Increase Rent

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Para ver esta información en español, elija "Spanish" del menú desplegable "Select Language" en la parte superior derecha. O, para solicitar esta información en español, comuníquese con el programa a través del correo electrónico MHPOP@state.co.us o llame al 1-833-924-1147 (llamada gratuita).

Colorado law does not have a rent cap or limit on the amount that a landlord can increase rent for a mobile home lot or mobile home each year. However, there are certain requirements a mobile home park landlord must meet to increase rent.

Rent Increase Requirements

Under Colorado law, landlords:

• Must provide residents with at least 60 days' written notice before any rent increase takes effect, and
• Are limited to one rent increase per resident within any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy

Limits on Rent Increases

A landlord is prohibited from issuing a rent increase notice or increasing lot rent if the mobile home park:

1. Does not have a current, active registration on file with the Mobile Home Park Oversight Program (MHPOP)
2. Has any unpaid penalties owed to MHPOP
3. Has failed to fully comply with any final federal, state or local administrative or judicial order. A notice of violation issued by MHPOP or a court order that is being appealed by either party is not considered a final order yet.
4. Has failed to comply with the water quality standards of section 25-8-1003(2) of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.), as determined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the compliance deadline has passed, or
5. Has been found by MHPOP in a final agency order or by a court, within the 12 months prior to the final agency or court order, to have failed to comply with a landlord’s responsibilities to maintain the mobile home park (per section 38-12-212.3, C.R.S.). A notice of violation issued by MHPOP that is being appealed by either party is not considered a final agency order yet.

Under the first four scenarios listed above, a landlord is prohibited from issuing a notice of rent increase or increasing rent for as long as the landlord is out of compliance. Once the landlord comes into compliance (for example, by registering their park, paying the penalty or complying with the order), the landlord may give residents a 60-day notice of rent increase.

Under the fifth scenario listed above, the landlord is prohibited from issuing a notice of rent increase or increasing rent for 12 months after the date of the final agency order or court order (see MHPOP’s Administrative Rule 3.11).

The division maintains a list of mobile home parks that are likely prohibited from increasing rent in English and Spanish for any of these reasons.

Late Fees

A maximum late rent fee of $50 or 5% of the rent past due, whichever is greater. Home owners have 10 days and renters have 7 days to make a late rent payment before the landlord can charge a late fee.

Notice Requirements

At Least 60 Days’ Notice

A landlord must provide written notice of any rent increase to home owners at least 60 calendar days before the increased amount goes into effect.

The 60-day notice law applies to residents on any type of lease, whether it is a written lease for a fixed period or a month-to-month lease. The 60-day notice law also applies to any residents who don’t have a written lease.

Required Information

The written notice of rent increase must include:

• Amount of the rent increase, and
• Effective date of the rent increase

Unless listed in the rental agreement, the notice should also include the name, address, and telephone number of the owner of the park. If the park owner is an entity (such as a limited liability company, trust, or nonprofit organization), the notice must include the name, address, and telephone number of the owner’s chief executive officer or managing partner, unless this information was provided in each resident’s rental agreement.

Correct a Previous Rent Notice

Under Colorado law, if a landlord provides a rent increase notice to home owners when they shouldn’t have for the reasons listed in the “Limits on Rent Increases” section above, the rent increase notice and planned rent increase is invalid and has no force and effect. 

If a landlord issued a rent increase notice to home owners when the mobile home park was not in compliance with state requirements, the landlord should take the following steps:

1. Contact any home owners who received the invalid notice to let them know that the rent increase will not go into effect.
2. If any home owners paid the increased amount, refund the amount of the invalid rent increase.
3. After the park comes into compliance, the landlord may issue a new notice to home owners to increase lot rent:
   1. At least 60 days before the rent increase will take effect 
   2. 12 months from the last increase under the home owner’s rental agreement

One Increase Every 12 Months

Under Colorado law, a landlord can only increase a resident or home owner’s rent once in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy by the tenant. This is true regardless of:

• Whether there is a written rental agreement for the tenancy
• The length of the tenancy, or
• Whether the tenant’s rental agreement is for a fixed tenancy, a month-to-month tenancy, or an indefinite term

A landlord may provide notice of a planned rent increase less than 12 months after the last rent increase took effect, as long as the effective date of the planned rent increase is at least 12 months after the effective date of the last rent increase.

If a landlord provides notice of a rent increase that will go into effect less than 12 months after the last rent increase took effect, the landlord must issue a new, written notice to home owners at least 60 days before the corrected rent increase will go into effect.

Rent Increases Within the First 12 Months of Initial Leases

Whether a landlord can increase rent within the first 12 months of initial leases depends on the term, or time period, for which the initial lease was signed.

Month-to-Month

If the initial lease is for a month-to-month term, the landlord could increase rent within the first 12 months after the lease is signed, provided the landlord gives at least 60 days’ advance written notice of the increase to the home owner and the park is in compliance with state law.

This is because the initial lease a tenant signs establishes the base rent and doesn’t count as a rent increase.

Longer Leases

If the initial lease is for an established time frame other than month-to-month, the landlord can’t increase the tenant’s rent until the lease term is over. This is because the lease is a contract that establishes the amount of the rent for the full term of the lease.

Must be in Compliance

Current, Active Registration

If a park isn’t actively registered with the division at the time of a rent increase notice, that notice is invalid. The landlord can’t move forward with the planned rent increase.

To increase rent, the landlord needs to:

1. Submit any outstanding registration forms, information, documents, or fees
2. Receive confirmation from the division that the park’s registration is active, and
3. Issue a new written notice to home owners at least 60 days before the corrected rent increase will take effect

Check a Park’s Registration Status

You can check any Colorado mobile home park’s registration status on our list of registered parks.

A pending registration status means the landlord submitted a registration form, documents, or payment, but the division hasn’t confirmed yet whether the information is complete.

After the division confirms a park’s registration is complete, that park’s registration becomes active.

Landlords who recently submitted a registration renewal application and intend to issue a new rent increase notice in the next 60 days should email dola_mhp_registration@state.co.us or call 1-833-924-1147 to ensure timely review of the application and avoid any disruptions to the planned rent increase.

Unpaid Penalties or Noncompliance with Final Agency Orders

If a landlord owes an unpaid fee or penalty to the division at the time of issuing a rent increase notice, the landlord can’t move forward with the planned rent increase.

To increase rent, the landlord needs to:

1. Pay any outstanding fee or penalty
2. Receive confirmation that their park’s registration renewal is approved (if applicable), and
3. Issue a new written notice to home owners at least 60 days before the corrected rent increase will take effect

Similarly, rent can’t increase when a landlord hasn’t fully complied with any final federal, state or local administrative or judicial order. Note that a notice of violation issued by MHPOP or a court order that is being appealed by either party is not considered a final order yet.

Pay a Fee or Penalty

Landlords can pay a fee or penalty by:

• Logging in to an existing online account for the park
• Contacting MHPOP@state.co.us to activate an online account for the park
• Mailing a check made out to “Colorado Division of Housing” with the park name and registration number (MHP-) on the memo line to:
  Colorado Division of Housing
  Attention: MHPOP
  1313 Sherman St Room 320
  Denver, Colorado 80203