Denver, Colorado · City renter rules · Updated Oct 2026
Denver Tenant Rights: City Rules, Evictions (2026)
What is different for renters in Denver compared with Colorado state law: relocation payments, eviction protections and repairs. In plain English from official city sources.
Short answer
Denver has no rent control (Colorado law bans it) and relies on state law for just-cause eviction, deposits and late fees. What Denver adds: every rental must have a city license and pass an inspection, your landlord must give you a signed lease within 7 days and the city's Tenant Rights and Resources notice with your lease and with any rent demand, and the city funds free eviction lawyers for households at or below 80% of area median income.
- Rent control
- No city rent cap
- Just cause for eviction
- No city rule
- Relocation payments
- In some cases
Rent control in Denver
Denver has no rent control of its own. Colorado law: No statewide rent cap. Cities and counties are not allowed to control rents on private housing (C.R.S. § 38-12-301), except through voluntary affordable-housing agreements.
Just cause for eviction in Denver
Denver has no just-cause eviction rule of its own; Colorado law decides when a landlord can end a tenancy. Eviction rules in Colorado
Relocation payments in Denver
- The rule
- If Denver's public health department declares your unit unfit for human habitation and posts a placard ordering you to move out, the department may order the owner or operator to help you find an equivalent place to live, and the order can also require the owner to pay reasonable expenses and costs, until the problems are fixed and the placard is removed. The order is posted on the property. If the owner does not comply and the city pays for your relocation instead, the cost becomes a lien on the property. There is no fixed dollar amount, and relocation is not automatic — it depends on the department's order. Separately, if the owner of a hotel, motel or other building with 4 or more rooms or units rented separately as homes plans to vacate it for remodeling, demolition, a change of use or a sale, all residents must get at least 30 days' notice, posted at each entrance and filed with the City Clerk.
Security deposits in Denver
Denver adds no deposit rules of its own; Colorado law applies: deposit limit 2 months' rent, returned within 30 days. Security deposit law in Colorado
Repairs and complaints in Denver
Report code violations and unsafe conditions (neighborhood inspections) by calling 311 (720-913-1311 from outside Denver). If the health department finds your unit unfit to live in, it can order the owner to help you relocate (see relocation). You can also file a complaint about an unlicensed or unsafe rental with the Department of Excise and Licenses. Every rental property must pass a third-party inspection before it can be licensed, and unlicensed rentals are fined. State law (Colorado warranty of habitability) sets repair deadlines and remedies.
Eviction protections in Denver
Free legal help: the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) funds free eviction lawyers for households at or below 80% of area median income — Colorado Poverty Law Project (303-532-2641), Colorado Economic Defense Project (303-838-1200), Colorado Affordable Legal Services (303-996-0010) and Colorado Legal Services (303-837-1313). A free walk-in eviction clinic runs Monday to Friday, 8 am to noon, in Room 163 of the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St. Your landlord must give you the Denver Tenant Rights and Resources notice with your lease and with any rent demand. Only the sheriff can carry out an eviction, after a court order.
Other Denver rules
- Residential rental license: every rental of 30 days or more in Denver must be licensed and pass inspection (DRMC Ch. 27, Art. VIII).
- Since January 1, 2022, you cannot be moved in without a signed written lease, and you must get a copy within 7 days.
- Denver's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance adds protections beyond state law: ethnicity, citizenship, immigration status, age (40+) and protective hairstyle.
- Free landlord-tenant counseling through Colorado Housing Connects, funded by HOST: 1-844-926-6632.
Colorado law that also applies
City rules add to state law. Where they differ, the stronger protection usually applies; if you are unsure, ask the city agency below.
- Deposit limit
- 2 months' rent
- Deposit back within
- 30 days
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10 days
- Notice before entry
- No statute
- Rent increase notice
- At least 60 days' written notice if you have no written lease.
Where to get help in Denver
- Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) — Eviction Help
- Colorado Housing Connects (HOST-funded tenant counseling) · 1-844-926-6632
- Colorado Economic Defense Project (HOST-funded eviction legal services) · 303-838-1200
- Colorado Poverty Law Project (HOST-funded eviction legal services) · 303-532-2641
- Denver 311 (code complaints) · 311 (720-913-1311 from outside Denver)
Free tools
These tools use Colorado state law. Denver's rules above may give you more time or more money.
Deposit calculator
Check Colorado's deadline to return your deposit.
Eviction notice timeline
See the dates under Colorado law.
Repair request letter for Colorado
Ask your landlord in writing to fix the problem by a date. A written, dated request is the first step in almost every state, and it is proof that the landlord knew. Check the problems, add dates, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it). Sign it, keep a copy and photos, and send it in a way you can prove.
Questions about renting in Denver
Is there rent control in Denver?
Denver has no rent control of its own. Colorado law: No statewide rent cap. Cities and counties are not allowed to control rents on private housing (C.R.S. § 38-12-301), except through voluntary affordable-housing agreements.
What eviction protections does Denver have?
Free legal help: the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) funds free eviction lawyers for households at or below 80% of area median income — Colorado Poverty Law Project (303-532-2641), Colorado Economic Defense Project (303-838-1200), Colorado Affordable Legal Services (303-996-0010) and Colorado Legal Services (303-837-1313). A free walk-in eviction clinic runs Monday to Friday, 8 am to noon, in Room 163 of the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St. Your landlord must give you the Denver Tenant Rights and Resources notice with your lease and with any rent demand. Only the sheriff can carry out an eviction, after a court order.
Do I get relocation money if I have to move out in Denver?
If Denver's public health department declares your unit unfit for human habitation and posts a placard ordering you to move out, the department may order the owner or operator to help you find an equivalent place to live, and the order can also require the owner to pay reasonable expenses and costs, until the problems are fixed and the placard is removed. The order is posted on the property. If the owner does not comply and the city pays for your relocation instead, the cost becomes a lien on the property. There is no fixed dollar amount, and relocation is not automatic — it depends on the department's order. Separately, if the owner of a hotel, motel or other building with 4 or more rooms or units rented separately as homes plans to vacate it for remodeling, demolition, a change of use or a sale, all residents must get at least 30 days' notice, posted at each entrance and filed with the City Clerk.
How do I report repair problems in Denver?
Report code violations and unsafe conditions (neighborhood inspections) by calling 311 (720-913-1311 from outside Denver). If the health department finds your unit unfit to live in, it can order the owner to help you relocate (see relocation). You can also file a complaint about an unlicensed or unsafe rental with the Department of Excise and Licenses. Every rental property must pass a third-party inspection before it can be licensed, and unlicensed rentals are fined. State law (Colorado warranty of habitability) sets repair deadlines and remedies.