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.
State Laws
Below you can access vital information about renting in Colorado, including details on application fees, security deposits, pet deposits, and additional information to collect with your Colorado rental application.
Application Fees
The Colorado Rental Application Fairness Act, (§ 38-12-901 to § 38-12-905) specifically addresses how landlords are required to handle rental applications and any associated fees:
- Property owners charging a rental application fee must use the collected amount and can only use the money to cover the costs of processing the rental application.
- 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 application fees received.
- Landlords cannot charge one applicant a different amount than another for the same rental unit, and you must return any unused portion of the rental application fee within 20 days.
- You may be liable for three times the rental application fee and court costs if you violate any of these rental application requirements.
Security Deposits
Colorado law hasn’t imposed any limits on how much to charge as a security deposit. However, for leases of one year or less, it limits the amount landlords can charge for security deposits to one month’s rent. Landlords must also return the deposit no more than 60 days after the termination of a lease (Colorado Revised Statutes § 38-12-103).
Pet Deposits
As of 2023, the Pet Animal Ownership In Housing Law (HB23-1068) limits Colorado pet deposits to $300. Furthermore, landlords are forbidden to demand additional rent as a condition of allowing the pet at the rented premises in an amount over $35/month or 1%/month of the tenant’s monthly rent, whichever is greater.
How to Conduct an Eviction Record Search
You can use the Colorado Public Records Directory put forward by the Department of Justice to conduct your rental background check for potential tenants.
Simply access public records and conduct a court records search to see if there have been any recent legal actions taken against the applicant that involve the failure to pay rent or eviction from a property.
If you decide to deny a rental application, you must provide the applicant with a rejection letter. This written notice should state the reasons for not accepting the applicant as a renter and be delivered to them within 20 calendar days.
Other Landlord Resources
Colorado landlords have additional options for screening potential tenants and ensuring their rental applications comply with state and federal laws:
Sample
You may download this free Colorado rental application form in PDF & Word format:
