Landlord guide, Colorado (CO)
Colorado eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Colorado starts with the 10-day demand for compliance or possession: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 38-12-1303). Then the landlord files in the county court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer (eviction); the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10 calendar days
- C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 38-12-1303
- Court
- county court
- C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1)
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Colorado landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Colorado’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 10-day demand for compliance or possession, 10 calendar days (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 38-12-1303).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the 10-day demand for compliance or possession, 10 calendar days (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), § 13-40-107.5).
No reason, month to month: 21 days’ notice (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-107(1), 38-12-1303).
What the statute adds, in English
The demand is in the alternative, pay or deliver possession; 5 days for an exempt residential agreement (a single-family home whose landlord owns five or fewer) and 3 days for employer-provided housing. Since April 2024 a landlord also needs one of the listed causes to evict.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the county court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer (eviction) (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1)).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
summons sets the appearance 7 to 14 days after it is issued
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
writ of restitution not executed until at least 10 days after judgment, and only between sunrise and sunset
Colorado eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 10 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Colorado bans self-help eviction (C.R.S. § 38-12-510), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
A landlord may not remove or exclude a tenant without a court order, including by cutting utilities or removing doors, windows or locks; the tenant may seek an injunction, damages and attorney fees.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Colorado eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Colorado in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Colorado notice with its 10 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Colorado eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10-day demand for compliance or possession10 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itThe demand is in the alternative, pay or deliver possession; 5 days for an exempt residential agreement (a single-family home whose landlord owns five or fewer) and 3 days for employer-provided housing. Since April 2024 a landlord also needs one of the listed causes to evict. | C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 38-12-1303 |
| Notice for a lease breach | 10-day demand for compliance or possession10 calendar daysThe tenant can fix the breach within the periodFor a material breach the tenant may comply within ten days; a repeat of the same breach allows a 10-day notice to terminate with no cure, and a substantial violation (such as a violent or drug felony on the premises) allows a 3-day notice to quit. | C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), § 13-40-107.5 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 21 daysAfter a tenant has lived there 12 months, the landlord needs cause to end the tenancy, and a no-fault ending needs 90 days' written notice. | C.R.S. §§ 13-40-107(1), 38-12-1303 |
| How a notice is served | delivering a copy to the tenant or occupantleaving a copy with a household member over 15 residing on or in charge of the premisesposting in a conspicuous place on the premises, only after attempts at personal service on two separate days | C.R.S. § 13-40-108 |
| Court and action | county courtforcible entry and detainer (eviction) | C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1) |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | summons sets the appearance 7 to 14 days after it is issued | C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1) |
| Time to appeal | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Removal | writ of restitution not executed until at least 10 days after judgment, and only between sunrise and sunset | C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1) |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedA landlord may not remove or exclude a tenant without a court order, including by cutting utilities or removing doors, windows or locks; the tenant may seek an injunction, damages and attorney fees. | C.R.S. § 38-12-510 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1098
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/41140/download
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb21-1121
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/52320/download
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1118
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1115
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1095
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1196
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-184
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1249
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-206
- https://lawhelp.colorado.gov/security-deposits
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Colorado
How long does an eviction take in Colorado?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 10 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Colorado landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 10-day demand for compliance or possession, which gives the tenant 10 calendar days (C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 38-12-1303). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Colorado?
No. Colorado bans self-help eviction (C.R.S. § 38-12-510), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Colorado?
In the county court, where the case is called forcible entry and detainer (eviction) (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-111(1), 13-40-122(1)).
Eviction process Colorado no lease: which notice applies?
A tenant with no written lease who pays monthly is usually a month-to-month tenant, and Colorado asks for 21 days’ notice to end that tenancy (C.R.S. §§ 13-40-107(1), 38-12-1303). For unpaid rent, the notice in step 1 applies all the same.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Colorado?
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
The eviction process in other states
- Alaska: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Arizona: 5 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Arkansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- California: 3 court days for unpaid rent
- Connecticut: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Delaware: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Florida: 3 court days for unpaid rent
- Georgia: 3 business days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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