Colorado.gov

Department Home

Renters/Homeowners: Fair Housing - It's Your Right

Colorado’s anti-discrimination fair housing law was one of the first in the nation in 1959, and it prohibits discrimination with regard to renting or purchasing housing based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, familial status, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.

GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS APRIL AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH … to raise awareness of the anti-discrimination protections Coloradans receive regarding housing issues.

Colorado Fair Housing Act

The Colorado Civil Rights Division and the Civil Rights Commission, of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, are the state entities that investigate housing discrimination complaints for the State of Colorado.

For further details, contact your city planning or municipal housing office.

Your Resources for Fair Housing:
DORA’s Colordo Civil Rights Division
303.894.2997 Denver Office
970.248.7303 Grand Junction Office
719.542.1298 Pueblo Office
800.262.4845 toll-free

Other Resources:
National Fair Housing Act
Housing and Urban Development

Fair Housing 101

Free training which covers all the basics of understanding the Fair Housing laws of Colorado. Special focus will be provided with regard to disability discrimination, including accommodations and modifications. Please review the Fair Housing Class information and dates at CCRD Training Site or contact the Civil Rights Division at 303.894.7821 for more information.

Q: I believe I have been denied rental housing because I am a single mother with two children. Can I be discriminated against in this way?

A: This practice may be a violation of Colorado and/or federal fair housing regulations. The Colorado Civil Rights Division handles the investigation of practices which constitute a discriminatory act or unfair practice in housing. Call the Civil Rights Division at 303.894.2997 for further information. If your complaint falls within the Civil Rights Division's jurisdiction, you will be sent a packet of information and contacted for a personal interview.

Landlord/Tenant Rights

Visit Colorado Division of Housing, which is part of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, for information to help landlords and tenants avoid or resolve rental-housing disagreements.

The following are excerpts from the above mentioned website. . .

A lease should protect both the landlord and the tenant and must be signed by both.
If there is something in the lease that you do not understand or agree with, DO NOT SIGN IT until the issue is resolved.
Once the lease is signed, both parties are bound to it.
Before moving into, or out of, a rental unit, it is very important for the landlord and the tenant to examine the condition of the rental unit. All existing damages in the rental unit should be listed in writing and signed by both the landlord and tenant.
A landlord cannot keep the security deposit to cover normal wear and tear.
A landlord can keep all or part of the security deposit to cover damage caused by the tenant's negligence, intentional abuse or cleaning beyond normal wear and tear.
When a tenant leaves a rental unit, the landlord has 30 days (unless stipulated differently in the lease) to return the security deposit or send a written list of damages and the amount of money owed for repairs to the tenant.
The landlord can evict a tenant at the end of the lease period without giving a reason, but the landlord must give the tenant proper notice to leave.

Residential Rental Units must have the following provided according to law:

• Waterproofing and weather protection
• Unbroken windows and doors
• Running water and reasonable amounts of hot water
• Functioning heating facilities
• Electrical lighting
• Appropriate pest extermination
• Adequately maintained floors, stairways, and railings

Other Helpful Resources:

A Guide to Renter Rights and Responsibilities
Colorado Landlord Tenant Law through the National Landlord Tenant Guide
Tenant Landlord Counseling 303.237.0230
Community Housing Services, Inc. 303.831.1935
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority 303.297.2432
Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation 303.572.9445
Colorado Foreclosure Prevention Hotline 877.601.HOPE

Time to Buy a Home?

Take a home ownership education course to see if you should be renting or owning—visit www.hud.gov for more details

If home ownership is in your near future, be sure to choose a licensed professional to help guide you through the process. Be sure to check on the license and disciplinary history of Colorado real estate agents, mortgage brokers and appraisers.

Your Resource: DORA’s Division of Real Estate - 303.894.2166 or 303.894.2185

Protect Your Largest Asset

DORA’s Colorado Division of Insurance: Homeowners and Renters Disaster Preparedness. An updated, detailed home inventory can help make the claims process easier. For tips, visit www.naic.org/index_disaster_section.htm.