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DENVER, CO - The House Business Affairs & Labor Committee today passed a bill that saves Coloradans money on rental applications. It passed by a vote of 7-3.
“Rental application fees average from $40 per adult, which has doubled in the last few decades and will only continue to rise,” said Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs. “With rapidly increasing rental costs and limited housing availability, Coloradans shouldn’t have to spend multiple rental application fees in the course of a single home search.”
“Coloradans shouldn’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars on rental applications,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “Tenants sometimes apply for dozens of housing options to secure just one unit and must pay for every application that is required throughout the rental process. By allowing them to reuse documents including rental and credit history and criminal records for a limited amount of time, renters will save more money to cover the cost of rent, rental deposits, movers, groceries, health care, or other necessary expenses.”
HB23-1099 builds off the Rental Application Fairness Act that was passed by Colorado Democrats in 2019 by allowing prospective renters to reuse a rental application for up to 30 days without paying additional fees. It also minimizes the number of times a credit score is pulled, protecting a potential renter’s credit score from being continuously damaged from credit score inquiries. Under this bill, a landlord must return an application to a potential tenant to reuse if the application is denied and provide a notice of the applicant’s right to dispute the accuracy of the report. Rental and credit history reports and criminal record documents must come from consumer reporting agencies to be eligible for reuse.
The bill authorizes the Attorney General’s office to enforce the Rental Application Fairness Act if landlords refuse to accept these reusable applications at no additional cost within the 30-day window.