Polis halts late fees for renters through year's end

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed an executive order banning late fees for Colorado renters through year’s end. 

The order was announced along with a number of recommendations from the state’s Special Eviction Prevention Task Force, which was created in August to examine housing instability caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“My top priority is protecting the health and safety of Coloradans, which includes secure housing. Implementing these thoughtful recommendations is another important step toward creating housing stability for more Coloradans during this pandemic,” Polis stated in a news release. “We want to help provide relief for families that have been impacted financially by this pandemic.”

Longmont City Council has been weighing its own temporary moratorium on late fees. During its meeting Tuesday, council delayed a vote on the proposed ordinance to allow city staff to collect more data and opinions on how it would impact property owners and tenants. Among the reasons council members cited for delaying a vote was to wait for the recommendations from the Special Eviction Prevention Task Force. 

The city also is collecting survey responses on the issue. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September ordered a nationwide eviction moratorium order, which also is set to expire on Dec. 31. Polis previously implemented a task force recommendation requiring landlords to provide notice of the CDC moratorium.