Colorado bans local rent control, so Denver cannot cap how much rent rises. But state law does limit how often rent can go up, sets notice rules, caps late fees, prohibits retaliatory increases, and since 2024 requires a reason to end most longer tenancies. In the city of Denver, about 171,900 of 335,400 occupied homes, or 51.2 percent, are rented, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25003). The median gross rent is $1,831 a month (Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25064), and the median renter household earns $71,437 a year (Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25119), so the median rent equals about 31 percent of the median renter household’s gross income.
Homzora is a housing research publisher, not a law firm. This article explains the law in plain English and is not legal advice for your situation.
Quick answers
- Rent control: prohibited statewide (C.R.S. § 38-12-301).
- Frequency: no more than one increase in any 12 months of continuous occupancy (C.R.S. § 38-12-702).
- Notice: 60 days’ written notice for tenancies without a written agreement (C.R.S. § 38-12-701).
- Late fees: the greater of $50 or 5 percent of past due rent, and only after 7 days (C.R.S. § 38-12-105).
- Retaliation: rent increases in retaliation are prohibited (C.R.S. § 38-12-509).
Why Denver has no rent cap
Section 38-12-301 bars counties and municipalities from enacting any ordinance or resolution that would control rents on private residential property. It allows voluntary agreements and deed restrictions that keep units affordable (C.R.S. § 38-12-301).
Once every 12 months
A landlord may not increase rent more than once in any 12 month period of continuous occupancy. The rule applies to residential tenancies whether or not there is a written lease, including month to month and other periodic tenancies (C.R.S. § 38-12-702).
Notice before an increase
For a residential tenancy without a written agreement, the landlord must give at least 60 days’ written notice before increasing the rent, and may not end the tenancy primarily to raise the rent (C.R.S. § 38-12-701). If you have a written lease, read its terms on renewal and notice; during a fixed term, rent generally changes only as the lease allows.
Late fees
A late fee may not exceed the greater of $50 or 5 percent of the past due rent, and it may be charged only after rent is at least 7 calendar days late. The fee must be disclosed in the lease, only one fee may be charged per late payment, and a tenant may not be evicted solely for unpaid late fees (C.R.S. § 38-12-105). Colorado sets a penalty of $50 per violation, and after a 7 day cure period, a tenant can recover damages plus $150 to $1,000 per violation and attorney fees (C.R.S. § 38-12-105).
Retaliation
A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for good faith complaints about habitability or health and safety, for organizing or joining a tenants’ association, or for using habitability rights, by raising rent, decreasing services, ending or refusing to renew the lease, threatening eviction, or charging fees. The tenant need only show that the protected activity was a motivating factor. Remedies include the greater of three months’ rent or three times actual damages, plus fees (C.R.S. § 38-12-509).
For cause eviction since 2024
Colorado’s for cause eviction law applies to most residential tenancies once a tenant has lived in a unit for at least 12 months, with exemptions including short term rentals, mobile home spaces, employer housing, and certain owner occupied homes (C.R.S. § 38-12-1302). After that point, a landlord needs a listed reason to end the tenancy (C.R.S. § 38-12-1303).
One listed no fault reason is a tenant’s refusal to sign a new lease with reasonable terms, and no fault reasons generally require 90 days’ notice (C.R.S. § 38-12-1303). An increase that is not reasonable can therefore matter in a dispute over whether a tenancy may end.
Fair housing
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in rental terms because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604). HUD accepts complaints (HUD, File a Complaint).
If you cannot afford the increase
- Ask about a different lease length. Some landlords price longer terms lower to avoid turnover.
- Ask about a smaller unit from the same owner.
- Compare total monthly cost, including parking, utilities, and fees.
- Contact 211 to ask about rental assistance programs in your area (211.org).
- Decide before your notice deadline, so you can give proper notice if you move.
At a rent of $1,831, the median gross rent used in this guide, a 5 percent increase adds about $92 a month, or about $1,099 a year. Comparing that annual figure with the cost of moving, including a new deposit and moving expenses, often clarifies the decision.
A renewal timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Three to four months before your lease ends | Check your lease for its renewal and notice terms. |
| Two to three months before | Start collecting dated listings for comparable rentals. |
| When the offer arrives | Check the amount, the timing, and every fee against your current lease. |
| Within a week | Send a specific written counteroffer or question. |
| Before your notice deadline | Sign the renewal or give written notice that you will move. |
A sample counteroffer
Hello, thank you for the renewal offer for [address]. I would like to stay. Comparable rentals nearby are listed at [amounts], and I have paid on time. Would you consider [specific amount] for a [length] lease? Please reply by 2026. Sincerely, [name].
Denver rules every renter should know
- Written lease: since January 1, 2022, Denver requires a signed written lease before a tenant has lived in a unit for more than 30 days, with a copy to the tenant within 7 days (City and County of Denver, Eviction Help).
- Tenant Rights and Resources Notice: landlords must provide it at lease signing and with any demand for rent (City and County of Denver, Eviction Help).
- Rental license: anyone renting residential property in Denver for 30 days or more needs a residential rental license, and the license number must appear in advertisements (City and County of Denver, Residential Rental Property License).
- No lockouts: only the sheriff may carry out an eviction, and only after a court order (City and County of Denver, Eviction Help).
Key terms
- Preemption: Colorado’s statewide bar on local rent control (C.R.S. § 38-12-301).
- Continuous occupancy: the period during which rent may rise only once in 12 months (C.R.S. § 38-12-702).
- No fault reason: a basis for ending a tenancy that is not the tenant’s fault, such as a sale or a family member moving in.
- Retaliation: a landlord action taken because the tenant used a legal right.
Build your evidence file
Landlord and tenant disputes are usually decided by documents. Keep these together from the day you sign:
- The signed lease, every addendum, and every renewal.
- Receipts or bank records for the deposit and each rent payment.
- Dated photos and video of every room at move in and move out.
- Copies of every repair request and the landlord’s replies.
- Every notice you send or receive, with proof of delivery.
Keep copies somewhere other than your phone, such as an email to yourself, so they survive a lost device.
Before you sign your next lease
- Ask who owns and who manages the property, and get contact details in writing.
- Read the clauses on early termination, subletting, renewal, late fees, and notice before you sign.
- Confirm the deposit amount, where it will be held, and how it will be returned.
- Walk through the unit, note existing damage in writing, and keep a signed copy.
- Ask how much notice the landlord gives before a rent increase or a non renewal.
Help in Denver
Colorado Legal Services provides free civil legal help to eligible residents, including on evictions, rent increases, lockouts, security deposits, and unsafe conditions (Colorado Legal Services). The City and County of Denver pays for lawyers in eviction cases for households at or below 80 percent of area median income, runs a free eviction clinic, and lists Colorado Housing Connects, a free landlord and tenant counseling line, at 1.844.926.6632 (City and County of Denver, Eviction Help). Rent, income, and tenure figures for this guide are free to download from the Homzora Denver data library.
Frequently asked questions
Can my Denver landlord raise my rent twice in a year?
No. Only once in any 12 months of continuous occupancy (C.R.S. § 38-12-702).
Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?
No state or Denver percentage cap exists, because local rent control is prohibited (C.R.S. § 38-12-301).
How large can a late fee be?
The greater of $50 or 5 percent of the past due rent, charged only after 7 days (C.R.S. § 38-12-105).
My rent went up after I complained about mold. What can I do?
Retaliatory rent increases are prohibited, and remedies can include three months’ rent or three times actual damages (C.R.S. § 38-12-509). Keep your complaint records and contact Colorado Legal Services.
Sources
- Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25003
- Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25064
- Homzora Denver dataset, Table B25119
- C.R.S. § 38-12-301
- C.R.S. § 38-12-702
- C.R.S. § 38-12-701
- C.R.S. § 38-12-105
- C.R.S. § 38-12-509
- C.R.S. § 38-12-1302
- C.R.S. § 38-12-1303
- 42 U.S.C. § 3604
- HUD, File a Complaint
- 211.org
- City and County of Denver, Eviction Help
- City and County of Denver, Residential Rental Property License
- Colorado Legal Services
- Homzora Denver data library