Best time of year to rent in Denver area?

[Dixie Larson]

Hi! I moved to Colorado last summer and am looking to buy a condo or small SFR in the Denver area as a long term property rental. I'm seeing prices come down but am wondering about how easy/hard it is to put a place up to rent in the winter months? I've owned a single family rental in the Kansas City area for over 12 years and the best times to rent there are definitely late spring and summer. No one wants to move in the winter, and in the fall people are busy with school activities and getting ready for holidays. Does the same hold true for the Denver metro area?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Jeff White]

@Dixie Larson Welcome to the forums!  That's a great idea to buy long-term wealth, and it is much easier to cash flow with condos than other property types.

You can still find tenants in the fall/winter months, but it is definitely harder than spring/summer. Thus, we are similar to Kansas City in that way.

One way that I personally make it work for my investing strategy is to fill the vacancy during the fall/winter months at a reduced rent where you know you can find a tenant in under 30 days. Vacancy is the biggest killer of landlords, and you don't need to be greedy in the cold months. Also, give them a 6 month lease that expires around 3/31, and then when renew comes, you can raise it closer to market rents or find a new tenant that will pay market rents.

That's precisely why I have all my leases end between April to August, so I don't have to fill vacancies in the fall/winter.