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

Chapter 12 of Title XI of the Westminster Municipal Code, the Rental Property Maintenance Code, applies to every rental dwelling and rental property in the city and sets binding minimums: habitable rooms need at least a seven-foot ceiling height, units need 150 square feet of habitable floor space for the first occupant plus 100 square feet per additional occupant, and bedrooms need 70 square feet for the first occupant plus 30 for each additional occupant. Heating facilities must maintain 68 degrees Fahrenheit three feet above the floor in all habitable rooms from October through April, and water heaters must deliver at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit with a 20-gallon-per-hour recovery capacity.

Every unit needs a toilet, lavatory and bathtub or shower reachable without going outside or through another unit, and smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are required under Section 11-12-5. Section 11-12-2 makes it unlawful to lease a structure that does not comply, and the building division enforces the code with a right of entry under Section 11-12-11 backed by a municipal court order when a tenant or owner refuses access. A property found to present an imminent hazard under Section 11-12-18 is posted 'Dangerous, Do Not Occupy' and ordered vacated until repairs are made and reinspected.