How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Colorado?
In Colorado, a landlord may charge an application fee only if the whole of it goes to the costs of processing the application, the fee must be the same for every applicant for the landlord’s units, and any part not used must be refunded within 20 calendar days. This is C.R.S. § 38-12-903.
| What | Colorado |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Actual processing cost; any unused part refunded |
Source
C.R.S. § 38-12-903
Read the statute in the Colorado Revised Statutes (Colorado General Assembly): leg.colorado.gov.
The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.
Checked against the statute on September 11, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
This page states what the state allows a landlord to charge somebody applying to rent, so a fee can be checked against it before it is advertised or collected.
Guides on this rule
- FCRA Adverse Action Notices: What Landlords Must Tell Applicants — When a screening report leads you to deny an applicant or ask for more, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a notice. What it must say, with the statute.
- Reusable Tenant Screening Reports: When Landlords Must Accept Them — Colorado requires landlords to accept a portable screening report; California, Maryland and Washington set disclosure and fee rules; New York waives the fee.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
Compare this rule in every state
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