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Commerce City, CO · Adams County (Largest City) · Population ~63,000–67,000 · No Local Rent Control (HB 21-1117 2021; Commerce City Has NOT Enacted Ordinance) · CRITICAL: Evictions at Adams County Court Brighton (NOT Commerce City — no courthouse here) · Suncor Energy Refinery ~800–1,000 Jobs · Amazon ~2,000–3,000 Employees · Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids MLS) · Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR · I-270/I-76 Logistics Hub · 10-Day Pay-or-Quit · 60-Day Deposit Return 3× Willful

Commerce City CO rent increase 2026 Commerce City, Colorado has no local rent control ordinance. Colorado HB 21-1117 (April 2021) repealed the statewide preemption — Commerce City Council has NOT enacted any ordinance. CRITICAL: Commerce City is Adams County’s LARGEST city (~65,000 population) but the Adams County COURTHOUSE is in Brighton — all Commerce City evictions file at Adams County Combined Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr, Brighton CO 80601 (~18–22 miles NE). REFINERY PREMIUM/DISCOUNT: Suncor Energy refinery (Colorado’s only petroleum refinery; ~800–1,000 direct employees) creates a dual-effect on rents — high-wage refinery worker demand for north Commerce City units; 10–20% odor discount for south/central units downwind of the facility. CRS §38-12: 10-day pay-or-quit; 60-day deposit return (30 days written demand); 3× willful wrongful withholding.

Commerce City, Colorado — Adams County’s largest city at approximately 63,000–67,000 population and northeast Denver’s dominant industrial hub — has no local rent control ordinance. Colorado law allows cities to enact rent control since 2021, but Commerce City Council has not done so.

Critical jurisdiction note for Commerce City landlords: despite being the largest city in Adams County, Commerce City does not have a courthouse. All Adams County evictions — including every Commerce City FED — must be filed at Adams County Combined Court in Brighton (~18–22 miles northeast). Many landlords who buy Commerce City investment properties expecting a local courthouse discover at filing time that they must make the Brighton drive.

Commerce City’s rental market is defined by the Suncor Energy refinery (Colorado’s only petroleum refinery), the I-270/I-76 logistics corridor (Amazon, Walmart distribution), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids MLS), and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge — a unique combination of industrial employment and natural amenity that creates clear geographic rent pricing tiers within the city.

Commerce City 2026 rent control status: quick reference

Question Answer
Rent control in Commerce City? None. Colorado HB 21-1117 (2021) returned local authority; Commerce City has NOT enacted any ordinance.
Annual rent increase cap? No cap. Any amount at renewal or with appropriate notice (month-to-month).
Security deposit cap? No statutory cap. Any agreed amount; market norm 1–1.5 months’ rent.
Deposit return deadline? 60 days (or 30 days with tenant’s written demand) after tenancy ends (CRS §38-12-103(1)).
Penalty for willful deposit withholding? 3× amount wrongfully withheld + attorney fees (CRS §38-12-103(3)). Willful violations only.
Non-payment eviction notice? 10-day Demand for Payment or Possession (CRS §13-40-104; HB 21-1121); genuine cure right.
Entry notice requirement? 24 hours advance written notice for routine entry (CRS §38-12-1102; HB 19-1118).
Eviction court? Adams County Combined Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr, Brighton CO 80601 (NOT Commerce City — ~18–22 miles NE).
Refinery odor disclosure? Best practice to disclose Suncor refinery proximity and intermittent odor conditions in lease for south/central Commerce City units.
Self-help eviction? Prohibited. CRS §38-12-510 — up to $5,000 punitive damages + actual damages + attorney fees.

Colorado rent control law: what Commerce City landlords need to know

Colorado HB 21-1117 (April 2021) repealed CRS §38-12-301, which had prohibited all local rent control since 1994. Since the repeal, no Colorado city has enacted a rent stabilization ordinance. Commerce City Council has not introduced, debated, or passed any rent stabilization measure as of 2026. Commerce City landlords may raise rent freely at lease expiration.

The courthouse trap: why Commerce City landlords go to Brighton

Commerce City (~65,000 population) is the largest city in Adams County — larger than Brighton (~45,000), Northglenn (~43,000), or any other Adams County city. But Adams County’s courthouse is in Brighton, the county’s seat of government.

Every Commerce City eviction, every small claims case, and every deposit dispute is handled at Adams County Combined Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr, Brighton CO 80601. The drive is approximately 18–22 miles northeast via I-270 East to I-76 East to US-85 South into Brighton, or approximately 25–35 minutes without traffic.

Commerce City investors who also own Denver properties commonly make the error of filing at Denver County Court instead of Adams County Court. The cities border each other; the jurisdictions do not overlap. Verify your parcel’s county with the Adams County Assessor (assessor.adcogov.org) if there is any uncertainty.

Suncor Energy refinery: the defining Commerce City employer

The Suncor Energy Commerce City refinery (4700 NE 2nd Ave, Commerce City CO 80022) has been the defining industrial employer in northeast Denver since it began operations in 1943 as Continental Oil Company’s Denver refinery. It processes approximately 98,000 barrels per day of crude oil sourced primarily via the Front Range Pipeline and is the only petroleum refinery in the Denver metropolitan area.

The refinery employs approximately 800–1,000 direct employees in operations, instrumentation, engineering, and management, plus 500–700 contractors during normal operations and significantly more during planned turnaround maintenance (every 4–5 years; turnarounds last 4–8 weeks and draw specialized contractor crews from across the country). Direct employment compensation ranges from approximately $65,000 for entry-level operators to $130,000+ for senior engineers and supervisors.

For landlords, the refinery has a dual-directional effect on rents: (1) Demand uplift: refinery workers and contractors who prefer close proximity to the facility create premium demand for north Commerce City units (near 80th Ave / Quebec St / 96th Ave corridors), earning wages that support $1,400–$2,000/month 2BR units. (2) Odor discount: properties downwind of the refinery (south and southwest, roughly 48th–72nd Ave corridors on wind days from the northwest) experience intermittent hydrogen sulfide and VOC odors that discount rental rates 10–20% versus comparable units elsewhere in Commerce City. Landlords in the odor zone should price accordingly and disclose the condition in writing.

Major employers and rental demand drivers

Amazon (multiple fulfillment and last-mile delivery facilities in the I-270/Quebec/56th Ave corridor; approximately 2,000–3,000 employees; wage range $18–$26/hour; creates consistent demand for affordable 1BR/2BR units at $1,100–$1,600/month in central and north Commerce City).

Walmart Distribution Center (I-76/Chambers Rd area; approximately 800–1,200 employees; logistics, distribution, and management; wage range $18–$28/hour; demand for $1,000–$1,500/month units).

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park / Colorado Rapids (6000 Victory Way, Commerce City CO 80022; 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium; home of the Colorado Rapids (MLS); year-round operations and event employment ~200 FTE; approximately 20 home MLS matches plus concerts and events; vicinity of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park has attracted new restaurant and retail development on 56th Ave improving the surrounding rental market).

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (6550 Gateway Rd, Commerce City CO 80022; 17,000 acres; former US Army/Shell Chemical manufacturing site; chemical weapons and pesticide production 1942–1989; cleanup completed 2010; now managed by US Fish & Wildlife Service; bison herd, bald eagles, prairie dog colonies; federal and contractor employment ~50–100; proximity to the refuge provides a meaningful natural amenity for north Commerce City rentals, partially offsetting industrial character in marketing).

Denver International Airport (14 miles northeast via E-470; ~25,000–35,000 DIA workers; north Commerce City residents with E-470 access represent a significant DIA commuter segment; most affordable Adams County location with direct E-470 → DIA access).

Commerce City CO rent ranges 2026

Neighborhood / Submarket 1BR 2BR 3BR SFH
North Commerce City / DIA Corridor (96th Ave area; newest; no odor) $1,200–$1,700 $1,600–$2,200 $2,000–$2,700
Dick's Sporting Goods Park / 56th Ave (mid; mixed stock) $1,100–$1,600 $1,500–$2,100 $1,900–$2,600
Central Commerce City 72nd–88th Ave (established; modest odor) $1,000–$1,500 $1,300–$1,900 $1,700–$2,400
South / Refinery-Adjacent 48th–60th Ave (intermittent odor) $900–$1,350 $1,200–$1,700 $1,500–$2,100
Globeville Border / Denver Boundary (transitional) $1,100–$1,600 $1,400–$2,000 —

Frequently asked questions — Commerce City CO landlords

Do I need to disclose the Suncor refinery to tenants?

Colorado does not have a specific statute requiring disclosure of industrial facility proximity for residential leases. However, best practice — and risk management — dictates disclosing the Suncor refinery’s proximity and the possibility of intermittent odor conditions for properties within approximately 2–3 miles of the facility (south and west of the refinery). Tenants who move in unaware and then experience odor events during sulfur-heavy processing days have leveraged this as a lease termination basis, constructive eviction claim, or habitability complaint. A one-paragraph disclosure in the lease naming the refinery’s proximity and confirming tenant acknowledgment eliminates this exposure.

Is Commerce City in Denver or a separate city?

Commerce City is a separate incorporated municipality in Adams County — it is not part of the City and County of Denver. The cities share a boundary along Vasquez Blvd / Brighton Blvd on their western border, but their jurisdictions are entirely separate. Denver County Court has no jurisdiction over Commerce City properties. All Commerce City evictions, tax assessment appeals, and civil matters are in Adams County. Commerce City has its own city government, police department, and development authority.

How does Commerce City compare to Thornton and Brighton for landlords?

Commerce City (~65,000 pop) offers the most affordable Adams County rents due to its industrial character and the refinery discount in southern portions. Thornton (~145,000 pop) is the largest Adams County city, more suburban in character, with RTD N Line access to Denver. Brighton (~45,000 pop) is the county seat with the courthouse in-city advantage, DIA proximity, and growing master-planned communities. Commerce City is the best investment for high-yield working-class rentals and industrial-sector tenant demand; it is not suited for premium family rental marketing. See Thornton CO and Brighton CO guides.

What are Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR’s effects on adjacent rentals?

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, 17,000 acres on Commerce City’s north edge, is an unusual natural amenity in an industrial city. Properties in north Commerce City adjacent to or near the Arsenal (roughly north of 72nd Ave, east of Chambers Rd) benefit from proximity to wildlife viewing, 6 miles of paved trails, bison viewing, and bald eagle habitat — entirely free to the public year-round. These properties sit in the clean-air corridor north of the Suncor refinery and benefit from both the Arsenal amenity premium and no odor discount. North Commerce City near the Arsenal commands rents comparable to south Thornton.

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