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Investor-friendly real estate agents in Denver, CO
We match investors with vetted Denver-area agents who own rentals, run the numbers, and know the local rules. Free for investors.
Get matched in Denver4 vetted investor agents across the Denver metro
Denver is a hard market to cash flow. A typical home in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro is worth about $560,000 and rents for about $1,920 a month, a rent-to-price ratio of roughly 0.34%, one of the weakest of any market we cover. Home values are about 9% below their June 2022 peak and still slipping, and rents are a little below their 2024 high. The metro has grown about 21% since 2010, but more Americans have moved out than in every year since 2021, and job growth stalled in 2025. Colorado has also moved toward tenants: since 2024 most long-term tenants can only be removed for cause, and Denver requires a license for every long-term rental and allows short-term rentals only in the host's own primary residence. Our 4 vetted agent partners cover Denver and the surrounding metro.
Rental purchases across the greater Denver area, from a bench that includes a partner whose clients include investors.
Help for investors buying from another state or moving to Denver, including from a partner who relocated to Denver herself.
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Is Denver worth investing in? The long-term trends
People, jobs, rents and prices for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro, straight from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zillow. Hover or tap a chart for exact values.
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,554,032 |
| 2011 | 2,600,467 |
| 2012 | 2,645,858 |
| 2013 | 2,694,188 |
| 2014 | 2,745,645 |
| 2015 | 2,802,640 |
| 2016 | 2,844,505 |
| 2017 | 2,877,443 |
| 2018 | 2,915,538 |
| 2019 | 2,944,122 |
| 2020 | 2,970,099 |
| 2021 | 2,978,802 |
| 2022 | 2,994,295 |
| 2023 | 3,031,278 |
| 2024 | 3,081,092 |
| 2025 | 3,092,037 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +20,750 |
| 2012 | +22,204 |
| 2013 | +25,837 |
| 2014 | +27,922 |
| 2015 | +32,375 |
| 2016 | +19,880 |
| 2017 | +12,538 |
| 2018 | +17,160 |
| 2019 | +13,751 |
| 2020 | +11,556 |
| 2021 | -6,334 |
| 2022 | -8,319 |
| 2023 | -1,080 |
| 2024 | -3,204 |
| 2025 | -14,608 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,193,900 |
| 2011 | 1,214,300 |
| 2012 | 1,249,500 |
| 2013 | 1,296,300 |
| 2014 | 1,346,500 |
| 2015 | 1,397,700 |
| 2016 | 1,434,200 |
| 2017 | 1,464,900 |
| 2018 | 1,503,000 |
| 2019 | 1,538,400 |
| 2020 | 1,462,500 |
| 2021 | 1,519,000 |
| 2022 | 1,593,800 |
| 2023 | 1,627,300 |
| 2024 | 1,639,000 |
| 2025 | 1,641,200 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | $1,350/mo |
| Dec 2016 | $1,382/mo |
| Dec 2017 | $1,456/mo |
| Dec 2018 | $1,515/mo |
| Dec 2019 | $1,571/mo |
| Dec 2020 | $1,568/mo |
| Dec 2021 | $1,776/mo |
| Dec 2022 | $1,862/mo |
| Dec 2023 | $1,910/mo |
| Dec 2024 | $1,898/mo |
| Dec 2025 | $1,869/mo |
| Aug 2026 | $1,922/mo |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2010 | $228,600 |
| Dec 2011 | $222,172 |
| Dec 2012 | $239,047 |
| Dec 2013 | $264,535 |
| Dec 2014 | $289,823 |
| Dec 2015 | $332,322 |
| Dec 2016 | $364,787 |
| Dec 2017 | $392,663 |
| Dec 2018 | $416,557 |
| Dec 2019 | $433,105 |
| Dec 2020 | $470,271 |
| Dec 2021 | $551,017 |
| Dec 2022 | $586,425 |
| Dec 2023 | $586,196 |
| Dec 2024 | $590,123 |
| Dec 2025 | $571,734 |
| Aug 2026 | $559,705 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | 20.5× |
| Dec 2016 | 22.0× |
| Dec 2017 | 22.5× |
| Dec 2018 | 22.9× |
| Dec 2019 | 23.0× |
| Dec 2020 | 25.0× |
| Dec 2021 | 25.9× |
| Dec 2022 | 26.2× |
| Dec 2023 | 25.6× |
| Dec 2024 | 25.9× |
| Dec 2025 | 25.5× |
| Aug 2026 | 24.3× |
Data retrieved October 15, 2026. Figures cover the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area.
The numbers and rules that matter in Denver
Zillow Home Value Index, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro, Aug 2026 (−1.9% YoY).
Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types, Aug 2026 (−0.6% YoY). Single-family 3-beds rent higher.
Typical rent ÷ typical home value. Well under the 1% rule; plan on cash flow from buying right, not from rents.
Over the past year: home values −1.9%, rents −0.6%.
Colorado and Denver landlord-tenant basics
Colorado's landlord-tenant law has shifted toward tenants since 2019, and Denver adds its own licensing on top. The points investors ask about most:
- No rent control: state law bars cities and counties from controlling rents on private residential property (C.R.S. 38-12-301). A 2023 bill to repeal that ban failed. But rent can only be raised once in any 12 months of a tenant's occupancy, and a tenancy with no written lease needs 60 days' written notice of an increase.
- Nonpayment: the landlord must give a 10-day written demand to pay or move out before filing an eviction (C.R.S. 13-40-104). The period was 3 days before 2019. Landlords with five or fewer single-family homes can write a shorter period into the lease.
- For-cause eviction (HB24-1098, signed April 19, 2024): once a tenant has been in place for 12 months, you need a reason listed in the law to end or not renew the tenancy, such as nonpayment, lease violations or a holdover. No-fault reasons, such as moving yourself or a family member in, selling, major renovation or a tenant refusing a reasonable new lease, require at least 90 days' written notice and can require relocation assistance. Exemptions include short-term rentals and an owner-occupied single-family home, duplex or triplex where the owner lives on the same lot.
- Security deposits: capped at two months' rent. Since January 1, 2026 (HB25-1249), return it within 30 days after the lease ends, or up to 60 days if the lease says so, with a written list of deductions. Miss the deadline and you lose the right to keep any of it; withholding in bad faith can cost three times the amount.
- Late fees: only after rent is at least 7 days late, capped at the greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent, and only if the lease provides for it (C.R.S. 38-12-105).
- Denver rental license: every long-term rental (30 days or more) in Denver, single-family homes included since January 1, 2024, needs a residential rental license. You must pass an inspection by a third-party inspector before applying, and renew every four years or when ownership changes. Without one, you can't legally rent the unit.
- Denver also requires landlords to give tenants the city's current tenant-rights notice with the signed lease and with every demand for rent.
Short-term rental rules in Denver
Denver only licenses short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) in the host's primary residence. That rules out the classic investor play of buying a second home to run as an Airbnb.
- Primary residence: the city defines it as the place where your habitation is fixed for the term of the license and your usual place of return. You need a Colorado ID plus documents such as voter registration, vehicle registration, tax returns or utility bills, at application and at renewal. If you can't usually return because the home is rented, it stops being your primary residence.
- A property that isn't your primary residence can't get a short-term rental license. The city says renting it short-term would need a lodging facility license instead.
- Get a Denver lodger's tax account number before you apply for the license. Denver's lodger's tax is 10.75% on stays of under 30 consecutive days, on top of sales tax. Even when a platform collects the tax, you still have to file your returns on time.
- It's unlawful to advertise a short-term rental in Denver without the license number shown on the listing.
- Furnished stays of 30 days or more aren't short-term rentals. They fall under Denver's residential rental license instead.
- HOAs, condo declarations and your lender can restrict short-term rentals further. Aurora, Lakewood and the other suburbs set their own rules.
Last reviewed October 15, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice — rules and fees change, so confirm with the city, the statute, or your attorney before you rely on them. Sources: Zillow Research data (ZHVI, ZORI) — Denver metro; Colorado General Assembly — HB24-1098, Cause Required for Eviction of Residential Tenant; Colorado General Assembly — HB25-1249, Tenant Security Deposit Protections; Colorado General Assembly — HB21-1121, Residential Tenancy Procedures; Colorado General Assembly — HB19-1118, Time Period To Cure Lease Violation; Colorado General Assembly — HB23-1115, Repeal Prohibition Local Residential Rent Control (postponed indefinitely); Colorado Legislative Council — Colorado Law Summary: Renters' Rights; Colorado Judicial Branch — Understanding the Eviction Process (June 2025); City and County of Denver — Short-term rentals; City and County of Denver — Short-term rental FAQ; Denver Tax Guide Topic 97 — Short-term rentals; City and County of Denver — Residential rental property license FAQ; City and County of Denver — Tenant rights and resources.
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Questions investors ask about Denver
How many investor-friendly agents do you have in Denver?
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We currently work with 4 vetted agent partners in the Denver area. We match you with the ones that fit your strategy, budget and target area, and if none of them do, we'll tell you upfront.
Is Denver a good market for cash-flowing rentals?
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Not at median prices with a mortgage. Typical rent-to-price in the Denver metro is about 0.34% a month, about a third of the 1% rule, and both prices and rents have been easing. Investors who do well here are buying for long-term appreciation, putting more cash down, or buying below median and adding value. Budget for Denver's rental license and inspection too.
Can I buy a house in Denver to run as an Airbnb?
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Not as an investment property. Denver only licenses short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) in the host's own primary residence, and checks residency documents at application and renewal. You can rent out your own home, or part of it, with a license and a lodger's tax account. Furnished stays of 30 days or more fall under the regular rental license instead.
Do I need a license to rent out a property in Denver?
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Yes. Every long-term rental in Denver, including single-family homes since January 1, 2024, needs a residential rental license. You need a passing inspection from a third-party inspector before you apply, and the license renews every four years or when the property changes hands.
Is Colorado landlord-friendly?
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Less than it used to be. Cities still can't impose rent control, but since 2024 most tenants who've been in place 12 months can only be removed for a reason listed in state law, with 90 days' notice and possible relocation assistance for no-fault reasons. Nonpayment requires a 10-day demand, deposits must be returned within 30 days (60 if the lease says so), and late fees are capped.
What does it cost to get matched with a Denver agent?
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Nothing. Agents Invest is free for investors. The agent pays us a referral fee only if you close a deal with them.
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