I have been in the management industry since 2007, and here are some trends I’ve noticed in our laws.
Colorado, historically, has been a very friendly place for housing providers–those of us who own or manage residential rental properties. We have had fairly low regulation, and the barrier to entry to become a professional property manager was low: all you needed was a real estate license, and a little bit of common sense. In the last decade, however, that has been changing. The trend has been to make the state more tenant-friendly, and make things harder for housing providers.
We can see this in a couple key areas in landlord-tenant law: maintenance, leasing, and applications, although overall, things have gotten more complex. More regulation has made it harder to be a self-managing owner, and more restrictions on revenue streams and profit margins have impacted every type of housing provider.
This trend only accelerated between 2020-2022, during the peak of COVID-era regulation and reaction, although for housing legislation, things were only just starting to warm up. In 2018, only one law passed had major implications for the rental industry, while in 2023, we had 9 laws with major implications. In 2024, Colorado led the way and became the state with the most progressive law on the books around lease renewals and so-called “cause required” evictions. In 2025, a law was passed that changed how rental prices are disclosed and advertised, and “base rent” entered the conversation.
In order to be successful as a housing provider in Colorado, it’s more important than ever before to monitor legislation before it becomes law. We are proactive and monitor any bills that may impact your properties before they go into effect, and make changes to stay in compliance. If you have an attorney, make sure they review your lease on an annual basis. Many new laws have been passed with clauses that make non-compliant leases null and unenforceable, such as the late fee bill from 2023.
If legislation and compliance has gotten to be too much of a headache, consider hiring a property manager instead of jumping into the sales market. Colorado still has a lot of potential as a place to invest in real estate, and property values continue to rise year over year. Give us a call, and see how we can help take the burden of compliance off your shoulders, and let us return your peace of mind. Here at Ironclad Realty and Property Management, we’ve got you covered.