As a result of legislation enacted in 2020, it is now prohibited for a landlord in Colorado to refuse to rent to individuals based on a person’s lawful source of income.

“Colorado is home to a diverse array of industries, and a person cannot be denied housing regardless of their source of income, be it in the form of public or private assistance or any lawful employment,” said Aubrey Elenis, director of the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Regulatory Agencies. “Further, during a particularly difficult time for many in our state, discrimination based on receiving government or private assistance should never occur. All Coloradans have a right to access housing, and this right is now solidified.”

The changes to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act clarified that landlords may still run credit checks on prospective tenants, as long as it is a universal practice. Landlords are not required to accept federal housing vouchers if they rent no more than five units.

Also, landlords with three or fewer rental units are exempt from the source of income prohibition.

Local Housing Solutions, a project of New York University’s Furman Center, indicates that 12 states and the District of Columbia had source f income prohibitions as of 2017.