Housing & Tenant · Eviction Notice
Eviction Notice in Colorado
How many days of written notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction in Colorado, broken down by reason, and what you can do about it, cited to the statute.
Every notice period in Colorado
The written notice for each reason a landlord can end a tenancy, and what each one means.
| Reason for the notice | Notice in Colorado | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent (residential) | Can fix and stay10 days | A written demand in the alternative for the rent or possession, giving at least 10 days (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)). Paying the rent within the 10 days keeps the tenancy. A small landlord who owns five or fewer single-family homes and gave the required notice may use a 5-day period instead. |
| Substantial violation | 3 days | For a substantial violation, termination is effective three days after service and there is no chance to cure (C.R.S. 13-40-107.5). |
| No cause, tenancy of one year or longer | 91 days | Ending a settled tenancy of one year or more without fault takes 91 days (C.R.S. 13-40-107), one of the longest ordinary no-cause periods in the country. |
| No cause, tenancy of one month up to six months | 21 days | A tenancy of one month or longer but under six months takes 21 days (C.R.S. 13-40-107). A tenancy of one week up to one month, or a tenancy at will, takes 3 days. |
| No-fault just-cause ground | 90 days | For a no-fault ground such as demolition, conversion, major repairs, an owner or family move-in, or a qualifying sale, the notice is 90 days, dropping to 45 days for an active-duty servicemember or spouse (C.R.S. 38-12-1303). |
| Just-cause rules | Overlay | Colorado now requires cause to evict. Under C.R.S. 38-12-1303 a landlord may not serve a notice to terminate or a demand for possession unless there is cause. Fault grounds include nonpayment, substantial violations, repeat violations after notice, nuisance or damage, and holding over. No-fault grounds carry a 90-day notice. |
| After the notice | Court | The landlord serves the written demand or notice, then files a forcible entry and detainer action in county court. The substantial-violation notice under C.R.S. 13-40-107.5 skips the cure step. Only a court order removes a tenant. |
| Statute | Colo. Rev. Stat. §13-40-104; §13-40-107; §38-12-1303 | The controlling statute for these notice periods. Read the full text through the source link below. |
Colorado is one of the fastest-moving states in this area. The residential nonpayment demand moved from 3 days to 10, and a statewide just-cause requirement was added and is now codified at C.R.S. 38-12-1303. Confirm the current rule against the official source before relying on it.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you have received an eviction notice in Colorado. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Identify which notice you got
Colorado uses very different clocks: 10 days for unpaid rent, 3 days for a substantial violation, and 21 to 91 days for a no-cause end depending on how long you have lived there. Read the stated cause and the deadline so you know your real timeline.
- Pay or cure inside the period
For unpaid rent, paying within the 10 days keeps the tenancy. Colorado now requires cause to evict, so if the notice gives no valid ground, that is a defense. Keep proof of what you paid and when, and get written confirmation that the tenancy continues.
- Respond to the court case
If the landlord files a forcible entry and detainer action, you are served and given a hearing. Appear with your lease, receipts, and any messages. A tenant who does not show up can lose by default.
- Get local legal help
Colorado law in this area has changed quickly, so current advice matters. A local Colorado legal aid office can explain the notice, the just-cause rule, and the court steps. Search for legal aid in your county and act early.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What Colorado renters get wrong
Colorado has moved faster than almost any other state on eviction notice law, and the numbers now look very different from a few years ago. For unpaid rent a residential landlord must give a 10-day written demand for the rent or possession, more than triple the 3 days Colorado used before the change (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)). Paying within the 10 days keeps the tenancy. Sitting on top of that is a statewide just-cause law: under C.R.S. 38-12-1303 a landlord may not evict without a valid ground, and no-fault grounds such as a sale or an owner move-in carry a 90-day notice. The no-cause clock for a settled tenant is the longest in the country, 91 days for a tenancy of a year or more, stepping down to 21 days for shorter tenancies. The sharp exception is a substantial violation, which ends the tenancy three days after service with no chance to cure (C.R.S. 13-40-107.5). Because this area keeps changing, confirm the current rule against the official source before you rely on it.
Common questions
Why did Colorado rent notice go from 3 days to 10 days?
Colorado lengthened the residential nonpayment demand to 10 days as part of a broader set of tenant-protection changes. A landlord must now give a 10-day written demand for the rent or possession under C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d), and paying within that window keeps the tenancy.
Can my landlord evict me for no reason in Colorado?
No. Colorado now requires cause. Under C.R.S. 38-12-1303 a landlord may not serve a termination notice or a demand for possession without a valid ground. No-fault grounds such as a qualifying sale or an owner move-in are allowed, but they carry a 90-day notice.
What is a substantial violation, and why is there no chance to fix it?
A substantial violation is the category of serious conduct that Colorado lets a landlord act on quickly. Under C.R.S. 13-40-107.5 the termination is effective three days after service with no cure period, unlike an ordinary rent or lease-violation notice.
Why did I get 91 days of notice in Colorado?
Because you are a settled tenant. Ending a tenancy of one year or longer without fault takes 91 days under C.R.S. 13-40-107, one of the longest ordinary no-cause periods in the country. Shorter tenancies get 21 days, and very short ones get 3.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.