Fort Collins, CO Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 5-275 sets Fort Collins' baseline habitability rule in one sentence: the minimum standards for rental housing shall be pursuant to the provisions of the IPMC as adopted and amended in §§ 5-46 and 5-47. 3, Heat Supply, as locally amended: an owner or operator who rents, leases, or lets a dwelling or sleeping unit must supply heat sufficient to maintain a minimum temperature of 68°F in all habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms, except that where the outdoor temperature falls below the winter design temperature and the heating system is running at full capacity, or in areas averaging above 30°F, a 65°F minimum applies instead.

Section 5-267 places the responsibility for maintaining these standards squarely on the owner, tracking Section 107 of the amended IPMC. Section 5-258 likewise assigns liability and responsibility for maintenance of premises and compliance with codes under IPMC Section 107. Inspection of a rental unit for compliance runs through Section 5-257, which routes inspection authority to Section 104 of the amended IPMC. Because the habitability floor is defined by cross-reference rather than restated in Chapter 5 itself, an inspector applying Section 5-275 is applying the full substantive Property Maintenance Code, from heat and ventilation to structural soundness, to every rental property in the city.