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How long before eviction in Colorado?
Tenant protection: Moderate8 of 9 checked
Last verified 2026-09-23From notice to removal
Each stage has its own timing. A landlord notice alone does not authorize removal.
- 01Notice
10 calendar days
- 02Court stage
Timing not verified
- 03Writ wait
10 days before execution
- 04Removal
Enforcement follows a court order
At a glance
- Grace period before a late fee
- 7 days
- Late fee cap
- A landlord may not charge a late fee of more than the greater of fifty dollars or five percent of the past due rent payment.
- Pay-or-quit notice
- 10 calendar days
- Recorded court-stage timing
- Not verified
- Wait before the writ can be executed
- 10 days
- Can paying stop it before judgment?
- Yes
- Can paying stop it after judgment?
- No
- Lockouts without a court order banned?
- Yes
- Record sealing available?
- Yes
- Right to counsel
- Not verified
- Fastest lawful timeline
- 34 daysNot independently verified. Figure from the Eviction Research Network's state eviction timeframes dataset, as of 2026-07-13. We have not yet checked it against the statutes.
The written demand gives the tenant ten days to pay all rent due or move out. An exempt residential agreement gets five days, and a nonresidential or employer-provided housing agreement gets three days. Since May 29, 2025, a landlord who files an eviction for nonpayment must also follow the federal CARES Act notice rule. For a covered dwelling, the landlord may not require the tenant to move out until 30 days after giving a notice to vacate. A covered dwelling is a rental in certain federal housing programs, or on a property with a federally backed mortgage, including one bought or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Many ordinary apartments and rented houses fall under this rule, and a tenant often cannot tell from the lease whether the property is covered. No agreement can waive the notice requirement. The statute has no separate rule for a first late payment, and no city overlay was found.
A landlord may not remove or exclude a tenant without a court process. This includes willfully shutting off utilities or removing doors, windows or locks, except for repair or maintenance. The law allows removal without court only for cleanup of an illegal drug lab under state health rules, with the tenant's agreement, or when the tenant has abandoned the unit. A tenant who is locked out can sue for actual damages plus the higher of three months' rent or $5,000, attorney fees and costs, and a court may order the tenant let back in.
Not legal advice. This page reports what the state statute says as of the last-verified date. It does not describe how a particular court applies it, and it does not account for your lease, local ordinances, or the facts of your case. If you have received a notice or a court summons, contact a legal aid organization listed below.
Can I stop it by paying?
Before judgment: Yes. A landlord who has given a tenant a nonpayment notice must accept the tenant's full payment of the amount due, at any time until a judge enters judgment for possession. Once the court confirms timely full payment, it must vacate any judgment already issued and dismiss the case with prejudice. This right cannot be waived by agreement.
After judgment: No. The statutory duty to accept payment and dismiss the case runs only until a judge issues judgment for possession. No provision in the forcible entry and detainer article gives a right to reinstate the tenancy or redeem the writ by paying after judgment is entered.
Behind on utilities in Colorado too? See Colorado's shutoff protection rules.
Where to get help
Sources
- C.R.S. 13-40-104(1)(d). The written demand gives the tenant ten days to pay the rent or leave.
- C.R.S. 38-12-105(1)(b). A landlord may not charge a late fee that exceeds the greater of fifty dollars or five percent of the past due rent.
- C.R.S. 13-40-122(1)(b). The officer shall not execute a writ of restitution concerning a residential tenancy until at least ten days after entry of judgment, except at least thirty days if the tenant receives SSI, SSDI, or Colorado Works cash assistance.
- C.R.S. 38-12-510. A landlord may not remove or lock out a tenant, or willfully cut off utilities, without going through court.
- C.R.S. 13-40-111(1) sets the summons return day at not less than seven and not more than fourteen days after filing. C.R.S. 13-40-113(4)(a) sets the trial date at not sooner than seven, but not more than ten, days after an answer is filed, when one is filed.
- Thomas, Tim, and the Eviction Research Network (2026). Time to evict: State statutory eviction timelines (verified edition, July 2026) [Data set]. Eviction Research Network, University of California, Berkeley.
- Primary statute