Colorado Eviction Notice Law
Colorado's notice period for unpaid rent is 10 days (10-day demand for payment or possession (JDF 99 A Demand for Compliance)). For a lease violation it is 10 days, and the tenant gets a chance to fix the problem.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Not legal advice. A defective notice can restart an eviction case; ask a Colorado attorney or court self-help center before serving one. See our disclaimer.
Colorado eviction notice rules at a glance
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10 days (10-day demand for payment or possession (JDF 99 A Demand for Compliance))C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d), (5), C.R.S. § 38-12-1502 (HB 25-1240) - CARES Act notice for covered dwellings |
|---|---|
| Notice for a lease violation | 10 days (chance to cure)C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), (1)(j), C.R.S. § 13-40-107.5(4) |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no-fault) | 21 days (either side)C.R.S. § 13-40-107(1)-(2), C.R.S. §§ 38-12-1302, 38-12-1303 (for-cause eviction, HB 24-1098) |
Notice for unpaid rent
- In effect since .
- Before : 3-day demand for rent or possession (HB 19-1118 lengthened it to 10 days).
Notice for a lease violation
- In effect since .
- Before : 3-day notice to comply or quit for lease violations (HB 19-1118 lengthened it to 10 days).
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no-fault)
- In effect since .
- Before : 21 days' notice ended a month-to-month tenancy for any reason; HB 24-1098 added the for-cause requirement for tenants of 12+ months.
What Colorado law says
What notice must a Colorado landlord give before filing an eviction for unpaid rent?
For unpaid rent, serve a written 10-day demand to pay or leave before filing for eviction; it is 5 days for an exempt single-family lease, 3 days for employer-provided housing, and 30 days for CARES Act-covered properties (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); § 38-12-1502) (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d), (5)).
How much notice is required for a lease violation in Colorado?
For a material lease violation, serve a 10-day written demand to comply or move out; a repeat of the same violation allows a 10-day notice to terminate with no cure, and a 'substantial violation' (serious crime or endangerment) allows a 3-day termination notice (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(1)(e), (e.5), 13-40-107.5) (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), (1)(j)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Colorado?
Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice served at least 21 days before the end of the period, but a landlord whose tenant has lived there 12 months or more also needs a legal cause or a no-fault ground, usually with 90 days' notice (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-107, 38-12-1303) (C.R.S. § 13-40-107(1)-(2)).
How Colorado compares
30 of 49 verified jurisdictions use a shorter unpaid-rent notice.
None of Colorado's 6 neighbors follows the same rule.
| Unpaid rent · lease violation | States |
|---|---|
| 10 days · 10 days, with cure | Colorado |
| 3 days · 14 days, with cure | Kansas |
| 7 days · 30 days, with cure | Nebraska |
| 3 days · 7 days, with cure | New Mexico |
| 5 days · 15 days, with cure | Oklahoma |
| 3 business days · 3 days, with cure | Utah |
| 3 days · 3 days | Wyoming |
Local rules in Colorado
State law bars local rent control (C.R.S. § 38-12-301), but cities add licensing and procedural rules: Denver requires a residential rental license (with a private inspection) for rentals of 30 days or more and requires a signed lease copy (D.R.M.C. § 27-240); Boulder requires a rental license for all rental properties unless exempt. Check the city code before renting in Denver, Boulder or other home-rule cities.
Recent changes in Colorado
- Victim-survivor repayment plans and protections (effective ): If a tenant who documents being a victim-survivor of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking falls behind on rent, the landlord must offer a repayment plan (up to nine months) within three business days after serving the rent demand or receiving the documentation; the act also bars blocking lock changes and limits a victim-survivor's early-termination liability to no more than one month's rent in documented damages (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(4)(e), 38-12-402). HB 25-1168 session law (ch. 229), HB 25-1168 bill page (signed May 22, 2025)
Other Colorado rules
| Security deposit limit | 2 months' rentC.R.S. § 38-12-102.5, C.R.S. § 38-12-106 (pet deposit and pet rent) |
|---|---|
| Deposit return deadline | 30 days after the triggering eventC.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)(a), as amended by HB 25-1249 (2025 Colo. Sess. Laws ch. 401), C.R.S. § 38-12-103 (pre-2026 text) |
| Late-fee cap | Greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent paymentC.R.S. § 38-12-105(1)(b) |
| Entry notice | No state ruleC.R.S. § 38-12-503(6)(a)(III), (6)(b), C.R.S. § 38-12-1004(1) |
| Rent-increase notice | 60 days (60 days' written notice applies to residential tenancies with no written agreement. With a written lease, follow the lease (no statutory minimum). Rent may rise only once in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy for all residential tenancies. Mobile home parks have separate rules)C.R.S. § 38-12-701(2), C.R.S. § 38-12-702(1) |
Read the Colorado law
- Colorado Revised Statutes (official access page, Colorado General Assembly)
- C.R.S. Title 38 (2024 uncertified printout, Office of Legislative Legal Services)
- Office of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado Law Summary: Renters' Rights (Nov. 2024)
- Colorado Judicial Branch form JDF 99 A, Demand for Compliance (residential eviction, rev. Sept. 4, 2025)