Subletting in Denver: A Guide for Students and Interns

Who Sublets in Denver, and When

In Denver, the University of Denver is in the south of the city, and the Auraria campus next to downtown is shared by the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Community College of Denver. The University of Colorado Boulder is about 25 miles northwest.

The University of Denver uses a quarter calendar: spring quarter ends in June and autumn quarter starts in September. The Auraria schools and CU Boulder use semesters, finishing in May and returning in late August. So sublets near Auraria and in Boulder open first, and those near the University of Denver follow a few weeks later.

Summer interns and students leaving for a term abroad fill most of these rooms.

Where Students and Interns Live

• Near the University of Denver: the University and University Park blocks around Evans Avenue and University Boulevard, and Platt Park to the west, by University of Denver Station.
• Near Auraria: Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park and the Lower Downtown blocks, a walk or a short rail ride from the campus stations.
• Near the downtown offices: Lower Downtown around Union Station, Uptown and Five Points on the L Line.
• Near the Denver Tech Center: the southeast corridor along the E and R rail lines.
• Boulder: University Hill west of campus, Goss-Grove to the north and Martin Acres to the south, on the HOP and SKIP bus routes.

Getting Around

The Regional Transportation District, RTD, runs the buses and trains. The E and H rail lines stop at University of Denver Station, several lines stop at Auraria, and the A Line runs from Union Station to the airport. The Flatiron Flyer bus runs between Union Station and Boulder along US 36.

You can live car-light near a rail station or in central Boulder. For offices away from rail, and for weekends in the mountains, most people want a car. In winter, ask who clears snow and where you would park.

The Rules to Check Before You Sublet in Denver

Your lease is the first thing to read. Most Colorado leases either ban subletting or require the landlord’s written consent, and the original tenant stays responsible for the rent. We could not find a single state page that sets out a tenant’s right to sublet, so treat the lease and your landlord’s written answer as the rule. Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs lists renter resources if you need help reading it.

Short stays are licensed by the city. Denver requires a short-term rental license for stays of one to 29 days, the home must be the host’s primary residence, and someone who is not the owner needs the owner’s permission. A sublet of 30 days or more is not a short-term rental under that rule.

Boulder has its own rental licensing and short-term rental rules. If your place is in Boulder, check the city’s page and ask your landlord before you list.

How to Sublet Your Place in Denver

1. Read your lease for a subletting or assignment clause. If it requires consent, get that consent in writing.
2. Ask your landlord or property manager in writing. Give your dates and say you will send the subtenant’s name. Keep the written approval.
3. Tell your roommates before you list. If they are on the lease, they usually need to agree too.
4. Set exact move-in and move-out dates that sit inside your own lease term.
5. Price it near your own rent. Add up what you pay each month for rent and utilities and start from that number.
6. Put the deal in writing: names, dates, rent, utilities, house rules, and what happens if plans change. Both of you sign and keep a copy.

Pick a subtenant on the stay only: dates, ability to pay, references, pets, smoking. It is illegal to choose or refuse someone because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status, and state and local laws protect more traits.

• How to Handle Your Sublet, Start to Finish
• Going Abroad: The Apartment Checklist

How to Find a Sublet in Denver Without Getting Scammed

Pick the rail line or bus route that reaches your campus or office, then search around its stations. Start looking six to eight weeks before you arrive, and earlier for a summer stay.

Sublet Buddy lists sublets of 30 days or longer. Its listings are live in New York City today, and Denver is on the way.

• See the place in person, or on a live video call where the person walks through it and shows the street outside.
• Ask whether the landlord has approved the sublet in writing, and ask to see that approval.
• Never pay a deposit or rent before you both sign a written agreement.
• Be wary of pressure: a price far below nearby places, a lister who cannot show the place, or a request to pay today by gift card, wire or crypto.

• How to Avoid Sublet Scams (Written for New York, but the Warning Signs Are the Same)
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