HB25-1236: Your Renter Rights in Colorado Under the New Screening Law

The short answer

Plain-English guide to HB25-1236 renter rights in Colorado. What landlords must do, what you can say if rejected, and how Settl protects you under the new portable screening law.

Colorado passed HB25-1236 to give renters protection against the mounting cost of apartment applications. If you're a renter in Colorado, this law has concrete implications for your next apartment search — and knowing your rights under it can save you real money.

Here's what the law actually says, in plain language.

Your Core Right: One Screen, Many Applications

The most important right HB25-1236 gives you is the right to obtain your own Portable Tenant Screening Report (PTSR) and present it to landlords instead of paying for a new screen at each property.

In practical terms: if you get a Settl Passport, you can apply to 20 apartments in 30 days and pay exactly $99 in screening-related costs — not $800 in application fees.

What Landlords Are Required to Do

Under HB25-1236, when you present a valid PTSR that meets the law's content requirements, the landlord must:

• Accept it as satisfying their screening requirement
• Waive any screening fee they would otherwise charge
• Not require you to use their own screening service as a condition of having your application considered

They can still reject your application. The law doesn't guarantee approval — it guarantees you won't pay for the privilege of being evaluated multiple times.

What "Valid PTSR" Means Under the Law

Not every background check qualifies. To be considered a compliant PTSR under HB25-1236, your report needs to:

• Include identity verification, criminal background, eviction history, and income information
• Be issued within the past 30 days
• Come from a recognized PTSR provider that pulls from primary data sources

Settl's $99 Passport includes all of these. A basic $20 background check from an online service may not qualify.

What You Can Say If a Landlord Refuses Your PTSR

If a landlord refuses to accept your valid, in-date PTSR and insists you pay for their own screening, here's a reasonable script:

"I have a Portable Tenant Screening Report issued on [date] that meets the requirements of Colorado HB25-1236. Under that law, I have the right to submit this report in place of a landlord-run screen, and you may not charge me an additional screening fee for accepting it. I'm happy to share the report with you right now. Would you like the link?"

Stay calm and factual. Most landlords who push back simply aren't aware of the law. Citing the specific statute number often resolves the situation.

What If They Still Refuse?

If a landlord knowingly refuses a valid PTSR and continues to charge you a screening fee, they may be in violation of Colorado law. You have options:

• Document everything: Keep your PTSR with its issue date, any communications with the landlord, and records of any fees charged
• Contact Colorado DORA: The Department of Regulatory Agencies handles landlord-tenant complaints in Colorado
• Consult a tenant rights attorney: Colorado Legal Services offers free or low-cost legal help to renters. Many tenant rights violations can be resolved through a single letter from an attorney.
• File in small claims court: If you were charged a fee that should have been waived under HB25-1236, you may be able to recover that amount in small claims court

Rights Around Adverse Action

Under federal FCRA rules (which apply nationwide, not just in Colorado), if a landlord uses information from a background check to deny your application, they must provide you with an adverse action notice — including the name of the screening company and your right to obtain a free copy of the report.

This means if you're denied based on something in your Settl report, you're entitled to know what specifically caused the denial and to dispute any inaccuracies. This federal right exists regardless of which screening provider was used.

How Settl Maximizes Your Legal Protection

Settl's $99 Passport is built to meet HB25-1236's content requirements. When you submit a Settl report to a Colorado landlord, you're presenting the strongest possible case under the law — and you're doing so in a format that makes compliance easy for the landlord to accept.

You walk in verified. The landlord has everything they need. The law says they have to engage with it. That's maximum leverage.

Get your Settl Passport before your next Colorado apartment application.

Ready to get your Settl Verified Passport?

Verified identity, income, and stability, all in one report landlords trust. Apply anywhere, pay once.

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