A Colorado rental application is an invaluable document that helps landlords make informed decisions about prospective tenants before signing a lease agreement. This form simplifies the selection process when you have many applicants for your rental property.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non-refundable.
- Fee Limits – No limits. However, it cannot surpass the cost of the screening process or be inconsistent with the amounts charged to other prospective tenants.
- Security Deposit – No limit on the amount that the landlord can demand (no statute).
Application Fee
- The Colorado Rental Application Fairness Act explicitly addresses how landlords are required to handle applications and any associated fees. [1]
- Property owners charging a fee must use the collected amount and can only use the money to cover the screening process costs.
- You must provide an exact or estimated cost for the screening tools you plan to use and provide the applicant with an itemized list of actual or expected expenses and a receipt for any fees.
- Landlords cannot charge one applicant a different amount than another for the same rental unit, and you must return any unused portion of the fee within 20 days. [2]
- You may be liable for three times the fee and court costs if you violate any of these rental application requirements.
Fair Housing Protections
- Prohibited and unfair housing practices include refusing to show, sell, transfer, rent, or lease housing based on disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, or ancestry. [3]
- Checking the credit of all prospective tenants is not considered discriminatory.
Security Deposit Limits
- Colorado law hasn’t imposed any limits on how much to charge as a security deposit. However, for one year or fewer leases, it limits the amount landlords can charge for security deposits to one month’s rent.
- Landlords must return the deposit no more than 60 days after terminating a lease. [4]
Pet Deposits
As of 2023, the Pet Animal Ownership In Housing Law (HB23-1068) limits pet deposits to $300. Furthermore, landlords are forbidden to demand additional rent as a condition of allowing the pet at the rented premises over $35/month or 1%/month of the tenant’s monthly rent, whichever is greater.
Sample
