Every rental owner hits the pet question eventually. A listing goes live, the first few inquiries ask whether dogs are allowed, and the owner realizes the policy exists only as a gut feeling. The pet rules belong in writing, inside a clear lease agreement, signed by the tenant and consistent with Colorado law.

This post is for owners of single-family homes, townhomes, condos and small multi-family buildings. Some want to allow pets without losing sleep over the carpet. Others want to say no and aren't sure that's the smart move. We'll cover how to pick a stance, what you can charge, how service animals and ESAs change the picture, and what the written policy should say. We manage 60 properties with an average rent around $3,000, so the examples use real local numbers.

In This Guide

Pick a Stance Before You Write a Word

Skim any landlord tips Denver Colorado Reddit thread and you'll find owners swearing by no pets and owners swearing by pet rent. Both camps have a point. Most of them are deciding on instinct instead of numbers.

You have three real options:

• Allow pets with conditions: You set limits on number and type, collect a deposit and pet rent, and sign a pet addendum.
• Allow certain pets only: For example, cats and one dog, or small animals only, with the rules written out.
• No pets: A clean policy, but you still have to accept service animals and ESAs.

We set pet rules property by property, based on what the owner wants. The one piece that isn't up for debate is how ESAs are handled. Every assistance animal request has to be evaluated on its merits, even under a no-pet policy, and we'll get to why below.

Why a Blanket No-Pet Rule Usually Costs More Than It Saves

The vacancy math

Say an owner of a Washington Park single-family home with hardwood floors adopts a blanket no-pet rule to protect them. Every comparable home nearby that allows dogs leases within days. Theirs sits for six weeks.

At $3,000 a month, six weeks of vacancy is about $4,500 gone. The most you can collect as a pet deposit of no more than $300 in Colorado is $300, and it has to be refundable. A professional carpet cleaning and some floor touch-up would have cost far less than that vacancy.

Pets aren't the only damage risk

A no-pet policy doesn't protect your property. It shrinks your applicant pool while leaving you just as exposed. Tenants without pets still scratch floors, stain carpet and ding walls. The real question is whether you've priced the risk correctly with a deposit, pet rent and good move-in documentation.

Demand matters too. Pet-friendly is one of the most used filters on rental search sites, and the urban core (Capitol Hill, RiNo, LoHi, Washington Park) is full of renters in their 20s to 40s with dogs. Pet-friendly units there tend to lease faster than comparable no-pet units nearby.

Set the Deposit and Pet Rent Inside Colorado's Caps

The best landlord tips Denver Colorado owners can get are the boring ones. Read the statute before you copy a template from a friend. Colorado's pet caps have been in force since January 1, 2024, so an older template may be out of date.

Pet deposit

You can charge an extra pet deposit of no more than $300 as a condition of allowing a pet, and it must be refundable (C.R.S. § 38-12-106). That applies when someone applies and when a current tenant gets a pet. Don't call anything a "non-refundable pet deposit" in your lease. Check the current rules on deposit returns, and put your return process in writing.

Pet rent

Monthly pet rent is capped at $35 or 1.5% of the tenant's monthly rent, whichever is greater. The statute doesn't say whether that's per pet or per household, so the safest reading is one cap for the whole household.

One more check. The caps apply to "pet animals" as Colorado defines them in a separate statute ( C.R.S. § 35-80-102). Read that definition before you apply the caps to fish, birds or reptiles.

Service Animals and ESAs Are Not Pets

This is where owners get hurt. A pet policy applies to pets. A service animal or a verified emotional support animal isn't one, so pet deposits, pet rent and pet rules don't automatically apply. You can't charge a verified ESA owner pet-related fees, and a no-pet clause doesn't override a valid accommodation request.

Picture a Capitol Hill condo owner with a firm no-pets clause. Mid-lease, a tenant hands over a therapist's letter asking to keep a dog. The owner says no because the lease says no. That denial is the problem, because the request should have been evaluated on its merits.

What the Written Policy Should Cover

Free landlord tips Denver Colorado owners swap online will hand you a skeleton, and a downloaded template or a rental property owner questions Denver Colorado PDF is a fine start. Neither knows your HOA, your floors or your yard.

A pet addendum that holds up usually covers these points:

1. Which animals are allowed: Species, number and any size limits. Check current Colorado rules before you add breed restrictions.
2. Money terms: The deposit (up to $300, refundable) and the pet rent, both inside the caps.
3. Approval process: Applicants disclose pets up front. Current tenants ask in writing before adding one.
4. Vaccinations and licensing: Proof of current vaccines and any local license requirements.
5. Daily behavior: Waste cleanup, leash rules, noise and yard use.
6. Damage and liability: Who pays for what, and how it's handled at move-out.
7. Unauthorized pets: What happens if a pet shows up without approval.

Keep it in plain language. If a tenant can't read it in five minutes, they won't follow it.

Check the HOA and the Property Type

A lease generally can't give a tenant permission the HOA doesn't allow. If your townhome or condo sits in an HOA community, get the HOA's pet rules before you write yours. They can be stricter or looser than what you had in mind.

Property type changes the risk too. We manage single-family homes, multi-family buildings, townhomes, condos and student housing. A single-family home with a yard has different wear patterns than a condo unit on the third floor. Yards get dug up. Stairs and hallways carry noise and odor to neighbors. Write the policy for the property in front of you, not for a generic rental.

Document the Pet at Move-In

A policy is only as strong as the record behind it. Without move-in photos, a damage claim turns into one person's word against another's.

Gavin Kelly, our leasing agent, is the person applicants talk to about pet terms before they sign. We use DoorLoop to keep the pet addendum, pet photos and vaccination records in the tenant file, so it's all in one place when move-out comes.

Here's a simple checklist:

• Photos of the pet: A clear photo and a description for the file.
• Vet records: Current vaccinations on file before move-in.
• Condition photos: Floors, carpet, doors and yard, timestamped.
• Signed addendum: Kept separately from the main lease.

Time It to the Market

Leasing slows from roughly November through February in Denver. An owner with a restrictive pet policy trying to lease in those months faces a smaller applicant pool and a slower market at once. That's a rough combination.

Here's a simple decision rule. If you're listing in winter and your property sits in a dog-heavy neighborhood, take a hard look at allowing pets with conditions before the listing sits. If you're listing in spring and the unit has delicate floors, a limited policy with a solid deposit and pet rent may be enough.

Enforce It the Same Way Every Time

Unauthorized pets are one of the common tenant issues we see. Tenants can read a tenant rights and resources guide just as easily as you can read the statute, so how you respond has to be consistent and fair.

When we find an unapproved pet, the response follows the lease, the addendum process and current Colorado notice rules. The owner often has a choice. Approve the pet with an addendum and the right deposit and rent, or require the tenant to remove it under the lease terms.

Clear communication on both ends makes this easier. One townhome owner who worked with Usaj Realty, our parent brokerage, described the leasing process as having "accurate and timely communication, collaboration, and fair compromise." That's the standard we hold pet terms to. Say it plainly up front, put it in writing and keep the conversation honest.

Let Someone Else Hold the Pen

If you'd rather not write, enforce and document all of this yourself, that's what we do. Denver Leasing & Property Management has been at it for 15 years, and our fee is a flat 10% that covers management. We don't charge inspection fees or maintenance markups, and the whole fee schedule fits on one page. Our maintenance response runs under 24 hours.

If writing a pet policy that works for your property and holds up under Colorado law feels harder than it should, we're open to a conversation.

FAQ

What's the most a Colorado landlord can charge as a pet deposit?

The cap is $300, and the deposit must be refundable. It applies when a tenant applies with a pet and when a current tenant gets one.

How much monthly pet rent can I charge?

The limit is $35 or 1.5% of the tenant's monthly rent, whichever is greater. On $3,000 rent that's $45, and the safest reading is one cap per household.

Can I charge a pet deposit or pet rent for an emotional support animal?

No. Verified ESAs and service animals aren't pets, and pet-related charges for them create fair housing exposure. If you have a request you're unsure about, call us or a fair housing attorney before responding.

Can I make a pet deposit non-refundable?

No. Colorado requires the extra pet deposit to be refundable. Don't use that language in your lease.

Do I need a separate pet addendum?

We recommend one. A separate signed addendum spells out the pet terms, and with photos and vet records it gives you something solid to point to at move-out.

What if a tenant gets a pet in the middle of the lease?

Colorado's deposit cap applies to current tenants who get a pet too. Require a written request and a signed addendum before the pet moves in.