Colorado Leases and Rental Agreements Laws

State laws set statutory guidelines for certain aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship, such as limits on deposits, accepted lease terms, and prohibited forms of discrimination. At its essence, a lease agreement is a legal contract between two parties; statutory regulations of these contracts helps protect the interests of both parties. Civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in employment and public accommodations also apply to housing in general (including rentals).

What Are Colorado's Laws on Leases and Rental Agreements?

Colorado law does not place limits on the amount of rent a landlord may request, nor does it require payment of interest on deposits. Colorado law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, and other characteristics covered by federal law -- plus sexual orientation -- but allows local zoning ordinances to discriminate on the basis of marital status in certain instances.

The following chart summarizes Colorado's lease and rental agreement laws. See FindLaw's Landlord Tenant Law section to learn more.

Code Section	24-34-502; 38-12-102, et seq.
Terms of Leases	-
Deposits	Interest on deposit not required No limits on how much deposit may be requested Damages subtracted must be itemized and balance returned within 1 month of termination unless otherwise agreed, but never over 60 days
Discrimination	No discrimination on basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, handicap, race, religion, creed, color, national origin, but does not prohibit compliance with local zoning ordinance provisions concerning residential restrictions on marital status
Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act Adopted?	No

Note: State laws are constantly changing through the passage of new legislation, the issuance of higher court rulings, voter-approved ballot initiatives, and other means. Be sure to contact a Colorado landlord-tenant attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

Common Lease Provisions

Some lease clauses are unenforceable in any state, including agreements that tenants will pay for all damages regardless of fault and agreements that the landlord may enter the unit at any time without notice. Lease agreements tend to differ from one party to another, but all must contain certain provisions, including:

Names of the parties (tenant and landlord)
Description of rental property (street address, unit number, etc.)
Term of the lease (one year, two years, month-to-month)
Amount of rent
Due date of rent

Research the Law

Colorado Law
Official State Codes - Links to the official online statutes (laws) in all 50 states and DC.

Colorado Lease and Rental Agreement Laws: Related Resources