Colorado Eviction Notice
Create a free Colorado eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Colorado notice periods
Nonpayment: 10 days · Lease violation (cure): 10 days · No-cause termination: 21 days · just-cause law applies.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Colorado requires a 10-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. Standard residential nonpayment notice is 10 calendar days (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)), served via the court's JDF 99 / JDF 99A "Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession." The period is 5 days for an "exempt residential agreement" (single-family-home lease by a landlord who owns 5 or fewer single-family rental homes AND who states in the lease that the 10-day rule does not apply), and 3 days for nonresidential or employer-provided housing. Tenant may pay/cure any time within the period to defeat the eviction.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Colorado)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 10 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104, 13-40-107, 13-40-107.5, 13-40-108 (Forcible Entry and Detainer); just-cause: C.R.S. § 38-12-1301 et seq. (HB24-1098).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Per C.R.S. 13-40-108, the notice/demand is served by (1) personal delivery to the tenant or other occupant; (2) leaving a copy with a family member over age 15 residing on or in charge of the premises; or (3) if no one is present, posting a copy in a conspicuous place on the premises. Posting is the most common method for residential FED cases.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Colorado Eviction Notice Requirements
In Colorado, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104, 13-40-107, 13-40-107.5, 13-40-108 (Forcible Entry and Detainer); just-cause: C.R.S. § 38-12-1301 et seq. (HB24-1098). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 10-day notice to pay or quit. Standard residential nonpayment notice is 10 calendar days (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)), served via the court's JDF 99 / JDF 99A "Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession." The period is 5 days for an "exempt residential agreement" (single-family-home lease by a landlord who owns 5 or fewer single-family rental homes AND who states in the lease that the 10-day rule does not apply), and 3 days for nonresidential or employer-provided housing. Tenant may pay/cure any time within the period to defeat the eviction.
- Curable lease violation: 10-day notice to cure or quit. Curable lease-covenant violation: 10 days to cure or vacate for standard residential tenancies (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(e)); 5 days for exempt residential agreements; 3 days for nonresidential/employer housing. Same JDF 99/99A Demand for Compliance form.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 21-day notice. No-fault termination of a periodic tenancy uses the tenancy-length tiers of C.R.S. 13-40-107(1): 21 days for a month-to-month tenancy (one month or longer but less than six months); 28 days (6 months–<1 year); 91 days (1 year or longer); 3 days (one week–<1 month, or tenancy at will). IMPORTANT: For covered residential tenancies, HB24-1098 (eff. 4/19/2024) ALSO requires "just cause" — a true no-cause termination is generally not allowed; a no-fault ground requires a separate 90-day notice (see justCauseNotes). The 21-day figure is the bare notice-to-quit period and applies where the unit is exempt from just-cause.
Just cause: Yes — statewide just-cause law. HB24-1098 (signed/effective April 19, 2024; codified at C.R.S. 38-12-1301 et seq., added as part 13 of article 12 of title 38) bars eviction or non-renewal of covered residential tenants without "cause." Cause = either (a) a lease/tenant violation under C.R.S. 13-40-104, or (b) an enumerated "no-fault" ground (owner/family move-in, demolition/conversion, substantial repairs/renovation, withdrawal from rental market, tenant refusal to sign a reasonable new lease, or 3+ nonpayment incidents 10+ days late). No-fault grounds require 90 days' written notice. Exemptions include tenancies under 12 months, owner-occupied single-family/duplex/triplex, mobile-home lots, employer housing, and short-term rentals.
Service: Per C.R.S. 13-40-108, the notice/demand is served by (1) personal delivery to the tenant or other occupant; (2) leaving a copy with a family member over age 15 residing on or in charge of the premises; or (3) if no one is present, posting a copy in a conspicuous place on the premises. Posting is the most common method for residential FED cases.
- Nonpayment and curable lease-violation notices are both 10 days for standard residential tenancies (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)-(e)), served on the Colorado Judicial 'Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession' form (JDF 99/JDF 99A).
- A '5-day' notice applies only to an exempt residential agreement: a single-family-home lease by a landlord owning 5 or fewer single-family rentals who states the 10-day rule does not apply; nonresidential and employer-provided housing get 3 days.
- Substantial violations (serious illegal/violent acts) are terminable on a 3-day, no-cure notice under C.R.S. 13-40-107.5; a repeated same-covenant violation after a prior cure notice is also non-curable (10 days, residential, under 13-40-104(1)(e.5)).
- No-fault termination of a periodic tenancy follows C.R.S. 13-40-107(1) tiers: 21 days (month-to-month / 1mo-<6mo), 28 days (6mo-<1yr), 91 days (1yr+), 3 days (weekly/at-will).
- Colorado now has statewide just-cause protection (HB24-1098, eff. 4/19/2024): landlords of covered units cannot evict or refuse to renew without cause; enumerated no-fault grounds require a separate 90-day notice.
Colorado Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Colorado?
Colorado requires a 10-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. Standard residential nonpayment notice is 10 calendar days (C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d)), served via the court's JDF 99 / JDF 99A "Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession." The period is 5 days for an "exempt residential agreement" (single-family-home lease by a landlord who owns 5 or fewer single-family rental homes AND who states in the lease that the 10-day rule does not apply), and 3 days for nonresidential or employer-provided housing. Tenant may pay/cure any time within the period to defeat the eviction.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Colorado?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Colorado require just cause to evict?
Yes — Yes — statewide just-cause law. HB24-1098 (signed/effective April 19, 2024; codified at C.R.S. 38-12-1301 et seq., added as part 13 of article 12 of title 38) bars eviction or non-renewal of covered residential tenants without "cause." Cause = either (a) a lease/tenant violation under C.R.S. 13-40-104, or (b) an enumerated "no-fault" ground (owner/family move-in, demolition/conversion, substantial repairs/renovation, withdrawal from rental market, tenant refusal to sign a reasonable new lease, or 3+ nonpayment incidents 10+ days late). No-fault grounds require 90 days' written notice. Exemptions include tenancies under 12 months, owner-occupied single-family/duplex/triplex, mobile-home lots, employer housing, and short-term rentals.
Disclaimer
This Colorado eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Colorado and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.