1st Advantage MortgageInvestors buying in Fort Collins, CO are measured on the rent the property earns. Locally, median gross rent is $1,690 and median real estate taxes are $2,875 a year, which together set how much loan a rent can carry.
Fort Collins rental market at a glance
Median gross rent in Fort Collins: $1,690, close to the Colorado median of $1,761. Median owner-occupied home value: $577,900, close to the Colorado median of $539,400. Those are citywide medians, so an individual address can sit well on either side of them. A quick screen: twelve months of Fort Collins median rent over its median home value equals 3.5%, on the low side, so the payment, not the rent, usually decides whether a file clears. Use it to compare markets, then replace it with real rent evidence for the address.
| Indicator | Colorado | Fort Collins | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons per household | 2.42 | 2.25 | |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 4.7% | 8.7% | +85% |
| Share of homes detached | 61.4% | 52.2% | -15% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 14.1% | 8.9% | -37% |
| Degree holders, age 25+ | 45.7% | 60.7% | +33% |
| Workers on their own account | 11.3% | 9.5% | -16% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 52.9% | 57.6% | +9% |
| Units sitting vacant | 8.3% | 3.7% | -55% |
| Typical construction year | 1988 | 1992 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 3.9% | 3.5% | -10% |
| Households that rent | 33.8% | 48.4% | +43% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $2,602 | $2,875 | +10% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $539,400 | $577,900 | +7% |
| Typical monthly rent | $1,761 | $1,690 | -4% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 5,862,189 | 170,229 |
Renters make up 48.4% of households in Fort Collins (well above the Colorado median of 34%), so rental demand is real but not overwhelming. Household income runs a median $85,070 (about 11% below the Colorado median of $95,470), while 58% of renters spend 30 percent or more of income on housing.
Homes, buildings and vacancies in Fort Collins
Multifamily matters in Fort Collins. About 37% of housing units are in multi-unit buildings, and 9% are in two to four unit properties that fit standard DSCR programs. A median construction date of 1992 points to growth-era housing, where HOA leasing limits and new-build rent comparables are the bigger questions.
Use vacancy as a reality check: 4% of all units are vacant in Fort Collins, and the rental vacancy rate is 3.8%.
What the data means for Fort Collins buyers
A 3.5% gross ratio leaves little margin in Fort Collins. Every dollar of insurance, tax and association dues matters, and some deals work only with lower leverage. Newer construction (median built 1992) lowers near-term repair risk, but association rules and builder-grade finishes can limit rent growth. With about 48% of households renting, Fort Collins has enough tenants to support investors without being dominated by them.
Taxes and risk in Fort Collins
Homeowners in Fort Collins paid a median $2,875 in real estate taxes, about 10% above the Colorado median of $2,602, an effective rate near 0.50% of home value against 0.48% statewide. Set beside the median rent, the tax alone consumes about 14% of annual rent.
FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates Larimer County as relatively moderate overall for natural hazard risk, with lightning (very high), winter weather (very high) and hail (relatively high) among its leading hazards.
| Hazard in Larimer County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Wildfire exposure | Relatively High |
| Hail exposure | Relatively High |
| Winter weather exposure | Very High |
| Lightning exposure | Very High |
| Social vulnerability score | Very Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Moderate |
| Composite risk | Relatively Moderate |
A Fort Collins landlord policy is priced on roof, age, wiring and location, and the annual premium divided by twelve lands in the payment the lender tests.
A worked DSCR test for Fort Collins
The quick test for Fort Collins: rent of $1,690 divided by a 1.25 ratio allows a total payment of $1,352, and subtracting $240 in monthly taxes leaves $1,112 for the loan, insurance and dues. At 1.00 the allowance is the full $1,450.
What CO law and Fort Collins require of landlords
This page does not claim to list every Fort Collins rental ordinance. Before you buy, call the city's planning or code office and Larimer County to ask about rental registration, inspections and short-term rental permits, and read any association declaration. Nightly stays carry state tax in Colorado. Colorado requires a sales tax license for an owner who rents rooms or accommodations, with tax generally due on stays under 30 consecutive days, and a marketplace that collects for the owner typically covers state, local and lodging taxes, while county or city lodging filings can be separate.
A landlord collecting a deposit in Fort Collins works under C.R.S. §§ 38-12-102.5, 38-12-103 (as amended by HB25-1249, eff. Jan 1, 2026), which sets the limit as follows: 2 months' rent (since Aug 7, 2023). Deposits come due back within 30 days of the tenant leaving, and Fort Collins owners should document condition at both ends of the lease. For Fort Collins rent levels, note that No; counties and municipalities are prohibited from enacting rent control (C.R.S. 38-12-301).
How Fort Collins stacks up against its neighbors
Among the nearby markets above, Greeley has the lowest median home value at $402,500 and Boulder the highest at $1,039,500, against $577,900 in Fort Collins.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 53% | $5,322 | $1,039,500 | 106,433 | $2,018 |
| Longmont | 38% | $2,940 | $572,800 | 99,406 | $1,816 |
| Greeley | 39% | $1,832 | $402,500 | 110,806 | $1,388 |
| Loveland | 38% | $2,302 | $479,000 | 78,410 | $1,730 |
| Fort Collins | 48% | $2,875 | $577,900 | 170,229 | $1,690 |
Tenants, jobs and anchors in Fort Collins
9.5% of employed residents work for themselves, which matters here because DSCR lending does not ask for tax returns or pay stubs. On the workforce side, government workers are about 19% of employment, 61% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 9% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
The largest employers listed for Fort Collins for 2024 include Colorado State University, University of Colorado Hospital Authority, Poudre R-1 School District, City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. Large, stable payrolls like these tend to anchor rental demand near their job sites. Campuses such as Colorado State University, Front Range Community College, Institute of Business & Medical Careers and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere pull tenants into Fort Collins, and landlords near them can plan around move-in seasons. On the logistics side, interstate access via I-25 and air service through Northern Colorado Regional Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport are noted for Fort Collins.
From a Fort Collins listing to a loan
Before you offer on a Fort Collins property, test the ratio in the calculator, then apply now or request a DSCR quote.
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Where we checked
- Text of C.R.S. §§ 38-12-102.5, 38-12-103 (as amended by HB25-1249, eff. Jan 1, 2026) for Fort Collins landlords
- Colorado Department of Revenue, rooms and accommodations (Colorado)
- Census ACS profile behind the Fort Collins figures
- FEMA county hazard table
- Background reading: Fort Collins, Colorado
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 ACS five-year estimates for Fort Collins and carry margins of error. For Colorado tenant law we used RedFlagLease under CC BY 4.0 plus the linked statutes. Verified October 2026. Ordinances and statutes change, so confirm before acting.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
Lease or market rent: what counts in Fort Collins?
A signed lease or the appraiser's rent schedule supplies the rent, depending on the program, and $1,690 is the Census median for Fort Collins renters, only a benchmark.
Does the ratio in Fort Collins include taxes and dues?
They do. Rent of $1,690 divided by 1.25 gives about $1,352 as the payment ceiling, and $240 of that is spoken for by the median Fort Collins tax bill.
What does Larimer County charge in property tax, in practice?
The median bill is $2,875, an effective rate near 0.50%. Because Larimer County may reassess at sale, use an estimate on the new price when you run the ratio.
What about VRBO or Airbnb income on a Fort Collins purchase?
Possible where lender guidelines allow it, subject to Fort Collins and Larimer County rules and to the building's association. Lenders usually average a year of bookings and discount the result.
How much deposit can a Fort Collins landlord collect?
Start with C.R.S. §§ 38-12-102.5, 38-12-103 (as amended by HB25-1249, eff. Jan 1, 2026). The limit: 2 months' rent (since Aug 7, 2023). Return window: 30 days. Talk to a Colorado attorney for a lease form that matches.
Does hazard risk affect a Fort Collins DSCR loan?
The county scores relatively moderate overall in FEMA's index, with lightning leading. Parcel-level flood maps and a real insurance quote give the answer that counts.
Should a Fort Collins rental be bought in an LLC?
An individual can borrow too. If you prefer an entity for the Fort Collins purchase, expect to provide formation documents and sign a personal guaranty.