Colorado landlord rules: deposits, late fees and notices

Security deposit

Maximum deposit

2 months' rent

Return deadline

30 days after the tenancy ends

Penalty for late return

3x wrongfully withheld amount

Interest owed

No

Note

cap was 2 months under SB23-184; a 1-month cap takes effect in 2026 - the lookup applies the value in force today and flags the change; lease may extend return to 60 days

Work out the return date for a move-out

Scheduled change: The deposit cap changes to 1 month's rent during 2026 (the exact date is not verified in our data). Source: SB23-184 follow-on; verify the exact effective date and any small-landlord carve-outs.

Source: C.R.S. §38-12-103 (SB23-184)

Verify this with the statute or a local attorney before you act on it. The rule changed recently or has known ambiguity.

Late fees

Rule

greater of $50 or 5% of overdue amount

Grace period

Not in our data

No statute cited in our data

Notice periods

Notice to pay or quit

10 days

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

for-cause only (HB24-1098)

Notice before entering a unit

Not in our data

Work out the last day of a notice

No statute cited in our data

Screening

Source-of-income protection

Yes, statewide. Refusing a housing voucher is illegal.

No statute cited in our data

Licensing

To manage for others

A real-estate broker license, to manage property for others.

No statute cited in our data

How long an eviction takes

Moderate: about 1 to 2 months. This is a rough tier from our data, not a court timeline.

Also worth knowing

• No-cause terminations are banned (HB24-1098) - every non-renewal needs an enumerated cause

A federal rule that can override this

Notice for nonpayment on covered properties

30 days

Note

Applies to 'covered properties' (federally backed mortgage or federal housing program). The 30-day notice requirement has no statutory sunset and courts are split - safest practice is a 30-day nonpayment notice on any covered property, regardless of shorter state timelines.

Source: CARES Act §4024