DENVER — He’s a landlord who’s got 99 problems – and then some.
“He's been cited twice for $999. He's the king as far as getting the most $999 fines,” said Eric Escudero of Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses.
The out-of-state landlord of the multi-unit complex at 3401 N. Williams St. has been fined four times for violations of a rule that went into effect earlier this year.
Since Jan. 2023, landlords of multi-unit properties have had to be licensed. In Jan. 2024, all landlords in Denver will need to have an inspection and apply for a residential rental license.
The city has issued more than 1,600 warnings and has already fined three landlords of multi-unit properties the maximum fine of $999. The first fine is $150. The second fine is $500. The third and subsequent fines are $999.
Escudero said investigators start by looking at property listings online, and then looking into ownership through public records.
“And when they spot an address for rent that's not in that licensing database, they send it over to our investigators, and our investigators look into it more, try to find the name of the landlord or the management company and reaches out to them,” he said.
The purpose, according to the city, is not financial. The goal is to check out the status of rentals and hold landlords accountable. The idea is to check for things like black mold, running water and pests.
"It's not a revenue generator for the city. This is a safety thing,” Escudero said.
Denver starts with a warning letter before moving to fines, but Escudero also said that the large, multi-until owners should be aware of the law by now.
“If you're a owner or landlord of a large apartment complex, the 'I didn't know' excuse for something that you could have gotten a license in March 2022, and has been in law for 10 months in Denver, that's really not flying,” he said.
Large apartment complexes have lobbyists and associations that notify them about new laws like this. But what about the homeowner who one day decides to become a landlord and has no idea that Denver requires an inspection and license?
The city has an outreach effort that may or may not be accurate.
"That includes sending out 40,000 postcards to people we've identified in the city, who are or may be landlords,” Escudero said. “It's our job at the city, to try to find those landlords, locate them, inform them that they need to get the license, and if they choose not to get the license, hold them accountable.”
If fines don’t work, the city has the option of issuing a criminal citation.
As a rough guess, Escudero estimates there are 25,000 multi-unit properties, and there are 25,000 single unit properties for rent in Denver. The city has issued more than 9.600 multi-unit licenses.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Full Episodes of Next with Kyle Clark