Priority Bills the Coalition is Addressing - March 12 2025

House Bill 1235: Jury Trial for Tenant Proceedings

• Changes eviction process to require three personal service attempts on different days

• Allows tenants to request jury trials for possession disputes

• Creates delays in the eviction process

• Would keep units off the market longer when courts are already facing backlogs

• Has potential unintended consequences for housing availability

Senate Bill 20: Landlord and Tenant Law Enforcement

• Grants extended powers to the Attorney General, counties, and cities

• Allows them to initiate criminal and civil actions against landlords

• Establishes a receivership mechanism where governments can take property if issues aren't remediated quickly

• Currently targets multifamily properties but could expand to all rental properties

• Described as potentially deterring investment in Colorado housing

House Bill 1249: Security Deposits

• Reduces security deposit cap from two months' rent to one month's rent

• Restricts what landlords can keep from deposits (can't keep for paint/carpet unless "severe damage")

• Requires walkthrough with tenant to keep any security deposit

• Follows a pattern of expanding restrictions from previous legislation

• Could lead to higher rents as landlords seek to mitigate increased risk

House Bill 1004: No Pricing Coordination Between Landlords

• Originally targeted algorithmic pricing tools

• Coalition secured an amendment allowing the use of public market studies and indexes for rent-setting

• Demonstrates how organized advocacy can transform problematic legislation into workable policy