If you own rental property in Fort Collins, Wellington, Loveland, Windsor, or Johnstown, you already know Colorado is one of the most regulated states in the country for landlord-tenant law. And one area where compliance matters most — and where many self-managing landlords unintentionally make costly mistakes — is tenant screening.
Between expanding protected classes, strict source-of-income rules, limits on credit screening, and detailed requirements for portable screening reports, the screening process is no longer something you can handle casually or based on “common sense.”
Fair housing mistakes often happen before a tenant ever signs a lease — during the application and screening stage. And in today’s legal environment, even one mistake can lead to fines, complaints, and legal liability.
This guide breaks down what Colorado landlords need to know and how professional property managers like Stegner Property Management help protect owners by using attorney-approved screening criteria, standardized scoring, and legally compliant processes.
Colorado has more protected classes than federal law. This means all landlords must comply with both state and federal regulations. In Colorado, you cannot screen or make rental decisions based on:
Because Colorado adds extra categories (like source of income and marital status), many landlords who self-manage their rentals unintentionally violate laws simply because they don’t realize the rules have changed.
And the laws do change frequently.
Stegner Property Management keeps all screening criteria, leases, and rental applications updated annually to stay fully compliant with evolving regulations in Colorado’s rental housing laws.
Self-managing rental property owners must do this themselves, and the burden is significant.
Colorado allows landlords to review an applicant’s credit report as long as the criteria are:
But one of the biggest pitfalls to be aware of is how credit screening must change when an applicant receives a housing subsidy.
Under state law, landlords cannot use credit history when evaluating applications from subsidy recipients.
This is why Stegner Property Management's application guidelines state that if an applicant indicates that they receive housing assistance, the company will not use the credit history section of the application.
Many landlords who manage their own rental homes unknowingly break this rule.
Colorado restricts the use of criminal history in screening:
Professional property managers are trained in fair-use criminal screening. Rental property investors and landlords who self-manage often risk breaking the law by using outdated, overly broad, or subjective criteria.
Eviction history can be considered — but only within specific time limits.
Professional Colorado property managers follow the state’s allowed timeframe and prohibit using older evictions or irrelevant rental debts when evaluating new applicants.
For example, in late 2025, Stegner Property Management's criteria state that they are unable to approve an applicant who has been evicted from a property within the last 5 years, or has left owing a previous landlord money.
This aligns with fair housing standards and gives owners a legally defensible basis for denial when necessary. And should these standards change, the Stegner Property Management team will quickly update their leasing criteria and relevant documents to ensure the property owners they work with are compliant.
Colorado requires landlords to accept portable screening reports if they meet statutory requirements. Many self-managing landlords either:
Stegner Property Management outlines a compliant process to ensure owners and tenants stay within the law:
This protects landlords from violating screening laws — and from being fined.
Here are some practical examples of how a structured, legally compliant tenant screening process protects rental property owners in Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Windsor, and Johnstown. These show how professional property management lowers fair housing and legal risk compared to self-managing rental properties.
Many self-managing landlords reject applicants who use housing vouchers or other subsidies, assuming they are higher risk. In Colorado, that can amount to illegal source-of-income discrimination.
Stegner’s written screening criteria specifically change when an applicant indicates they receive housing assistance. In those cases, the company does not use the applicant’s credit history as part of the approval decision, which aligns with Colorado fair housing rules.
This protects owners from discrimination complaints, investigations, and fines tied to improper credit-based denials of subsidized tenants.
Many landlords “pick the best tenant” based on who seems most trustworthy or who they like more after a showing. That kind of subjective decision-making is exactly what leads to
fair housing complaints.
They process completed applications strictly in the order they are received. The first fully completed application goes through screening first, using the same criteria every time.
Self-managing landlords often deny tenants for reasons that feel reasonable to them (like “I just don’t feel comfortable” or “their past situation seems messy”) but that do not line up with
Colorado tenant screening laws.
They use attorney-reviewed criteria that spell out which issues can lead to a denial, such as a recent eviction within a set number of years or unpaid balances owed to previous landlords. These reasons are clearly defined and applied the same way to every applicant. Moreover, the criteria and the whole tenant application process are outlined on their website and available to the public.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are one of the most frequent sources of
fair housing disputes. DIY landlords may accidentally charge the wrong fees, require the wrong documentation, or treat ESAs like regular pets.
They require every household to complete a profile through a pet and animal screening service, even if they do not have a pet or animal. All applicants should complete a Pet, No Pet, or Animal Profile. This process:
Having a consistent process for pets and assistance animals helps prevent unintentional violations of ADA and fair housing rules — and shields owners from costly complaints. Moreover, requiring all applicants to complete a Pet, No Pet, or Animal Profile is considered documentation of whether the residents had any animals upon applying for a rental home.
Colorado rental laws do not stand still. They change frequently, and those changes often affect:
A professional property management company builds these updates into their systems every year.
A self-managing landlord has to track and implement all of this alone.
If a DIY landlord misses even one update, they risk:
In a highly regulated state like Colorado, using old forms or generic “boilerplate” screening criteria is not just outdated — it’s a liability.
Experienced property managers like Stegner PM:
For rental property investors in Fort Collins, Wellington, Loveland, Windsor, and Johnstown, this means less time worrying about laws and less exposure to expensive mistakes.
Self-managing landlords can absolutely do this work — but they must be willing to treat tenant screening and compliance like a constantly moving target, not a one-time setup.
Fair housing and credit screening in Colorado are not simple. The risks for landlords and property investors are only increasing. You can still screen carefully, legally, and with your property’s protection in mind… but only if you follow today’s regulations and stay ahead of tomorrow’s changes.
Stegner Property Management does this daily. If you’re juggling your rental property alongside work, family, and other responsibilities, consistently staying compliant can quickly become overwhelming.
If you want a team that knows landlord tenant law, follows best practices, and protects your rental property investment every step of the way, Stegner Property Management is here to help.
They proudly serve landlords and real estate investors across Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Wellington, Loveland, Windsor, and Johnstown. They can help you stay compliant and stress-free in Colorado’s complex regulatory landscape.
