Colorado Eviction & Housing Help

Civil & Housing in Colorado — what to do right now

Find the date on your notice or summons and count forward from the day AFTER you received it. A standard Colorado residential Demand for Compliance or Right to Cure (the JDF 101 / 102 notice) gives you 10 days to pay or cure (5 days for an exempt single-family lease, 3 days for employer housing). If you've already been served an eviction summons (a Forcible Entry and Detainer case), the appearance date is set at least 7 days after service, and you must file a written answer or appear in person by that exact date and time, or the court can enter a default judgment against you. Do not move out just because you got a notice, and do not ignore a summons. Call 1-844-690-0555 first and we'll tell you precisely how many days you have left and what to file.

The law in Colorado: Civil & Housing

Colorado evictions run entirely through the Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) statute, C.R.S. § 13-40-101 and following. Before a landlord can file anything, they must serve a written demand or notice under C.R.S. § 13-40-104 and § 13-40-107.5. The default residential notice is 10 days to pay rent or cure the violation; a single-family 'exempt residential agreement' can shorten that to 5 days, employer-provided housing to 3, and a CARES Act covered property stretches it to 30. The clock starts the day after service, not the day you received it.

If you don't cure, the landlord files an eviction case in the County Court, which handles FED actions, small claims, and civil disputes up to $25,000. Under C.R.S. § 13-40-111, the summons must give you at least 7 days before your appearance date. You must file a written answer or show up by that date, or the court can enter a default judgment for possession and unpaid rent. Even after judgment, the landlord cannot touch you: only the County Sheriff can execute the writ of restitution. Under C.R.S. § 13-40-122 the court cannot issue the writ for 48 hours, and the sheriff cannot execute it for at least 10 days after judgment for a residential tenancy, stretched to 30 days if you receive SSI, SSDI, or Colorado Works (TANF) under HB23-1120.

Colorado also gives renters unusually strong defenses. The non-waivable warranty of habitability (C.R.S. §§ 38-12-501 to 511, core at § 38-12-503) forces landlords to begin remedying conditions that materially interfere with life, health, or safety within 24 hours, and other conditions within 96 hours, after written notice; under § 38-12-507 you can recover damages, get injunctive relief, or repair-and-deduct. Security deposits (§ 38-12-103) must be returned within one month (up to 60 days only if the lease says so), and willful, bad-faith withholding exposes the landlord to treble damages plus reasonable attorney fees — but only after you serve a 7-day written notice of intent to sue. HB25-1249 tightened the bad-faith rules effective January 1, 2026. Since HB23-1171, landlords also need 'just cause' to evict or refuse to renew a covered tenancy (C.R.S. §§ 38-12-1301 to 1306, core at § 38-12-1303), and under C.R.S. § 38-12-702 rent can be raised only once in any 12-month period.

Not every civil problem is housing. Small claims (C.R.S. § 13-6-403) handle disputes up to $7,500 with lawyers presumptively barred from the hearing. Personal-injury claims run on a 2-year clock under § 13-80-102, except motor-vehicle crashes, which get 3 years under § 13-80-101(1)(n); and your recovery drops to zero if you're found 50% or more at fault under Colorado's modified comparative-negligence bar, § 13-21-111. Consumer rip-offs fall under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (§ 6-1-101 and following). It's a lot of moving deadlines, which is exactly why calling 1-844-690-0555 to pin down yours is the smartest first step.

Key Statutes

C.R.S. § 13-40-101 et seq. — Forcible Entry & Detainer (the entire Colorado eviction process)
C.R.S. § 38-12-103 — Security deposit return + treble damages (HB25-1249 tightens bad-faith rules Jan 1, 2026)
C.R.S. §§ 38-12-501 to 511 — Non-waivable warranty of habitability (24-hour / 96-hour repair clocks)
C.R.S. §§ 38-12-1301 to 1306 (HB23-1171) — 'Just cause' required to evict or refuse to renew; § 38-12-702 — rent raised only once per 12 months
C.R.S. § 13-6-403 — Small claims ($7,500 limit); § 13-21-111 — 50% modified comparative-negligence bar

Courts & Agencies

Colorado County Court — evictions (FED), small claims, civil disputes up to $25,000
Colorado District Court — civil claims over $25,000 and larger injury suits
County Sheriff's Office — the only party that can execute a writ of restitution (lockout)
Colorado Civil Rights Division — housing discrimination / fair-housing complaints
Colorado Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section — Colorado Consumer Protection Act and deceptive-trade complaints

Penalties & Deadlines

Eviction notice: 10 days standard / 5 days exempt single-family / 3 days employer housing / 30 days CARES
Eviction answer: file or appear by the appearance date (at least 7 days after service) or lose by default
Writ of restitution: no issue for 48 hrs; no execution for 10 days after judgment (30 days if on SSI/SSDI/Colorado Works)
Deposit: returned within 1 month (max 60 days if the lease says so); 7-day notice required before suing for treble damages
Injury suit: 2 years general, 3 years for motor-vehicle crashes — miss it and the claim is dead

Colorado's Hidden Eviction Rule: Your Landlord May Not Be Allowed to Make You Leave At All

Most renters assume a landlord can refuse to renew at the end of a lease for any reason or none. Since HB23-1171, that is no longer true for covered tenancies in Colorado. The state is one of a small minority that bars a landlord from evicting or refusing to renew without an enumerated 'just cause' under C.R.S. § 38-12-1303. For a no-fault non-renewal of a covered tenant, the landlord must give written notice and, in the demolition or owner-occupancy situations, pay relocation assistance equal to two months' rent. People sign a move-out plan and start packing without realizing the landlord may have had no legal right to push them out, forfeiting both their home and money they were owed. If you've been told to leave 'because the lease is up,' don't assume that's lawful. Call 1-844-690-0555 first. Legal information, not legal advice.

Likely outcomes & penalties

Every Colorado housing and civil dispute is fact-specific, but the statutes set real, knowable ranges. Here is what's actually on the table.

Wrongful deposit withholding

If a landlord willfully keeps your deposit, C.R.S. § 38-12-103 makes them liable for treble the wrongfully withheld amount plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs — but only if you first serve a 7-day written notice of intent to sue. The landlord bears the burden of proving the withholding wasn't wrongful.

Uninhabitable rental

Under § 38-12-507 you can recover actual damages, a rent reduction, injunctive relief, court costs and reasonable fees, and you may repair-and-deduct or terminate the lease if the landlord blows the 24-hour (life/health/safety) or 96-hour repair clock after your written notice.

Consumer rip-off (CCPA)

A deceptive-trade-practice claim under § 6-1-105 recovers, under § 6-1-113, the greater of your actual damages, $500, or treble damages (treble requires clear-and-convincing proof of bad-faith conduct), plus reasonable attorney fees and costs.

Eviction judgment

Lose an FED case and you face a money judgment for unpaid rent plus court costs and loss of possession; win a no-fault challenge as a covered tenant and, in the owner-move-in or demolition scenarios, the landlord may owe relocation assistance equal to two months' rent.

Mistakes to avoid

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Moving out the moment you get a 10-day notice — the notice is only a demand to pay or cure, not a court order, and leaving early can forfeit defenses and money you're owed.

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Ignoring the date and time on an eviction summons — Colorado's appearance date is set at least 7 days after service, and missing it means a default judgment for possession can be entered against you.

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Suing for your security deposit without first serving the mandatory 7-day written notice of intent to sue — skip it and you lose your shot at treble damages under § 38-12-103.

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Assuming a non-renewal is legal — for a covered tenancy under HB23-1171 a Colorado landlord usually needs 'just cause' (C.R.S. § 38-12-1303), and a no-fault eviction can trigger relocation assistance.

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Filing a car-crash claim on the 2-year personal-injury clock — motor-vehicle cases actually get 3 years under § 13-80-101(1)(n), while most other injuries get only 2 under § 13-80-102, and confusing the two can kill or prematurely panic your claim.

How it works

Call 1-844-690-0555 — free, 24/7. No income test, no web form, no waiting room. Call from anywhere in Colorado, day or night, in your language including Spanish. Tell us what notice you got or what dispute you're in.

Talk to an AI assistant built on Colorado + federal law. It knows the FED statute, your exact notice and appearance deadlines, the warranty of habitability, deposit rules, the small-claims limit and the comparative-fault bar. You'll get clear legal information about your options — not legal advice, and the call creates no attorney-client relationship.

Get matched with a Colorado Civil & Housing attorney if you want one. If your situation needs a lawyer, we can help you book a paid consultation with a Colorado-licensed attorney — a separate paid step you choose. No pressure, no obligation.

Free & low-cost Civil & Housing help in Colorado

If you can't afford a lawyer, Colorado has real, free housing and civil-aid resources. These are verified organizations — call us at 1-844-690-0555 and we can help you find the right one for your situation.

Colorado Legal Services (CLS)

Statewide nonprofit offering free civil legal aid — eviction, landlord-tenant, consumer and public-benefits help — for low-income Coloradans and people 60+ (generally at or below 125% of the federal poverty level). Intake line 303-837-1313.

Colorado Poverty Law Project (CPLP)

Eviction-defense attorneys running in-person tenant attorney clinics at Denver-metro courthouses for renters facing eviction.

Colorado Housing Connects

Statewide renter and landlord-dispute helpline that explains your rights and connects you to resources. Call 1-844-926-6632.

Colorado Judicial Branch Self-Help (lawhelp.colorado.gov)

Official state portal with the JDF eviction and small-claims forms, in-courthouse Self-Help Centers, the 'Find a Court' locator and plain-language guides for self-represented parties.

Colorado Division of Housing — Disputes with Landlords

Official state resource hub on tenant rights, landlord disputes, and rent/legal assistance for Colorado renters.

Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection (Stop Fraud Colorado)

File a consumer or Colorado Consumer Protection Act complaint about a deceptive business, scam or unfair trade practice.

211 Colorado

Free statewide referral line — dial 2-1-1 — connecting you to legal aid, lawyer referral services and social services by location.

FAQ — Civil & Housing in Colorado

How many days do I have to move out after an eviction notice in Colorado?

A standard residential Demand for Compliance or Right to Cure gives you 10 days to pay rent or cure the violation, counted from the day after you were served. It's 5 days for an exempt single-family lease, 3 days for employer housing, and 30 days for a CARES Act property. But the notice itself isn't an order to leave — it's your window to fix things or prepare a defense. Call 1-844-690-0555 and we'll confirm exactly which deadline applies to you.

I was served an eviction summons. What do I do right now?

Read the appearance date and time on the summons immediately. Under C.R.S. § 13-40-111 it's set at least 7 days after you were served, and you must file a written answer or appear in person by then or the court can enter a default judgment against you. Do not skip it. Call 1-844-690-0555 first and we'll explain how to respond and what defenses you may have. This is legal information, not legal advice.

My Colorado landlord won't return my security deposit. Can I get triple?

Possibly. Under C.R.S. § 38-12-103 a landlord must return your deposit within one month (or up to 60 days only if your lease says so), and willful, bad-faith withholding makes them liable for treble damages plus reasonable attorney fees. The catch: you must serve a 7-day written notice of intent to sue first. New HB25-1249 bad-faith rules took effect January 1, 2026, and the landlord carries the burden of proving the withholding wasn't wrongful. Call 1-844-690-0555 and we'll walk you through the notice.

My landlord won't fix the heat, mold, or hot water. What are my rights?

Colorado's non-waivable warranty of habitability (C.R.S. § 38-12-503) requires landlords to begin remedying conditions that materially interfere with your life, health, or safety within 24 hours, and other conditions within 96 hours, after your written notice. If they don't, § 38-12-507 lets you repair-and-deduct, recover damages, get injunctive relief, or even terminate the lease. Document everything in writing. Call 1-844-690-0555 to understand your options before you withhold rent.

What's the limit for small claims court in Colorado, and can I bring a lawyer?

Colorado small claims handles disputes up to $7,500 in the County Court's Small Claims Division, often heard by a magistrate. Lawyers are presumptively barred from the hearing — if one side wants an attorney, it must give written notice in advance, which opens it for the other side too. It's built for self-represented people. Call 1-844-690-0555 and we'll explain how to file.

Can my landlord just refuse to renew my lease in Colorado?

Often not. For a covered tenancy under HB23-1171, Colorado bars eviction or non-renewal without an enumerated 'just cause' under C.R.S. § 38-12-1303. A no-fault eviction (such as the owner moving in or demolition) requires written notice and can trigger relocation assistance equal to two months' rent. If you've been told to leave because 'the lease is up,' that may not be lawful. Call 1-844-690-0555 before you start packing.

How long after a car accident do I have to sue in Colorado?

Three years for motor-vehicle crashes under C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n) — longer than the 2-year general personal-injury clock in § 13-80-102. People mix these up and panic or miss the deadline. Also remember Colorado's modified comparative-fault rule under § 13-21-111: if you're found 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Call 1-844-690-0555 to understand your timeline and what your claim may be worth.

How long before the sheriff can lock me out after an eviction judgment?

Even after a landlord wins, only the County Sheriff can execute the writ of restitution. Under C.R.S. § 13-40-122 the court can't issue the writ for 48 hours, and the sheriff can't execute it for at least 10 days after judgment for a residential tenancy — extended to 30 days if you receive SSI, SSDI, or Colorado Works/TANF (HB23-1120). A landlord who changes the locks themselves is acting illegally. Call 1-844-690-0555 to know your exact timeline.

Can my landlord raise my rent whenever they want in Colorado?

No. Under C.R.S. § 38-12-702 a landlord can't increase rent more than once in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy, regardless of what the lease says, and a market-rate landlord must generally give at least 60 days' written notice before the increase takes effect. A second hike inside a year may be unlawful. Call 1-844-690-0555 and we'll help you check whether the increase you got was even allowed.

A Colorado business ripped me off. What can I do?

You may have a claim under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (C.R.S. § 6-1-101 et seq.). A deceptive trade practice under § 6-1-105 can let you recover, under § 6-1-113, the greater of your actual damages, $500, or treble damages (treble needs clear-and-convincing proof of bad faith), plus reasonable attorney fees — and you can file a complaint with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section. Call 1-844-690-0555 to understand whether your situation fits the CCPA.

Is this free call the same as having a lawyer?

No. Legal Hotline gives you legal information, not legal advice, and the call creates no attorney-client relationship — we are not a law firm and not a public defender. What you get is a fast, plain-English explanation of how Colorado law works for your situation, available 24/7 with no income test. If you decide you want a lawyer, we can help you book a paid consultation with a Colorado-licensed attorney. Call 1-844-690-0555.

Colorado Civil & Housing Attorneys: Join Our Referral Network

Are you a Colorado-licensed attorney handling evictions, landlord-tenant disputes, habitability, security deposits, small claims, consumer protection, or personal injury? We connect Coloradans across Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pueblo and the Front Range with qualified counsel every day. If you'd like to receive matched client referrals for paid consultations, get in touch to join our network.

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Reviewed by the Legal Hotline Editorial Team.

General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.

Served an Eviction Notice or Fighting a Landlord in Colorado? The Clock Started the Day After You Got It