Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan Tue, December 3, 2024 at 5:02 AM MST
Starting Jan. 1, most rental properties in Fort Collins must be registered with the city.
The Rental Housing team is hosting an event Saturday, Dec. 7, to answer questions and help property owners register their rentals.
The event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Drive.
Free breakfast and coffee will be provided. Hourly door prizes will be offered.
RSVP for the registration “rodeo” at fcgov.com/rodeoRSVP.
Why is Fort Collins requiring rental properties to be registered?
The rental registration program was created after City Council approved it in 2023, saying the goal was to promote safe and healthy housing for renters. At the time, the city estimated 40% of all housing in the city were rental units.
“Tenants will benefit from the ability to verify a property’s registration status before signing a lease,” a city news release says. “When landlords register their properties, they certify that they meet our local codes, ensuring a safe and comfortable living space.”
The program will glean data about the number of rentals. It was intended to improve the city’s complaint-based rental inspection system, according to Coloradoan reporting at the time of passage.
City Council members have also said the program could help locate property owners when nuisance issues are reported on properties, especially now that the U+2 occupancy ordinance is no longer in effect.
“The Rental Registration Program allows property owners to self-certify that their units are meeting minimum housing standards, promoting safe housing choices for our community,” Fort Collins Rental Housing Manager Alyssa Stephens said in a news release. “Rental registration is just one part of our efforts to support tenants and local housing providers through grants, educational programs, and other resources.”
What is the cost to register rental properties and who must do it?
Fees are annual: $37 per property, plus an additional $10 per unit for multi-unit properties.
Inspections will not be required.
Some rentals are exempted: those that are owner-occupied and properties within mobile home parks.
How to register your rental property
The city news release says registering online takes 10 minutes.
For more information or assistance, you can email rentalhousing@fcgov.com or call 970-416-2305.
City offers incentives for registering before Jan. 1
The city is offering prize drawings and incentives to register properties before the deadline. In an October news release, these incentives included:
- Monthly prize drawings for cleaning services, pest prevention services and more.
- A slice of $300,000 in grant funding for repairs and upgrades to rental properties.
- Scholarship funds.
- Access to free legal consultations.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins rental property registration: How, who must do it