In hopes of getting a handle on the size and makeup of this city's rental market and also raising the floor for dwelling requirements, Denver City Council has enacted a new landlord licensing system as part of a Healthy Residental Rentals for All program.
"This is a basic responsibility for a city the size and depth of Denver, that we know what our rental stack is and it meets basic habitation rules," Councilmember Jamie Torres said during the May 3 council meeting, before her colleagues unanimously approved the proposal.
The ordinance, championed by council President Stacie Gilmore, sets minimum standards that residential landlords will have to meet in Denver in order to receive a license to rent out a property. The standards include appliances being in "good working condition" and "free of leaks"; landlords must also ensure that "all dwelling units within a residential rental property contain a functioning smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher."