Tenants would see new protections through a bill currently under consideration from Colorado’s legislature.
Senate Bill 23-184, protections for residential tenants, is being sponsored by Sen. Faith Winter (D-Westminster) and Reps. Meg Froelich (D-Greenwood Village) and Lorena Garcia (D-Adams County).
As proposed, the bill would restrict landlords from considering or inquiring about certain information related to a prospective tenant’s rental history, amount of income and credit history. It also requires that landlords who solicit rental applications to rent to the first prospective tenant who satisfies the landlord’s financial and other rental screening criteria.
A landlord who violates the bill’s prohibitions is subject to an initial penalty of $50 paid to the aggrieved party, and a landlord who doesn't cure the violation is subject to a statutory penalty of $5,000 in addition to the initial penalty and other costs.
The bill goes on to require that landlords allow tenants to pay a security deposit in monthly installments over a period that is equal to half the term of the tenancy. It also caps the security deposit at one monthly rent payment.
The bill makes any violation of these prohibitions an unfair housing practice subject to enforcement by private persons, the attorney general and the Colorado civil rights division.
Longmont city staff has recommended that the council support this bill, which the council is expected to do during their regular meeting Tuesday.
“This bill provides for protections for rental applicants using fair housing principles to ensure landlords do not discriminate based on income or housing subsidy,” staff said in a memo to the city council, noting that housing is a priority for the city council. “It would cap security deposits to one month rent. This is reasonable, would reduce an impediment to renting and would not
preclude the landlord from going to collections in the case of significant damage.”
The bill was introduced March 9 and has not yet been scheduled for a hearing with the Local Government and Housing Committee.
