Key Points
Empowers the Colorado Attorney General, counties, and municipalities to pursue civil or even criminal actions for persistent property neglect.
Authorizes appointment of receivers to manage neglected properties, including collecting rent and making repairs.
Applies only to multifamily properties.
Effective January 1, 2026.
Overview of SB25-020: Enforcement of Landlord-Tenant Law
Note: In the accompanying video, the legislation is incorrectly referred to as HB25-020. The correct bill number is SB25-020.
Colorado Senate Bill 25-020, Concerning the Enforcement of Existing Landlord-Tenant Law, was passed in direct response to a highly publicized case in Aurora, Colorado. News outlets reported that Venezuelan gang members had taken control of an apartment complex, intimidating residents and allowing the property to deteriorate into unsafe conditions.
The property owner and management company claimed they had lost control of the building, leaving residents in a dangerous environment. In response, state and local officials pushed for stronger enforcement tools to hold landlords accountable when properties fall into severe neglect. SB25-020 is the result.
Key Provisions of SB25-020
SB25-020 does not introduce new landlord obligations, but rather it gives significant new powers to state and local authorities to enforce existing laws.
Highlights include:
Empowers the Colorado Attorney General and local governments to enforce existing landlord laws through civil and criminal actions against the property owner or property manager.
Allows individuals to access suppressed court records if they affirm that they are acting on behalf of the Attorney General in investigating violations of state law.
Allows the Attorney General, counties, cities, or municipalities to initiate legal actions based on property violations.
Allows the Attorney General to appoint a receiver on properties where the landlord demonstrates a persistent pattern of neglect. The receiver may:
Collect rents directly from tenants.
Use rental income to make repairs and improvements.
Borrow money against the property to fund necessary work.
Potentially sell assets of the property to address neglect.
In practice, this means a negligent landlord could lose management control of their multifamily property, with the receiver stepping in to restore habitability.
Key Takeaways
Applies only to multifamily properties.
Effective January 1, 2026.
Penalties may be civil or criminal depending on the nature of violations.
While most landlords will never be affected by SB25-020, this law represents a significant shift in Colorado’s willingness to enforce habitability and property maintenance standards. For responsible landlords, it’s a reminder of the importance of proactive property care and professional management.
At Grace Property Management, we believe that when property management is performed with integrity and transparency, both tenants and landlords benefit. Property management is not just our business - it is a relationship between us, our owner-clients, and our tenant-residents.
If these are important to you, we may be a good fit to provide you, your property, and your tenant-resident with our full-service property management services.
Feel free to reach out to us for assistance.
Grace Property Management & Real Estate
Serving real estate investors and residents since 1978.
www.RentGrace.com
303-255-1990
