Housing & Tenant · Rent Increase Notice
Rent Increase Notice in Colorado
How many days of advance notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect in Colorado, how a fixed-term lease is treated, and what to check, cited to the statute.
The notice periods in Colorado
How much warning is required before a higher rent can take effect, and how a fixed lease is treated.
| When | Notice in Colorado | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Residential tenancy with no written agreement | 60 days | At least 60 days written notice before the increase takes effect, under C.R.S. 38-12-701. |
| Frequency limit (all tenancies) | Once per 12 months | A landlord may not increase rent more than one time in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy, regardless of the tenancy type or whether there is a written agreement, under C.R.S. 38-12-702. |
| Fixed-term lease | None mid-term | During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until renewal. The once-per-12-months frequency limit applies across the tenancy regardless of the agreement type. |
| Local ordinance | Varies | Colorado has home-rule cities, so check your city. The state has historically preempted local rent control, and this area of the code has moved quickly, so confirm the current position. |
| If notice is skipped | Not effective | The frequency limit is the strongest feature: no more than one increase per 12 months of consecutive occupancy. Colorado also bars ending a tenancy with the primary purpose of raising the rent in a way inconsistent with the section, which closes the obvious workaround. The amount itself is uncapped, so Colorado protects the rhythm of increases, not their size. |
| Statute | Colo. Rev. Stat. §§38-12-701 and 38-12-702 | The controlling statute for this notice period. Read the full text through the source link below. |
Sections 38-12-701 and 702 sit in a fast-moving part of the Colorado code that has changed repeatedly on eviction and just cause, so confirm the current text before relying on exact figures.
Next steps if your rent is going up
Concrete, neutral steps to check a rent increase in Colorado. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Count the once-a-year limit
Colorado bars more than one rent increase in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy. If a landlord tries to raise the rent twice in a year, that violates C.R.S. 38-12-702, whatever the lease says.
- Expect 60 days where there is no written agreement
For a residential tenancy with no written agreement, the notice is at least 60 days. Check the date against the effective date of the increase.
- Watch for a terminate-to-raise move
A landlord may not end your tenancy for the primary purpose of getting around the rent rules. If a nonrenewal looks like a way to reset the rent, that anti-evasion rule may apply.
- Get local help
A local Colorado legal aid office can confirm the current figures and any home-rule city rule. Search for legal aid in your area.
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 is one of the few states that regulates how often the rent can go up rather than only how much warning you get. Under C.R.S. 38-12-702 a landlord may not increase the rent more than one time in any twelve-month period of consecutive occupancy, whatever the lease says and whatever the tenancy type. Colorado then closes the loophole that would otherwise make that meaningless, by forbidding a landlord from ending the tenancy for the primary purpose of getting around the rule. The notice itself is at least sixty days written notice where there is no written agreement, under C.R.S. 38-12-701, which is longer than most of the country. The amount is still uncapped, so Colorado protects the rhythm of increases and not their size. Because this part of the Colorado code has moved repeatedly in recent sessions, the current figures should be confirmed, but the shape is clear: a long notice, a firm once-a-year frequency limit, and an anti-evasion rule that stops the obvious workaround.
Common questions
Can my Colorado landlord raise the rent twice in a year?
No. C.R.S. 38-12-702 bars more than one rent increase in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy, regardless of the tenancy type or whether there is a written agreement. That once-a-year limit is Colorado strongest feature.
Does the 60 days apply if I have a written lease in Colorado?
The 60-day notice in C.R.S. 38-12-701 applies to a residential tenancy with no written agreement. A written fixed-term lease locks the rent until renewal, but the once-per-12-months frequency limit applies across the tenancy regardless.
Can my landlord end my tenancy to avoid the rule in Colorado?
Not lawfully. Colorado bars a landlord from ending a tenancy with the primary purpose of increasing the rent in a way inconsistent with the section, which closes the terminate-to-raise workaround.
Is there a limit on how much the rent can go up in Colorado?
No. Colorado limits the frequency and the notice, not the amount. There is no statewide cap on the size of an increase, so the once-a-year rule and the 60-day notice are the protections, not a ceiling on the figure.
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.