be renewed every four years and require licenses for single-family homes, condos, rowhouses and apartment complexes (the program won’t charge per apartment unit, but rather by each parcel). Each license will cost $50, with costs increasing for complexes with multiple units. Gilmore said fees were kept relatively low to make sure they weren’t passed on to tenants.
