What the Colorado rental application is
This is a two-page Colorado rental application. Page 1 covers the unit, the applicant, current and previous addresses, other occupants, pets, two jobs, other income, emergency contacts and personal references. Page 2 asks background questions, lists vehicles, and ends with the applicant's authorization and signature. It is a general template, not a form issued by the State of Colorado or the Division of Housing.
All adult applicants (18 or older) must complete a separate application.
Who uses it
Colorado landlords and property managers use it to screen applicants, and renters fill it out to apply for a specific unit. Colorado law regulates application fees, portable screening reports and what landlords may consider, so both sides benefit from knowing the rules summarized below.
What to have ready
- Your Social Security number, driver's license number and birth date
- Street address, move-in and move-out dates, landlord name and phone, and monthly rent for your current and previous homes
- Names and birth dates of other adult occupants and of dependents
- Occupation, employer, monthly salary, supervisor name and phone, and start and end dates for up to two jobs
- A description and monthly amount for up to two other income sources
- Two emergency contacts and two personal references with address, phone and relationship
- Make, model, year and license number and state for each vehicle
See our guide to documents needed for a rental application.
How to fill out the Colorado rental application online
Click "Fill Template Now", click a field and type, tick the Yes or No boxes, then sign and date at the bottom of page 2 and download the PDF.
Unit and applicant information
The first row records the APARTMENT, RENT, START DATE and AGENT. Then enter LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, M.I., SSN, DRIVER'S LICENSE #, BIRTH DATE, HOME PHONE, WORK PHONE, CELL PHONE and EMAIL.
Current and previous address
For each address, fill in STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE and ZIP, DATE IN, DATE OUT, LANDLORD NAME, LANDLORD PHONE, MONTHLY RENT and REASON FOR LEAVING.
Other occupants and pets
List the names and birth dates of all additional occupants 18 years or older, then all dependents (the form's wording is "18 years or younger"). Answer PETS? and DESCRIBE each animal.
Employment and income
Two job blocks ask for OCCUPATION, EMPLOYER/COMPANY, MONTHLY SALARY, SUPERVISOR NAME, SUPERVISOR PHONE, START DATE and END DATE. Two OTHER INCOME lines take a DESCRIPTION and MONTHLY INCOME.
Emergency contacts and references
Give two EMERGENCY CONTACT entries and two PERSONAL REFERENCES, each with NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE and RELATIONSHIP.
Background, vehicles and other information (page 2)
Background Information asks whether you have ever filed for bankruptcy, willfully or intentionally refused to pay rent when due, been evicted or left owing money (with property name, city, state and landlord name), whether you smoke, and whether you have been convicted of a crime (with type of offense, county and state). Vehicle Information has two rows for MAKE & MODEL, YEAR and LICENSE NO. & STATE, plus a line for OTHER VEHICLES. Finish with HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS PROPERTY? and any other information you believe would help evaluate the application.
Signing and submitting
The signature paragraph says rent is payable on the 1st of each month in advance, confirms your statements are true, and gives permission to contact current and former landlords and employers. It also states that a credit history, eviction search and criminal background check will be done. Sign on the (Signed/Applicant) line, date it, and send the PDF to the landlord or agent. If you receive a different application, you can sign a PDF online the same way.
Colorado rules on fees, deposits and screening
General information as of October 2026, not legal advice.
- Application fees: Under C.R.S. 38-12-903, enacted by HB19-1106, a landlord may charge an application fee only to cover actual costs of processing the application, must charge the same amount to every applicant for the same unit, must disclose anticipated expenses or itemize actual ones, must give a receipt, and must make a good-faith effort to refund any unused amount within 20 calendar days.
- Portable screening reports: Under C.R.S. 38-12-904, as amended by HB23-1099, landlords must accept a portable tenant screening report prepared within the previous 30 days and may not charge an application fee or access fee to an applicant who provides one. Landlords must tell applicants about this right before collecting a fee, for example on the application; this template does not include that notice. Since January 1, 2026, HB25-1236 lets applicants using a housing subsidy leave credit history out of the report.
- What landlords may consider: C.R.S. 38-12-904 bars considering rental or credit history older than seven years, arrest records at any time, or convictions more than five years before the application, with exceptions for certain serious offenses listed in the statute. A landlord who denies an application must give written notice of the reasons, with a good-faith effort to do so within 20 calendar days.
- Income and deposits: SB23-184 bars requiring income above 200% of the annual rent and caps security deposits at two monthly rent payments. Under C.R.S. 38-12-103, the deposit must be returned within one month after the lease ends, or up to 60 days if the lease says so. HB25-1249 added inspection and documentation rules for deductions from January 1, 2026.
- Source of income: HB20-1332 prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including government assistance, with limited exemptions for small landlords.
- Coming in 2027: HB26-1196, effective January 1, 2027, will require landlords to tell applicants what data screening will access, which factors they evaluate and whether they use a third-party screening service.
Common mistakes
- Paying an application fee without asking whether the landlord will accept your portable screening report
- Leaving DATE OUT blank for a previous address
- Answering yes to an eviction or conviction question without the details the form asks for
