Manitou Springs is its own small city at the base of Pikes Peak, just west of Colorado Springs and next to Old Colorado City. It is known for historic homes, hillside lots, and a walkable downtown full of shops, galleries, and restaurants that draws visitors year-round.
What renters look for here
Renters drawn to Manitou Springs often want character and location: older homes with personality, mountain views, trail access, and a short walk to downtown. Many also work in Colorado Springs and value a quick drive east. Well-kept homes with clear information about parking, yard care, and heating tend to rent best.
What owners should know
- It's a separate city. Manitou Springs is its own municipality, so the City of Manitou Springs, not Colorado Springs, handles its codes and rules. Owners should check city rules before making changes to a property.
- Check short-term rental rules first. Manitou Springs sets its own short-term rental rules. If you are weighing a vacation rental against a long-term lease, check current city rules before deciding.
- Older homes need a maintenance plan. Much of the housing stock is older or historic. Budgeting for roofs, plumbing, electrical, and heating systems ahead of time prevents surprise repairs and unhappy tenants.
- Hillside lots bring their own upkeep. Steep driveways, stairs, retaining walls, and drainage deserve regular attention, especially through winter snow and spring runoff.
- Price against real comparables. Homes here vary widely in age, size, and setting. We price from current comparable rentals, not guesses.
- Documentation protects your deposit decisions. Older homes show wear differently. Under Colorado's new deposit law, detailed move-in and move-out photo and video records matter more than ever.
Historic homes: owning and maintaining an older Manitou rental
A large share of Manitou Springs homes are historic, including Victorian-era cottages and homes built when the town was a mineral-springs resort. Much of the older core sits within the city's historic district, and the City's Historic Preservation Commission reviews certain exterior changes there, such as material changes and demolitions. Before replacing windows, siding, porches, or roofing on a historic home, check with the City of Manitou Springs Planning Department about whether review is required.
For rental owners, older homes call for a plan rather than reactive fixes:
- Sewer lines and plumbing. Older clay or cast-iron lines are common. A sewer scope before you lease is inexpensive insurance against a mid-lease backup.
- Electrical and heating. Older panels, knob-and-tube remnants, boilers, and wall heaters are worth evaluating by a licensed contractor before a tenant moves in.
- Foundations, porches, and stairs. Settling, stone foundations, and exterior stairs on sloped lots need periodic checks, since they affect both safety and tenant satisfaction.
- Lead paint disclosure. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure with every lease. We include it and keep it on file.
- Winterizing. Older homes are more prone to frozen pipes and ice dams. We service furnaces before winter and give tenants clear heat-setting guidance.
Hillsides, drainage, and flood-area considerations
Manitou Springs sits in a narrow valley where Fountain Creek, Williams Canyon, and Ruxton Creek run through town, with many homes on steep hillside lots above them. In August 2013, runoff from the Waldo Canyon burn scar sent a flash flood down Fountain Creek and Highway 24 through Manitou, destroying and damaging homes. The city has since built flood-recovery projects, including a new floodway in Williams Canyon, and added floodplain and stream-buffer standards to its land-use code. For a rental owner, that history translates into a few practical habits:
- Know your flood zone. Check FEMA flood maps and the City's floodplain information for your address, and review whether flood insurance makes sense. Standard homeowner and landlord policies usually exclude flood.
- Keep water moving away from the house. Gutters, downspout extensions, grading, culverts, and drainage channels on hillside lots need clearing, especially before summer monsoon storms and spring runoff.
- Watch retaining walls and steep driveways. Cracks, bulging, or erosion are easier and cheaper to fix early. Steep driveways and stairs also need a clear winter snow and ice plan.
- Tell tenants what to do. We give tenants in creek-side and canyon-area homes basic guidance on flash-flood alerts and where to go, and we document drainage condition at inspections.
Short-term rental rules in Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs regulates short-term rentals (stays of 29 days or less) separately from Colorado Springs, and its rules are strict. Based on the City's published regulations as of October 2026, new short-term rentals must generally:
- be owner-occupied, meaning the property is the owner's primary residence for at least 185 days a year;
- be at least 500 feet from existing short-term rentals, with a citywide cap on the total number;
- receive a Short-Term Rental Permit approved by the Planning Commission and a City business license before listing; and
- renew the permit annually. Permits are issued to the owner, not the property, and end when the property is sold or transferred.
Rules change, so confirm current requirements and your property's eligibility with the City of Manitou Springs Planning Department. For most investors who don't live in the home, a well-run long-term lease is the realistic path, and that is where we focus.
Close to our Westside office
Our office is at 943 Raymond Pl on the Westside of Colorado Springs, a short drive east of Manitou Springs along Highway 24 and next to Old Colorado City. That makes showings, inspections, and vendor visits in Manitou practical, and we price from comparable west-side rentals rather than citywide averages.
How we manage Manitou Springs rentals
- Free rent estimate and pricing based on comparable local rentals
- Marketing, showings, and tenant screening with written criteria
- Rent collection, owner statements, and online owner and resident portals
- Maintenance planning and coordination with 0% markup on ordinary repairs
- Move-in, move-out, and periodic inspections with photo documentation
What it costs
The same published rates apply everywhere we work: 8% of rent collected, a leasing fee of 50% of one month's rent ($500 minimum) when we place a tenant, $250 for a renewal, and 0% markup on ordinary repairs. See the full fee breakdown.