A Colorado eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end the tenancy for nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or without cause, before filing an eviction case in court.
Colorado sets the notice period and the service method by statute.[1.2][1.6] A defective notice can get the case dismissed, and the landlord has to start the process over.
Build Your Document
Answer a few simple questions to make your document in minutes
Save and Print
Save progress and finish on any device, download and print anytime
Sign and Use
Your valid, lawyer-approved document is ready
Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Colorado law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
Colorado eviction law is set out in the Colorado Revised Statutes, sections 13-40-102 through 13-40-123, which cover notice periods, court filing, mediation, and the writ of restitution that ends a case.
The notice period for a no cause termination depends on how long the tenancy has run, and the notice must describe the property and state the exact date the tenancy ends.[1.4]
The same section requires every notice to be in writing, signed by the landlord or the tenant giving it, or by that party's agent or attorney.[1.4] No rental agreement may contain a waiver by the tenant of this subsection's notice requirement.[1.2]
Pursuant to this section, ten days' notice in writing must be duly served upon the tenant or lessee holding over, requiring in the alternative payment of the rent or possession of the premises.[1.2] An exception applies: a nonresidential or employer-provided housing agreement gets three days' notice instead, and an exempt residential agreement gets five.[1.2]
Under section 13-40-115, a landlord who provides a tenant with proper notice of nonpayment must accept the tenant's full payment of all amounts due according to the notice.[1.9] This right lasts, as well, for any rent that remains due under the rental agreement, at any time until a judge issues a judgment for possession pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) of this section.[1.9] The rights this cure period provides may not be waived by any written agreement between the landlord and the tenant.[1.9]
Colorado law allows a notice to quit or demand for possession of real property to be served by delivering a copy thereof to the tenant or other person occupying the premises.[1.6] It may also be left with some person, such as a member of the tenant's family above the age of fifteen years residing on or in charge of the premises.[1.6] If no one is on the premises at the time service is attempted, posting the copy in some conspicuous place on the premises satisfies the requirement.[1.6]
The demand must also include a statement that a residential tenant who receives Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance under Title II of the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. sec. 401 et seq., as amended, has mediation rights.[1.3] The same right extends to a tenant receiving cash assistance through the Colorado works program created in part 7 of article 2 of title 26, prior to the landlord filing the eviction complaint pursuant to section 13-40-110.[1.3]
In a residential case, the prevailing party cannot recover reasonable attorney fees unless the rental agreement contains a provision allowing either party to obtain them.[1.11]
| Rent Grace Period | As stated in the lease |
| Notice of Non-Payment | 10 days (3 or 5 days for some exempt agreements) |
| Notice of Non-Compliance | 10 days (3 or 5 days for some exempt agreements) |
| State Laws | Colorado Revised Statutes, Sections 13-40-102 to 13-40-123 |
Colorado's eviction notice is also called a demand for possession or a notice to quit. All three names describe the same document a landlord must serve before filing in court.
Colorado landlords use several kinds of eviction notices, and the type depends on why the tenancy is ending: nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, nuisance or waste, or no cause at all once the required notice period has passed.[1.4]
10-day Demand for Compliance Notice or Notice to Quit
This notice is used for nonpayment of rent or a lease violation. Pursuant to this section, ten days' notice in writing must be duly served upon the tenant or lessee, requiring in the alternative compliance with the covenant or condition, or delivery of possession of the premises held.[1.2]
An exception applies: a nonresidential or employer-provided housing agreement gets three days' notice instead, and an exempt residential agreement gets five.[1.2]
Notice for a Repeat Violation
If the tenant violates the same lease term a second time, the landlord does not have to offer another chance to cure. Pursuant to this subsection, a residential tenancy may be terminated at any time on the basis of a subsequent violation of the same covenant, effective ten days after the landlord serves written notice to quit.[1.2]
Notice for Nuisance or Waste
A tenant who commits a substantial violation, such as nuisance or waste to the property, can be given a three-day notice to quit at any time.[1.5]
Termination of a Month-to-Month or Longer Periodic Lease
When there is no fixed end date, either the landlord or the tenant can end the tenancy without cause once the statutory notice period has run.[1.4] The notice period tracks how long the tenancy has lasted, from one day up to ninety-one days, using the same schedule listed under Colorado Eviction Laws above.
Popular Local Eviction Notice Forms
Evicting a tenant in Colorado always goes through court. A landlord who skips a step, serves the wrong notice, or tries to force the tenant out without a judge's order risks having the case thrown out or facing liability for an illegal eviction.[1.1]
No self-help evictions. Under Section 13-40-102, no person shall enter into or upon any real property except in cases where entry is allowed by law, and not with strong hand or a multitude of people, but only in a peaceable manner.[1.1] In practice, this bars a landlord from forcing a tenant out, changing the locks, cutting off utilities, or removing belongings without a court order.[1.1]
Colorado encourages landlords and tenants to resolve a dispute directly when possible, and a stipulation the parties sign becomes a court order once a judge signs it.
Colorado eviction cases use a standard set of Forcible Entry and Detainer forms, starting with the complaint and summons that open the case and ending with the writ of restitution a court uses to enforce a judgment for possession.
This form is used in case the tenant has not vacated the property or fixed the issue after they have received the notice.
This form comes with the Complaint and serves to notify the tenant that they have to come to court to resolve the issue.
The tenant uses this form to answer in court to the claims of the landlord.
The parties use this form to record an agreement they present to the judge.
A stipulation becomes an order when signed by the judge.
This motion can be used by either side in an attempt to overturn a court's judgment.
If the tenant refuses to vacate the property after the required period, this form signed by the judge allows local enforcement to remove them.
The landlord is entitled to a judgment by default if the tenant has not filed an answer.
The tenant submits this form with their answer if they claim they have not been paying rent because the property is not in a habitable condition.
This page is general information about Colorado eviction law, not legal advice. For guidance about a specific situation, consult a licensed Colorado attorney.