Colorado’s landmark ADU legislation changed the rules for homeowners statewide. Here’s what’s new and how to take advantage.
Colorado HB24-1152 requires most municipalities to allow ADUs on single-family lots by right — no special hearings required. Cities can no longer prohibit ADUs outright or require owner-occupancy as a condition of approval.
Previously, many Denver-area cities required the homeowner to live on-site to rent an ADU. That requirement has been eliminated statewide, opening ADU rental to investment properties and absent owners.
Properties within a half-mile of transit stops are now exempt from off-street parking requirements for ADUs, making more lots viable in urban Denver neighborhoods.
If you were told your property couldn’t support an ADU under old rules, it’s worth a new assessment. Many properties that were previously non-compliant now qualify under the new state framework.