Moving In

Landlords and tenants who take a thirty-minute look together at the condition of the unit at the beginning of the lease may save countless hours and dollars in arguing at the end of the lease over who, what and when. You can just hear it now, "That hole in the wall was here when I got here. I did not kick it in and I am not responsible for repairing it," says the tenant in a convincing voice. 

"Sure," says the landlord, "I don't recall a hole when you moved in and I find it hard to believe that you would live with it without complaint for all this time." "My original oil painting covered it nicely so I forgot about it," is the next response. Who wins? Why get in this predicament when it can all be prevented by cooperation and communication?

  1. What steps should the landlord and tenant take when moving in?
  2. What if the landlord misrepresents the condition of the unit?
  3. What about hidden defects?
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Additional Information

For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Colorado Civil Rights Commission at 303-894-2997 or the United States Fair Housing Enforcement Center at 303-672-5437.

Note: This is intended only to be a guide for both landlord and tenant. This information is provided to you as a service of the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. Should you still need further assistance in regard to legal matters mentioned in this guide, please contact an attorney of your choice.