Colorado notice periods
A Colorado landlord must give 21 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. The state requires a lawful reason (just cause) to end most tenancies, so notice alone is not enough. A rent increase needs 60 days’ notice. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 10-day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The Colorado rules in detail
21 days' written notice for a tenancy of one month or longer but less than 6 months; 28 days for 6 months to 1 year; 91 days for 1 year or longer (§ 13-40-107(1)). After 12 months of occupancy, HB24-1098 (§ 38-12-1303) bars a landlord from terminating or refusing to renew without cause; no-fault grounds (demolition/conversion, substantial repairs, owner or family move-in, sale of a single-family home/townhome/duplex/triplex/condo, tenant refusal of reasonable renewal terms, repeated late payment) require 90 days' notice.
60 days' written notice for residential tenancies without a written rental agreement (§ 38-12-701); landlord may not use a termination notice to force an increase. Rent may be raised only once in any 12-month period (§ 38-12-702, HB21-1121).
10 days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- Colorado requires a lawful reason to end most tenancies. The notice must state the reason, and some reasons carry longer periods or relocation assistance.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107; § 38-12-701; § 13-40-104(1)(d); § 38-12-1301 to -1309.
Related Colorado rules
- Late fees: No late fee until rent is at least 7 calendar days late; the fee may not exceed the greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent. Fee must be disclosed in the lease, only one fee per late payment, no interest on late fees, no eviction or lease termination for unpaid late fees alone, and the fee must be noticed in writing within 180 days of the due date. Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: 2 months' rent (effective August 7, 2023); a separate refundable pet deposit is capped at $300; returned One month after termination of the lease or surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs last; the lease may specify a longer period not exceeding 60 days. Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: Colorado landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in Colorado?
21 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. 21 days' written notice for a tenancy of one month or longer but less than 6 months; 28 days for 6 months to 1 year; 91 days for 1 year or longer (§ 13-40-107(1)). After 12 months of occupancy, HB24-1098 (§ 38-12-1303) bars a landlord from terminating or refusing to renew without cause; no-fault grounds (demolition/conversion, substantial repairs, owner or family move-in, sale of a single-family home/townhome/duplex/triplex/condo, tenant refusal of reasonable renewal terms, repeated late payment) require 90 days' notice. The landlord also needs a lawful reason.
How much notice does a tenant have to give in Colorado?
21 days’ written notice on a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date unless it says otherwise.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Colorado?
60 days. 60 days' written notice for residential tenancies without a written rental agreement (§ 38-12-701); landlord may not use a termination notice to force an increase. Rent may be raised only once in any 12-month period (§ 38-12-702, HB21-1121).
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in Colorado?
10 days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.