Supporting Colorado Landlords
Local Trade Organization Dedicated to Helping Landlords
New Law Restricts Pet Rent & Deposits On Colorado Landlords
Effective January 1, 2024, Colorado landlords and real estate investors have new restrictions on what they can charge to tenants who have pets.
Among other items the new restrictions include:
Insurance companies may not restrict any dog breeds.
Landlords may not charge more than $300 as a pet deposit.
Landlords may not charge pet rent of more than $35 or 1.5% of the monthly rent.
Initial Take on Rocket's Acquisition of Redfin
Marc shares thoughts on how property managers should think about the idea of converting tenants to home-buyers.
Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), a fintech platform known for mortgage and real estate businesses, is acquiring Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN), a major digital real estate brokerage, for $1.75 billion in an all-stock deal ($12.50 per share). The acquisition could significantly disrupt Zillow’s dominance, creating a strong integrated real estate platform combining mortgage services with a leading online home search and brokerage presence. This move has already impacted Zillow’s stock negatively and positions Rocket and Redfin as a serious competitor in the industry.
How Real Estate Transactions Affect Your Taxes
Buying, selling, or improving a home significantly impacts your taxes. When selling, homeowners may face capital gains taxes, but can exclude up to $250,000 of gains ($500,000 for married couples) if they've lived in the home for two of the last five years. Mortgage interest deductions and property tax considerations also affect taxable income, particularly early in homeownership.
Additionally, major home improvements—such as renovations, structural changes, and energy-efficient upgrades—increase your property's tax basis, potentially reducing taxable gains when selling. Maintaining organized digital records of real estate documents and home improvement expenses ensures you're prepared for tax season and maximizes your financial benefits.
Deep Dive: How RL Property Management Dramatically Reduced Client Churn
RL Property Management conducted an in-depth churn analysis, revealing a peak churn rate of 3.3% monthly (~40% annually) due to client dissatisfaction with maintenance quality, pricing, economic conditions, communication gaps, and misaligned client expectations.
Starting in October, the company implemented targeted improvements focusing on better communication, enhanced customer service, and internal process alignment. This successfully reduced churn to the current rate of 1.4% monthly (~17% annually), with analysis highlighting the critical retention windows during client onboarding and the first vacancy period, enabling focused efforts to further enhance client retention.
Multifamily Residence Continues Despite Economic Uncertainty
Demand Defies the Downturn
Multifamily apartment demand hit a Q1 record in 2025, highlighting the sector’s strength despite slower job growth and rising inflation, as reported by Real Page.
In Q1 2025, apartment absorption surged past 138K units — the strongest first-quarter performance on record. Leading the pack were Atlanta, Phoenix, and Dallas, while Anaheim was the only major market to report net move-outs.
Real Page anticipates total absorption of nearly 460K units in 2025, signaling continued multifamily apartment demand even amid weaker job growth and rising economic headwinds.
Supply Shrinks From Peak
On the development front, new supply is clearly decelerating. Roughly 116K units were delivered in Q1, and 2025 is expected to see a total of 431K units come online — a 26% drop from the previous year. This tapering supply could help balance markets still working through elevated vacancy rates due to prior construction surges, especially as multifamily apartment demand remains historically strong.
Rent Growth Returns
Nationally, effective asking rents climbed 0.3% in Q1 2025, marking the first Q1 rent growth in three years. The first Q1 increase in three years — buoyed by steady multifamily apartment demand in several key markets. Real Page expects rents to rise 2.3% this year, with about 32% of the top 50 markets forecast to see increases between 3.0% and 3.9%.
Richmond is projected to post the strongest gains, while Austin, Denver, and Phoenix may face modest rent cuts — a hangover from oversupply and slower economic growth in 2024. Despite a solid Q1 showing, Washington, DC’s forecast has been downgraded due to anticipated federal job losses.
Growth Slows, Inflation Ticks Up
While the multifamily market remains strong, macroeconomic indicators point to caution ahead. The US economy added just 456K jobs in Q1 — the weakest Q1 since 2011, excluding 2020 — falling short of the 10-year average. Government layoffs and new tariffs have further constrained growth.
Meanwhile, inflation is heating back up. The core PCE Price Index rose 40 basis points in February, following a 30-bps jump in January. These inflationary pressures, coupled with weaker job creation, may limit broader economic momentum through the rest of 2025.
Steady Demand Amid Mixed Signals
Despite slowing job growth and rising inflation, multifamily apartment demand and fundamentals remain strong. Absorption is on pace to match or exceed new supply, and rents are stabilizing. If economic headwinds moderate, the sector could maintain positive momentum — but for now, resilience will be key.
Converting Tenants to home-buyers.... is it possible?
Marc shares thoughts on how property managers should think about the idea of converting tenants to home-buyers.
Including:
Is it a conflict of interest?
Is it the best use of your limited time?
Does our office do it?
The best solution
Colorado Housing Coalition – Legislative Update (February 2025)
The Colorado Housing Coalition (CHC) is actively reviewing proposed legislation for the 2025 session. Key bills include HB25-1004, which would prohibit pricing coordination among landlords (CHC opposes due to overly broad definitions); HB25-1010, aiming to prevent price gouging (CHC seeks amendments to exclude real estate); and HB25-1090, addressing transparency in rental fees (CHC seeks amendments for practicality in rental advertising).
The CHC also supports bills easing third-party administration for housing programs (HB25-1019) and simplifying language requirements for tenant notices (HB25-1196). It opposes HB25-1235, mandating jury trials in eviction proceedings, due to potential delays and resource burdens. Several other bills related to tenant protections, domestic violence survivors, mold disclosures, pet ownership, tenant screening, and housing subsidies are under review with CHC actively advocating for balanced amendments to protect property managers and tenants alike.
CLICK HERE to view the bills currently on our docket for consideration.
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Expert Landlords
Welcome to the Colorado Landlords Association (COLA), a professional trade organization dedicated to providing resources, renting knowledge, and support for landlords across Colorado. Whether you're an experienced multifamily landlord, own a few duplexes, or are considering purchasing your first rental property, COLA is here to help you know your rights as a landlord and succeed in the industry.
As a member of COLA, you'll have access to valuable educational materials, informative updates on rental industry news, and networking opportunities with fellow landlords. Our mission is to empower landlords with the knowledge and resources they need to navigate the challenges of property management and create thriving rental businesses.
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