Fort Collins, CO Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Section 17-181 bans camping or pitching a tent, or knowingly permitting someone else to, on public property citywide, with camping defined as sleeping, spending the night, residing or dwelling temporarily, with or without bedding, shelter or gear, or conducting activities of daily living such as eating or sleeping in the place; incidental napping or picnicking is expressly excluded, as is camping done in compliance with Chapter 23's natural and recreation area rules. Section 17-182(a) extends the restriction to private property: camping there is unlawful except on a residential dwelling's premises with the owner's permission, and even then it cannot exceed seven consecutive days or fourteen total days in a calendar year, though the Director of Community Development and Neighborhood Services can grant an extension of up to seven more consecutive days or fourteen more days per year for documented hardship, weighing objections from neighbors on the same block face.

Subsection (b) separately bars living or sleeping in a motor vehicle, RV or trailer on private property unless it sits in a licensed manufactured home or RV park, or on a residential lot under Section 20-105 with the owner's permission and within the same seven-day or fourteen-day caps. rather than a separate sanitation procedure.