Longmont, CO Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Heating season
- September 1 through May 1
- Governing section
- § 16.20.330 amends IPMC § 602.3
- Max fine
- $500.00 plus up to 90 days jail
- Lien surcharge
- 20% administrative charge if city corrects
- Appeal window
- 14 days, then master board of appeals
- Adopting ordinance
- O-2021-65, effective November 30, 2021
Summary
Landlords in Longmont must supply heat to every rented unit from September 1 through May 1 under the city's amended International Property Maintenance Code. Longmont Municipal Code § 16.20.330 rewrites the model code's heat-supply section to fix that six-month window citywide, backed by daily-offense penalties and a lien process under § 16.20.080.
Sec. 16.20.330. - Section 602.3 amended; heat supply. Section 602.3 of the International Property Maintenance Code is amended by the following: Insert the date "September 1" to "May 1" into the brackets. ... 109.1. Unlawful acts. It is unlawful for any person to erect, install, alter, repair, relocate, add to, replace, demolish, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure, or cause or permit the same to be done, in violation of this code. 109.2. Violation. Any person committing or permitting a violation of this code commits a separate offense for each day or part of a day during which the violation exists. Offenses are punishable according to chapter 1.12 of the Longmont Municipal Code.
Full Breakdown
Longmont adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) by reference under Ordinance No. O-2021-65, effective November 30, 2021, and then rewrote specific sections to fit local practice. Section 16.20.330 is one of those rewrites: it takes the IPMC's heat-supply section, 602.3, and instructs that the city insert the date range "September 1" to "May 1" into the code's bracketed heating-season placeholders. That six-month period, running from the start of September through the end of April, is the season in which Longmont requires heat to be supplied; a landlord who lets a rented unit go without heat inside that window is out of compliance with the adopted code.
Enforcement runs through the same chapter's general violations section, 16.20.080. Section 109.1 makes it unlawful to maintain any building or structure, or "cause or permit" it to be maintained, in violation of the code, which reaches a landlord who fails to restore heat. Section 109.2 treats each day the violation continues as a separate offense, punishable under Title 1, Chapter 1.12 of the Longmont Municipal Code, which caps a general Code violation at a $500.00 fine and 90 days in jail, or both. Section 109.3 layers on public-nuisance status: the city can seek an injunction through the courts and, where it corrects the violation itself, certify the cost plus a 20 percent administrative service charge as a lien against the property. Under Section 109.4, before that charge becomes a lien, the city clerk mails the owner a notice, and the owner has 14 days to file a written objection; an unresolved objection goes to the master board of appeals under Chapter 16.30, with a further right of appeal to district court.
Fees for administering the property maintenance code are set by council resolution under Section 16.20.060, not fixed dollar amounts in the code itself. Nothing in the file carves out an exemption for owner-occupied units, seasonal vacancies, or any grace period beyond the 14-day notice window.
Violations & Fines
Each day a heat-supply violation continues is a separate offense under § 16.20.080's Section 109.2, prosecuted through municipal court under Chapter 1.12: up to a $500.00 fine and 90 days in jail per offense. The city can also treat the violation as a public nuisance, correct it directly, and certify the cost plus a 20 percent administrative charge as a lien on the property, appealable to the master board of appeals within 14 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must Longmont landlords provide heat to rental units?
What happens if a landlord shuts off heat during the season?
Can a property owner appeal a heat-supply citation?
Sources & Official References
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