Why You Should Keep Up with Landlord Legislation in Colorado

Right now at the Capitol in Denver, a quiet but powerful shift is happening—one that’s impacting landlords across Colorado in a big way.

Senator Woodrow, who also runs a law firm that sues landlords, is leading the charge on a wave of landlord legislation. While technically not a conflict of interest, this dual role raises real questions and is causing serious disruption in the housing industry. Small, individual landlords—the ones who’ve saved for decades to buy one or two rental homes—are feeling the pressure, and many are exiting the market altogether.  Senator Woodrow just won a 10-million-dollar class action suit in the last few weeks.  This won’t encourage him to stop anytime soon.   

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/tenants-denver-apartment-complex-class-action-lawsuit-win/

As an investment real estate broker, I work with hundreds of these small landlords. They’re not corporate investors. They’re your neighbors, teachers, firefighters, retirees—people who’ve invested in real estate to build stability for their families while providing homes to others. But they’re getting squeezed from every angle.

Here’s what landlords are facing:

• Evictions now take 3–6 months, during which time the landlord still pays the mortgage, taxes, and maintenance—even if rent isn’t being paid.
• Repair costs are up 85% since pre-COVID.
• Insurance premiums have jumped 30–40%.
• Property taxes are up 40%.
• Interest rates are near 7%, making the return on investment extremely slim—often just 4% or less.

At that return, many landlords ask: Why take the risk? Especially when that same money could go into the stock market and earn more with far less headache.

So what’s happening?

Landlords are selling. I have multiple listings right now from owners who just can’t sustain the financial and emotional toll. Many are choosing to invest out-of-state, where laws are more balanced. Others are opting out entirely, or simply renting part of their primary residence to someone they know.

This trend has real consequences:

The supply of rental housing is shrinking, especially for people with lower credit scores or less stable financial profiles. Landlords can’t take risks anymore. If a tenant can’t pay, the process to reclaim the property is long, costly, and painful.

In trying to protect tenants, lawmakers are unintentionally eliminating affordable housing. If the goal is to lower rent, we can’t keep driving away the people providing rental homes.

Instead of targeting landlords, we need partnership. The state should be working with landlords to preserve and grow housing stock, not create legislation that enriches a few while dismantling a critical piece of our community infrastructure.

Here’s how you can help:

Reach out to your representatives. Show up at hearings. Get informed. Email Troy at ICOR  to get plugged in. Your voice matters—whether you’re a landlord, tenant, homeowner, or renter. The policies made today will shape Colorado’s housing market for years to come.

The same economic forces that impact renters are hitting landlords just as hard. We’re all on the same team. Let’s work together to create real, sustainable solutions that keep housing accessible—for everyone.