Commerce City, located right outside Denver, is playing with fire in one of its newest proposed ordinances. The ordinance, formally known as Rental Registration Ordinance 2541, was designed initially to target multi-family housing but in practice will increase rental home prices and create onerous burdens for property owners of single-family rental homes. It is imperative that the Commerce City Council delays the enactment of these policies until lawmakers truly understand how harmful these policies will be for the rental market, property owners, tenants and businesses.

The Denver metro area is one of the most expensive places to rent in the United States. These high rent costs, combined with the increased cost of living, make it increasingly difficult for low and middle-income residents to afford to live in communities such as Commerce City, and this new proposal by the city council would only worsen these issues. More specifically, the new proposal would prevent property owners from renting excellent single-family homes to tenants if one of their other properties has not met stringent guidelines on an even more strict timeline. Overly burdensome property management regulations like the ones proposed, which go way beyond the norm for property managers in America, will inevitably lead to costs that will be passed on to tenants who will be forced to pay higher rent.

Additionally, this ordnance inverts the incentive structures that normally facilitate attractive single family home rental communities and spur more housing options for towns like Commerce City.

For instance, under the city’s proposed ordinance change, if a tenant trashed their rental to the point that it no longer was up to code, tenants could live there for free until the landlord repaired it. It would force property owners to, in the worst-case scenario, award tenants for wanton property destruction and negligence.

Moreover, provisions for emergency evictions, designed to protect property owners in worst-case scenarios, will be limited. As a result, property owners would not see any incentives for putting their properties on the market, further tightening the rental market and limiting access to affordable housing. It is essential to the rental market that both tenants and property owners are happy with their rental agreements. This potential overreach by the city council swings the pendulum too far in one direction, creating market conditions that restrict housing options and will inevitably create friction in the community.

On top of these issues, the city council is simply not doing their homework. The elected architects of this ordinance were trying to push this policy through quickly to avoid the responsibility of considering the opinions and perspectives of those who will be most impacted. Property owners, tenants, and lower- to middle-income citizens have not been invited to provide any feedback. By excluding these groups of people, the Commerce City Council is just assuming they know what is best for these members of the community without even asking them. The city council needs to better live up to their responsibilities to their citizens and create a policy that will mitigate harm, not cause it.

It is entirely unfair to all parties involved that the city council is introducing a policy that would harm the economy, citizens, and community all to pass a short-sighted measure that lacks substantive benefits. The city council should focus on writing up a policy that is fair for all and one that will help, not hurt, Commerce City. Following the ordinance format used across the rest of metro Denver, for example, is a simple and common-sense way to remedy the pending issue. By rethinking the proposed policy, observing the norms from the surrounding areas that work for everyone, and listening to community members and those impacted, the city council would be able to avoid catastrophe and protect our neighborhoods from even higher housing costs. The work of my life has been to build a stronger and dynamic economic base for Commerce City. Working together we have achieved a great deal but this ordinance if enacted will turn back the clock and do irreparable harm to our community’s economy.

Do the right thing and listen to all voices in our great community.

Rene Bullock is a former mayor pro tem of Commerce City and current executive director of the Commerce City Chamber of Commerce.