Rent increases in Colorado
Source: C.R.S. §§ 38-12-701, 38-12-702, 38-12-301, 38-12-509 · Checked against the statute
- Notice
- 60 days
- Statewide cap
- No statewide cap
- During a lease
- Only if the lease allows it
- Local rent control
- Banned by state law
When can a rent increase start in Colorado?
Choose the state and the date the notice is given.
How much notice is required
The 60-day written-notice rule covers only residential tenancies with no written agreement; a landlord may not serve a termination notice mainly to get around it. With any written lease, including a written month-to-month agreement, no statute sets a notice period: what the lease says about the timing and notice of increases applies (Colorado Legal Services). In all cases rent may rise only once in 12 months. (C.R.S. §§ 38-12-701(2), 38-12-702)
| Applies to | When | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month or other periodic tenancy | — | 60 days |
- The notice must be in writing.
Example: a notice handed over on November 2, 2026 in Colorado
Earliest date the new rent can start, with rent due on the 1st, worked out from the Colorado rule above:
- For a month-to-month tenant of 1 year raising rent 5% or a month-to-month tenant of 3 years raising rent 12% or a week-to-week tenant raising rent 5%: Friday, January 1, 2027
Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?
No limit on the amount, but a landlord may not raise rent more than once in any 12 months of the tenant's consecutive occupancy, whether the tenancy is fixed-term, month-to-month or has no written lease. (C.R.S. § 38-12-702)
- How often:
- once in any 12-month period of consecutive occupancy
Raising rent during a lease
With a written lease, what the lease says about the timing and notice of increases applies; in all cases rent may rise only once in 12 months. (Colorado Legal Services; C.R.S. § 38-12-702)
City and county rent control
Counties and municipalities may not control rent on private residential property; voluntary affordable-housing agreements and deed restrictions are excepted. (C.R.S. § 38-12-301)
Retaliatory rent increases
A landlord may not raise rent in response to a good-faith complaint about conditions, joining a tenants' association, or using repair remedies. The tenant need only show the protected act was a motivating factor; damages up to 3 months' rent or 3x actual damages. No presumption period. (C.R.S. § 38-12-509)
Also good to know
- Text checked against the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 printout; the Legislative Council's 2025 and 2026 housing-legislation summaries list no change to §§ 38-12-701/702.
- HB 26-1013 (2026) sets rules for ratio utility billing charged to tenants.
Other Colorado renting rules in numbers
- Security deposit
- A landlord may not require a deposit of more than two months' rent (since Aug. 7, 2023). Return deadline: 30 days (see details).
- Tenant's notice to move out
- 21 days, ending with a rental period
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10 days (pay or move out)
- How a written notice is delivered (eviction-notice rules)
- Personal service on the tenant or a family member over 15 who lives there; if no one can be served, the notice may be posted in a conspicuous place after at least two attempts on separate days (a third attempt plus certified mail for victim-survivors) (C.R.S. § 13-40-108; JDF 99 A). The notice must be in English, Spanish, or the tenant's known primary language and must state the right to mediation for tenants on SSI, SSDI or Colorado Works (C.R.S. § 13-40-106(2)-(3)).
- Notice for other lease violations
- 10 days (fix it or move out)
- Small claims court limit
- $7,500 — where most deposit and rent disputes are filed.
- Repairs
- Time to repair: 14 days; urgent: 24 hours. Repair and deduct: allowed with limits; withholding rent: not addressed by state law.
- Deposit kept wrongly
- Wrongful retention: treble the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The tenant must first send a written demand and notice of intent to sue, and may sue for treble damages only if the landlord doesn't return the money within 7 days. Any noncompliance also forfeits the landlord's right to keep any of the deposit.
- Lawful reasons to end a lease early
- Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; Unit unlivable or landlord fails to repair; Landlord harassment or illegal entry
Sources
- C.R.S. Title 38 (2024, OLLS) Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Colorado Legal Services, Landlords raising rent Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Legislative Council, Summary of 2026 Housing Legislation Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Legislative Council, 2025 Housing and Landlord-Tenant summary Retrieved October 15, 2026.
Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 15, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.