Housing · Rent control
Does Colorado Have Rent Control?
Whether Colorado caps how much rent can rise, whether cities can set their own limits or are barred from it, and the exemptions. Rent control is separate from the notice a landlord must give before an increase. Cited to the statute.
What the rent control law says in Colorado
Whether rent increases are capped, who sets the limit, and the housing the rule does not reach.
Two 2024 laws are often confused with a repeal but did not disturb the ban. House Bill 24-1098 added a separate for-cause eviction part at sections 38-12-1301 to 38-12-1307, and House Bill 24-1175 lets local governments impose affordability requirements only on properties they themselves acquire. Neither changes section 38-12-301.
| What the law says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Local rent control is barred | Under Colorado Revised Statutes section 38-12-301, enacted in 1981, no county or municipality may enact any ordinance or resolution that would control rent on private residential property or a private residential housing unit. |
| No statewide cap | Colorado sets no statewide limit on how much rent can rise. With local caps blocked and no state ceiling, ordinary rent is governed by the lease and the market. |
| What is exempt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Voluntary affordability agreements | A county or municipality may agree with an owner or a permit applicant to limit rent on a property in return for terms designed to provide affordable housing, and may record a deed restriction placed on title under such a voluntary agreement. |
| No coercion through permits | A municipality may not deny an application for a development permit because the applicant declines to enter a rent-limit agreement. Government-owned property managed through a housing authority is also unaffected by the ban. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you are facing a rent increase in Colorado. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Know that no cap applies
Outside a voluntary affordability agreement, Colorado has no rent limit. A landlord may raise the rent at renewal or when a month-to-month tenancy continues. Plan around the lease, not a legal ceiling.
- Read the increase terms in your lease
Your protection comes from the lease. During a fixed term the rent is locked at the agreed figure. Check when your term ends and what notice the lease and state law require before an increase can take effect.
- Confirm the notice before the increase begins
A cap does not apply, but a month-to-month increase still needs proper written notice. Confirm the date the higher rent is allowed to start before you treat it as owed.
- Get Colorado tenant help
If an increase or a notice looks improper, Colorado Judicial self-help resources and local legal aid explain your options. A local rent board cannot help, because Colorado cities and counties cannot control rent.
If you think an increase breaks a cap or a local ordinance, a legal aid office or the state consumer-protection unit can tell you whether a limit applies to your unit.
→ Colorado Judicial Branch (Self-Help)This is general legal information, not legal advice. Caps, local ordinances, and exemptions turn on the specific unit and city, so confirm your situation against the statute.
What renters in Colorado get wrong about rent control
Colorado has barred local rent control for more than forty years. Colorado Revised Statutes section 38-12-301, on the books since 1981, tells every county and municipality that it may not enact any ordinance or resolution that would control rent on private residential property. The state adds no cap of its own, so for most Colorado renters no rent ceiling applies. During a fixed term your rent is locked at the agreed amount, and after that a landlord may raise it by any figure with the written notice the law requires. The statute does leave room for affordability by consent. A local government may agree with an owner or a permit applicant to limit rent in exchange for terms designed to provide affordable housing, and may back that up with a deed restriction. It may not, though, deny a development permit just because an applicant refuses such a deal, a limit the legislature added to stop voluntary agreements from becoming compulsory in practice. Recent legislation has generated confusion, but the 2024 bills on eviction and on locally acquired property did not repeal the ban.
Common questions
Does Colorado have rent control?
No. Colorado has no statewide rent cap, and Revised Statutes section 38-12-301 has barred counties and municipalities from controlling rent on private residential property since 1981.
Can my rent be raised any amount in Colorado?
Yes, at renewal or when a month-to-month tenancy continues. Because no rent cap applies, the increase is governed by the lease and the market, not a legal ceiling, as long as proper notice is given.
Did Colorado repeal its rent control ban in 2024?
No. House Bill 24-1098 added separate for-cause eviction protections, and House Bill 24-1175 lets local governments set affordability rules only on property they acquire. Neither disturbed the ban in section 38-12-301.
Can a Colorado city ever limit rent?
Only by consent. A city or county may agree with an owner to limit rent in exchange for affordable-housing terms, but it cannot impose a general rent cap and cannot force such an agreement as a condition of a permit.
What protects me from a rent increase in Colorado?
Your lease and the notice rules, not a rent cap. During a fixed term the rent is set at the agreed amount, and any later increase must come with the written notice the law requires before it can take effect.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.