State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in Colorado
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the Colorado statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →30 days
The 16th shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
C.R.S. 38-12-103(1)
Late fee limit
Full rule →Greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due amount
No fee until rent is 7 days late.
C.R.S. 38-12-105
Rent increase notice
Full rule →60 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. Limited to once per 12 months. The 40th shortest of 49.
C.R.S. 38-12-701; 38-12-702
What is distinctive about Colorado
- Deposits: 30 days, with a second tier at 60. Lease may extend to 60 days. Willful retention exposes the landlord to treble damages plus fees; tenant must give 7 days' notice of intent to sue.
- Late fees: capped at greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due amount. A 7-day grace period is mandatory.
- Rent increases: 60 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above Colorado’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about Colorado
- How long does a Colorado landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 30 days under C.R.S. 38-12-103(1).
- What is the maximum late fee in Colorado?
- greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due amount, under C.R.S. 38-12-105. A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in Colorado?
- 60 days under C.R.S. 38-12-701; 38-12-702.
- Does Colorado have rent control?
- Colorado limits increases to 1 per 12 months (C.R.S. 38-12-701; 38-12-702). Whether the amount is also capped depends on the building and the municipality.
Let the software know the Colorado rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the Colorado cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →Colorado rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.