Colorado law, explained
Colorado HB25-1236: The Portable Tenant Screening Report Law
Colorado now requires landlords to accept a portable tenant screening report that a renter provides. Here is what the law says, who it protects, and how to comply in 2026, in plain language.
General information, not legal advice. Last updated July 2026.
Landlords must accept portable reports
Under HB25-1236, a landlord must accept a valid portable tenant screening report (PTSR) provided directly by a prospective tenant. The renter no longer has to pay for a fresh screening at every property.
No double screening fee
If a prospective tenant provides a portable screening report, the landlord cannot charge that tenant a separate application fee or screening fee for the same information. Colorado law is explicit that the renter should not pay twice.
Extra protection for subsidized applicants
For applicants using housing assistance, a portable screening report is not required to include credit history, credit scores, or adverse credit events. Income from a voucher or subsidy cannot be used against them the way a thin credit file often is.
Builds on HB23-1099
HB25-1236 updates and strengthens Colorado HB23-1099, the earlier law that first required landlords to accept reusable tenant screening reports. Together they form the framework Colorado landlords follow in 2026.
What changed for renters
Before these laws, a Colorado renter paid a fresh application or screening fee at every property they applied to, often $35 to $50 each time, with no refund if the answer was no. HB25-1236 changes that. A renter can build one portable screening report and require landlords to accept it, so the same verified information does not have to be bought again at every door.
The law is clear that a renter should not pay twice. If you hand a landlord a valid portable report, that landlord cannot turn around and charge you a separate fee to screen the same information.
What changed for landlords
Colorado landlords now have to accept a valid portable tenant screening report when an applicant provides one. A landlord can still set reasonable standards for income, rental history, and background, and can still screen an applicant who does not bring a report. What the landlord cannot do is refuse a valid portable report outright or charge the applicant a second fee for information they already provided.
For applicants using housing assistance, the report does not need to include credit history or credit scores. This keeps a thin or damaged credit file from being the reason a subsidized renter gets turned away.
Settl is a portable screening report that fits the Colorado law
Settl verifies identity, bank income, employment, and background once, then gives you a shareable code any Colorado landlord can look up. Verify once, apply anywhere, and skip the repeat application fees the law was written to prevent.
Common questions
What is Colorado HB25-1236?
HB25-1236 is a Colorado law about how landlords screen prospective tenants. It requires landlords to accept a portable tenant screening report (also called a reusable screening report or PTSR) that a renter provides, rather than forcing the renter to pay for a new screening at every property. It updates the earlier HB23-1099.
Does HB25-1236 stop landlords from charging application fees?
It stops double charging. If a renter provides a valid portable screening report, the landlord cannot charge that renter a separate application fee or screening fee for the same information. A landlord who runs their own screening on a renter who did not provide a report may still charge for that.
What is a portable tenant screening report?
A portable tenant screening report is a reusable report a renter can share with multiple landlords. It typically covers identity, income, rental history, and background information from a screening provider. Because it is verified once and shared many times, it saves the renter from paying a new fee at every application.
How does this protect renters using housing assistance?
For subsidized applicants, the law says a portable screening report is not required to include credit history, credit scores, or adverse credit events. This matters because renters who rely on a voucher or subsidy are often screened out by thin or damaged credit files even when their rent is guaranteed.
How can a Colorado renter use a portable screening report?
A renter builds one verified profile with a screening provider, then shares it with any landlord who is covered by the law. Settl is one option: it verifies identity, bank income, employment, and background once, and produces a shareable code a landlord can look up. Verify once, apply anywhere in Colorado.
Colorado is not the only state with portable screening rules. See our full guide to portable tenant screening report laws by state to understand how the rules differ across the US.
Verify once. Apply everywhere.
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