New residential rental property application

Step 1.Read the ordinance

• Read the ordinance for this license under "Municipal Code" on the right side of the page to make sure this license is right for you.

Step 2.Review inspection requirements

• Review inspection exemption information on the Inspections and inspector information page. 
• Complete a home inspection(s) with an RRP-qualified home inspector.
• Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the initial inspection.
• Single-unit properties require an inspection. Multiunit properties require 10% of the units to be inspected.
• More details are available on the Inspections and inspector information page. 

Step 3.Determine how many licenses your property requires

• Single-unit properties require a license.
• Licenses can be issued for multiunit properties if they are on a single or contiguous parcels, and under the same ownership.
• More information is available on the property owners and managers page. 

Step 4.Watch the online training videos

Online training videos provide helpful and detailed overviews of the application process. They are on the Online Training Videos webpage. They show how to register for an account, how to complete licensed establishment and entity registration records, and how to apply for new business licenses or amendments.

Step 5.Register for a new account

Register for an account, if you haven't already, in Denver’s Permitting and Licensing Center. For help, navigate to the online training videos and watch the guide for how to register for a new account.

Step 6.Gather all required documents

During the process, a package will be assembled from the following three applications. See below for specifics on each section.

• Licensed establishment – property information.
• Entity registration – ownership information.
• Residential rental license – application information.

Licensed establishment application

This captures information about the location of the residential rental property. You will need to provide:

• Valid Denver address
• Details for one to three on-site managers, including their name, date of birth, home address and contact information. On-site managers are individual(s) designated who have the authority to make decisions regarding the licensed establishment. They must always have access to and control over the licensed establishment. If you do not have an on-site manager, list the owner/ applicant OR if agreed to by the tenant, them.

Entity registration application

This captures ownership information about the person or entity that will hold the license. Please note that if you are applying for multiple licenses with the same entity, you can use the same entity registration, and only need to complete this application piece once. You must provide:

• Your entity type
• True name of the entity or person who will hold the license
• List of any trade names under which the entity operates
• For companies/corporations, details about any individual who owns 10% or more of the entity, including their name, date of birth, home address, and contact information
• Residential Rental Individual or Couples will be asked to upload a copy of a valid state or federally issued ID  

The entity registration only has to be completed once. If the same entity owns multiple properties and will apply for multiple licenses, you should re-use the entity registration number provided to you after your initial application.

Residential rental property license application

• Copy of a completed home inspection checklist(PDF, 327KB)
• Copy of the home inspector certifications
  • Both documents must be combined and uploaded as a single .pdf. You can use a free, online tool to merge documents into a single file.
  • Inspector certification examples(PDF, 2MB)

Inspection exemptions:

• If applying as new construction, exempt from inspection, you will need to provide:

• A copy of a certificate of occupancy issued within the last four years.
• For more information, see "Inspection checklist exemption" on the property owners and managers webpage. 

Fee and inspection exemption:

• If you qualify by one of the referenced criteria and are applying for a fee exemption, you must submit the following with your application:
  • Fee exemption affidavit(PDF, 121KB)
  • For inspection and fee exemption information, see "Fee exemption" on the property owners and managers webpage.

Important notes to keep in mind about your documents

• All materials must be digital files saved as a .pdf or .jpg. Do not include any other file types. The Department of Excise and Licenses cannot accept other file types.
• Use numbers or letters but not characters such as symbols (/ ? < > \ : * | “ ^) or spaces that could cause complications.
  • For example:
    • Good filename: drivers-license-name-2022.pdf
    • Bad filename: last name/ id.pdf
• In some cases, you might need to combine documents and upload them in a single .pdf. You can use a free, online tool to merge documents into a single file. 
• Legal documents must be signed, dated and executed. All pages of large legal documents (such as a lease) must be included in the application.
• All materials must be legible. 
• Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Step 1.Apply in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center

In Denver’s Online Permitting and Licensing Center: 

• Under Business/Occupational, Short-Term and Residential Rental Licensing, click "Apply New."
• Select the type of license you want to obtain and click “Continue Application.”
  •  Application package contains the following licenses: Child care center, residential rental property, retail tobacco store, massage business, marijuana licenses, retail food, retail food-commissary based, wholesale food and wholesale food-commissary based.
• Read the introduction page and click “Continue.”

This will begin the application process.  

You can save and resume within 30 days any time during the process. After 30 days, you must start again.  

Go to the Online Training Videos webpage to guide you.  

After the online application is complete, you will be prompted to submit fees in the online portal. These can be paid with a bank account or a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.

Step 2.Pay required fees

Application fee: 
$50

(Single-unit property application fees are reduced to $25 through 2023.)

License fee:
Based on the number of dwelling units

• $50: Single dwelling unit
• $100: 2 to 10 units
• $250: 11 to 50 units
• $350: 51 to 250 units
• $500: 251 or more units

If applying for a fee exemption as a qualifying entity, see "Fee exemption" on the property owners and managers webpage.

Step 3.City application review and next steps

Once you submit your application, you will not be able to make changes or corrections until your application is reviewed.

Excise and Licenses tries to conduct an initial review of a complete application within seven business days. The review process might take longer if it is incomplete or requires police review (if applicable).

• All application related communications will be sent through email, from EXLNotifications@denvergov.org. Do not respond to these emails as this inbox is not monitored.
• If the application is incomplete, the applicant will receive a "notice of deficiency" email. This allows 14 days for corrections.

Step 4.License issuance

• Once you have your license

License must be displayed

Excise and Licenses will email a professional license to all licensees. This license (or a clear picture of it) must always be displayed.

Advertising requirement

Requirement to keep contact information up to date

Email licenses@denvergov.org to notify the Department of any contact information changes (place of business, onsite manager, etc.). These updates must be submitted within 72 hours of the change. 

Requirement to renew

Residential Rental Property licenses are valid for four years. It is unlawful to operate with an expired license. A renewal application must be filed before the license expires.

• Need to amend your license?
  • To update your contact information, ownership, or business name, go to the entity registration webpage to find out how to submit those applications.
  • To update your on-site manager, go to the licensed establishment webpage to find out how to submit those applications.
  • A new license is required if ownership changes.