🇺🇸 Colorado tenant document
Landlord kept your deposit? Check the Colorado return rules, then challenge withheld funds with an organized written demand, your dates and amounts, an evidence plan, and official starting points in one downloadable pack.
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Official framework
Colorado Revised Statutes §§ 38-12-102 and 38-12-103
Colorado generally requires the deposit, or a written statement of the exact reasons for any amount retained together with the balance, within 30 days after the lease terminates or the tenant surrenders the premises, whichever occurs last, unless the lease specifies a longer period of no more than 60 days.
Read the official statute ↗Content reviewed October 1, 2026. General information only—not legal advice.
Colorado security deposit rules
Colorado generally requires landlords to return the security deposit, or provide a written statement of the exact reasons for any amount kept along with the balance, within 30 days after the lease ends or the tenant surrenders the rental, whichever is later, unless the lease sets a longer period of no more than 60 days. Normal wear and tear and preexisting conditions are not permitted deductions, and C.R.S. § 38-12-103 describes potential treble damages a court may consider for wrongful retention after the tenant gives at least seven days’ notice of a demand and intent to file legal proceedings.
Watch your own deadline: C.R.S. § 38-12-103(3) requires notice of your demand and of an intention to file legal proceedings at least seven days before filing, and treble damages are available only if the landlord does not return the deposit within seven days after receiving it. The Colorado letter includes that demand and notice. Send it after the return deadline has passed, keep proof of the date the landlord received it, and avoid delay: case law cited in the official annotations applies a one-year limit to the treble-damages portion.
Check coverage: The 2025 amendments (HB 25-1249) took effect January 1, 2026 and apply to conduct on or after that date; earlier situations may follow the prior version, which used a one-month period and a willful-retention standard. Separate rules apply under the gas-hazard procedure in § 38-12-104 and for terminations under § 38-12-402, and local ordinances may add requirements.
These are general summaries, not conclusions about your situation. Review the linked official text and obtain legal advice when needed.
Deadline calculator · Normal wear and tear vs. damage · How to get your deposit back · Deadlines in other states
Colorado deposit dispute
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Colorado generally requires the deposit, or a written statement of the exact reasons for any amount retained together with the balance, within 30 days after the lease terminates or the tenant surrenders the premises, whichever occurs last, unless the lease specifies a longer period of no more than 60 days. Check the official statute for the conditions that apply to your tenancy.
No. The pack organizes a written demand and supporting record. The lease, facts, delivery, evidence, defenses, and any court decision control the result.
A personalized demand letter, timing worksheet, deduction dispute organizer, evidence and delivery log, and escalation-preparation sheet with official source links.
No. It identifies provisions to review and makes clear that potential enhanced remedies depend on facts and, if disputed, a court determination.
Yes. Complete the guided form to see a personalized preview. The finished five-part PDF costs $39 USD as a one-time purchase.