Your portable screening report lasts 30 days in colorado. here’s how to use that window well.

If you’ve heard people say a portable tenant screening report lasts 60 days in Colorado, you’re not alone. Timelines get mixed up a lot. The actual rule is simpler: Colorado law allows property managers to require that your portable report be completed within the past 30 days. 

Once you know that window, you can plan your search with more confidence, avoid extra fees, and reuse your verified information while it’s still considered current.

A portable tenant screening report (PTSR) in Colorado is valid for 30 days from the date it was completed by a consumer reporting agency. After 30 days, a property manager isn’t required to accept it under state law. 

Why colorado uses a 30-day window

Screening information changes. Your credit updates. Paystubs refresh. Address history gets new entries. Because of that, Colorado’s PTSR law lets property managers require that a report be completed “within the previous thirty days.” 

It’s meant to hit a balance: recent enough to be accurate, but long enough for renters to apply to more than one home without paying repeated fees.

How to make the most of your 30 days

Every renter’s search looks different, so think of this as a flexible checklist you can move through at your own pace.

1. Get your portable report

Start by requesting your report from a consumer reporting agency. To count as a valid portable report, it must include identity verification, income and employment details, last-known address, rental history, credit information, and any criminal or eviction history required by the property’s criteria. 

Once it’s generated, the 30-day clock begins.

2. Take a moment to review it

Give yourself a quiet ten minutes to read through your information. Look for anything that seems off or incomplete. If something doesn’t look right, you have the right under federal law to dispute inaccurate information with the CRA at no cost. 

3. Get your application materials ready

You don’t need to gather every document under the sun. In most cases, your portable report replaces those steps. But it still helps to have basics on hand: proof of income, your expected move-in timeline, and a short explanation of anything you think a property manager may ask about.

Being ready lets you move quickly within your 30-day window.

4. Start your home search with intention

Look at homes you’re truly interested in and that fit your budget and timeline. Because your PTSR covers the screening part, you can focus on homes, not fees.

If a listing asks for an application fee, you can share your portable report instead. Colorado law prohibits property managers from charging a fee when you provide a valid PTSR. 

5. Share your report directly with property managers

Most property managers fall under the “must accept a valid PTSR” rule. Some narrow exceptions exist, like managers who only take one application fee at a time and refund unused fees within twenty days if they don’t offer a lease. 

Acceptance of your report isn’t the same as approval of your application, though. They still apply their own screening criteria and make the final decision. Rentell doesn’t approve or deny anyone. 

6. Repeat as needed while you’re within the 30 days

You can reuse your portable report for as many homes as you want during the window. That’s the biggest advantage: one verified report, shared many times.

If your search stretches longer, you may need a new report once the 30 days pass or if something material changes, such as your address, bankruptcy status, criminal history, or eviction history. Colorado allows property managers to ask you to confirm that no material changes occurred.

Good luck with your search! We know only one part of finding your new home is understand portable tenant screening reports, we’re just trying to make that part a lot simpler.