For the first time, Denver has slapped an unlicensed landlord with the maximum $5,000 fine allowed under a new penalty increase — part of its ongoing crackdown on what the city calls “slumlords.”
The fine, issued Jan. 14 to Lockwood LLC for a rental property at 2830 Williams St., comes after the landlord repeatedly refused to comply with Denver’s residential rental licensing requirement, despite multiple attempts from the city.
The city has previously fined the landlord, NK “Neil" Sharma, for being unlicensed.
Denver City Council approved the increase in fines last year.
“It’s no longer going to be profitable to be a slumlord in Denver, Colorado,” said Eric Escudero, director of communications for the city’s Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. “We don’t want to fine anybody, but for the worst of the worst, who refuse to get licensed, we’re taking action.”
In addition to the fine, the city has issued its second-ever criminal citation for an unlicensed landlord. That means the Sharma will have to appear in court in March and could face up to one year in jail and an additional $999 fine.
The first fine went to the Raven apartment complex, previously known as the Felix, at 11100 E. Dartmouth Ave.
Escudero said the move is a “last resort” in hopes of ensuring that the rental properties are safe. Without the licenses, he said, the city doesn’t know what the conditions are like for the people living there.
The crackdown follows a push to improve housing quality in Denver. Nearly 29,000 landlords are now licensed, but the city is targeting a small group of holdouts.
“No one should live in a place that has mold, pests, not running water — things that everyone deserves when renting a home,” Escudero said.
The city also issued a $999 citation for the other side of the duplex at 2826 Williams St., owned by an LLC linked to Sharma’s spouse, according to Escudero.
