HB 23-1254 Summary

• Establishes "environmental public health event" as a defined term covering wildfires, floods, and toxic releases that threaten tenant health and safety.

• Requires landlords to remediate residential premises damaged by environmental public health events to comply with American National Standards Institute standards for contamination cleanup within a reasonable timeframe at landlord expense.

• Allows tenants to terminate leases if premises remain uninhabitable 60 business days after notice, or earlier if tenant is part of vulnerable population (children, pregnant individuals, those with asthma/disabilities) and landlord cannot provide alternative housing.

• Expands prohibited landlord retaliation to include terminating leases without consent, intimidating, threatening, or discriminating against tenants; allows tenants to assert retaliation as defense in possession actions.

• Requires landlords to respond to habitability complaints within 24 hours (or 72 hours when premises are inaccessible due to environmental damage) and provide documentation of remediation compliance.