This guide is here to help you rent smarter, not harder. We’ll walk through what Denver renters should know before applying, where the pressure points usually show up, and how to prepare without burning out or overspending.

Knowing whether your PTSR comes from a reputable source matters. It affects whether a property manager is required to accept it, how much trust it carries, and whether the information in it is accurate.

If you’ve ever applied for a rental and wondered what’s actually being reviewed behind the scenes, you’re not alone. Many renters assume property managers are looking for one perfect number or a single red flag that decides everything. That’s not how it usually works. In Colorado, tenant screening is made up of a few core checks that help property managers understand risk and fit. None of them tell the full story on their own. And none of them make decisions by themselves.

Colorado law still allows property managers to require that a portable tenant screening report be completed within the previous 30 days. HB25-1236 did not extend the validity window to 60 days.

Portable tenant screening is a new idea for a lot of renters in Colorado. If you’ve ever paid multiple application fees in a single search, you already understand why this law matters. Colorado now lets you use a portable tenant screening report (often called a PTSR) instead of paying for a brand-new screening every time.

Screening fees add up fast. Colorado’s portable screening law is designed to cut down on repeat costs and help you carry your verified information from one home to the next. The law lays out what a PTSR must include and when a property manager has to accept it. 

A clear guide to Colorado’s tenant screening law, how portable reports work, and when property managers must accept a PTSR.

Renters deserve a screening process that’s clear, fair, and truly portable. We built Rentell because the way people apply for housing today is slow, expensive, and built around systems that rarely serve the renter.