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Make your Colorado lease
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Colorado Residential Lease Agreement
1. Parties
This Residential Lease Agreement (the "Lease") is between ("Landlord") and ("Tenant"). If more than one person signs as Tenant, each of them is fully responsible for all of Tenant's obligations under this Lease.
2. Property
Landlord rents to Tenant the residence at (the "Property"), including (parking, storage, appliances or furniture included, if any).
3. Term
This Lease begins on and ends on . If Tenant stays after the end date with Landlord's written consent, the tenancy continues from month to month on the same terms unless the parties sign a new lease or the law where the Property is located provides otherwise.
4. Rent
Tenant will pay rent of per month, in advance, on or before the day of each month, by .
If this Lease starts on a day other than the rent due day, rent for the first partial month is , calculated by dividing the monthly rent by the number of days in that month and multiplying by the number of days Tenant has the Property.
5. Late charges and returned payments
If rent is not received in full within days after it is due, Tenant will pay a late charge of . Tenant will pay for any payment returned unpaid by the bank. No late charge or fee will be more than the law where the Property is located allows.
6. Security deposit
Tenant will pay a security deposit of before moving in. Landlord will hold, apply and return the deposit as required by the law where the Property is located. After Tenant moves out, Landlord will return the deposit, less any lawful deductions with a written itemized list, within the time that law requires. Tenant may not use the deposit as the last month's rent without Landlord's written consent.
7. Occupants and use
Only Tenant and these people may live at the Property: . Tenant will use the Property only as a private residence, follow all laws, and not disturb neighbors.
8. Utilities
Tenant will pay for these utilities and services: . Landlord will pay for all other utilities and services, if any, that serve the Property.
9. Pets
Pets allowed (describe, or write "none"): Pet deposit, if any: . This does not limit assistance animals that Landlord must allow under fair housing law.
10. Smoking
Smoking rules:
11. Maintenance and repairs
Tenant will keep the Property clean and safe, use appliances and fixtures properly, and promptly report any needed repairs to Landlord in writing. Landlord will make repairs the law requires. Tenant will pay for damage caused by Tenant, other occupants or guests, beyond normal wear and tear.
12. Alterations and locks
Tenant will not paint, make alterations, or add or change locks without Landlord's written consent.
13. Landlord entry
Landlord may enter the Property at reasonable times to inspect, make repairs or show it, after giving Tenant at least hours' notice, or any longer notice the law requires. Landlord may enter without notice in an emergency.
14. Subletting and assignment
Tenant will not sublet the Property or assign this Lease without Landlord's written consent.
15. Moving out
When this Lease ends, Tenant will leave the Property clean and in the same condition as at move-in except for normal wear and tear, return all keys, and give Landlord a forwarding address in writing.
16. Radon disclosure (C.R.S. 38-12-803)
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment strongly recommends that ALL tenants have an indoor radon test performed before leasing residential real property and recommends having the radon levels mitigated if elevated radon concentrations are found. Elevated radon concentrations can be reduced by a radon mitigation professional. Residential real property may present exposure to dangerous levels of indoor radon gas that may place the occupants at risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer. Radon, a Class A human carcinogen, is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. A landlord is required to provide the tenant with any known information on radon test results of the residential real property.
Landlord's knowledge of radon at the property: radon test(s) conducted? ☐ Yes ☐ No. Most current radon records and reports, any radon concentrations detected and any mitigation or remediation performed: . Radon mitigation system installed? ☐ Yes ☐ No. System description and documentation: .
Tenant received a copy of the most recent radon brochure published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Tenant signs below to acknowledge receipt of this disclosure.
17. Late fees (C.R.S. 38-12-105)
Any late fee is disclosed in this Lease and will be charged only if rent is late by at least seven calendar days. It will not exceed the greater of fifty dollars or five percent of the past-due rent, will not be charged more than once for each late payment beyond that limit, and Landlord will give written notice of it within one hundred eighty days after the rent was due. Tenant will not be evicted for failing to pay late fees.
18. Pets (C.R.S. 38-12-106)
Any pet deposit is refundable and no more than three hundred dollars. Any pet rent is no more than the greater of thirty-five dollars a month or one and one-half percent of the monthly rent.
19. Security deposit return (C.R.S. 38-12-103)
Landlord will return the security deposit, with a written statement listing the exact reasons for any amount kept, within thirty days after this Lease ends or the Property is surrendered and accepted, whichever is later, or within days (no more than sixty) if filled in here. No part will be kept for normal wear and tear or for damage that existed before the tenancy.
20. Copy of this Lease (C.R.S. 38-12-801)
Landlord will give Tenant a copy of this Lease signed by both parties no later than the seventh day after Tenant signs, electronically unless Tenant asks for paper.
21. Disclosures
Was the Property built before 1978? If yes, the federal lead-based paint disclosure, signed by both parties, is attached, and Tenant received the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.
Other disclosures or addenda attached:
22. Notices
Notices to Landlord go to: . Notices to Tenant go to the Property address, or to any other address Tenant gives Landlord in writing.
23. Governing law and entire agreement
This Lease is governed by the law of Colorado, where the Property is located. If any part of this Lease is invalid or conflicts with that law, that part is limited to what the law allows and the rest of the Lease stays in effect. This Lease, with any attached addenda, is the entire agreement. Any change must be in writing and signed by Landlord and Tenant.
24. Additional terms
Signatures
This Colorado lease agreement template includes the radon disclosure in the statute's own words, a late fee clause written to Colorado's limits, and the pet deposit cap. As you fill it in, the form checks your deposit, grace period, late fee and pet deposit against state law and warns you if any is over the line.
Colorado late fee and security deposit rules
Colorado limits late fees: a landlord may not "Charge a tenant or home owner a late fee unless a rent payment is late by at least seven calendar days," and the fee may not exceed the greater of fifty dollars or five percent of the past-due rent (C.R.S. 38-12-105). The chart shows what that means in dollars.
Deposits are capped too: "a landlord shall not require a tenant to submit a security deposit in an amount that exceeds the amount of two monthly rent payments" (C.R.S. 38-12-102.5). At $1,500 rent that is $3,000. Pet rent follows the greater of $35 or 1.5% of rent, so the $35 floor applies to any rent up to about $2,333 a month.
Colorado pet deposit and pet rent limits
| Monthly rent | Most pet rent a month | Most pet deposit |
|---|---|---|
| $1,200 | $35 | $300 (refundable) |
| $2,000 | $35 | $300 (refundable) |
| $2,500 | $37.50 | $300 (refundable) |
| $3,000 | $45 | $300 (refundable) |
| $4,000 | $60 | $300 (refundable) |
Computed from C.R.S. 38-12-106: pet rent may not exceed the greater of $35 a month or 1.5% of the monthly rent; a pet deposit may not exceed $300 and must be refundable. Assistance animals are not pets and these charges do not apply to them under fair housing law, as the lease's pet clause notes.
Charging both is allowed within the limits: on a $2,000 rental, a $300 refundable pet deposit and up to $35 a month in pet rent. Write both in the pet addendum so the amounts are signed.
Colorado lease rules at a glance
| Rule | Colorado | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit limit | Two months' rent (since August 7, 2023) | 38-12-102.5 |
| Deposit return | Within 30 days after the lease ends or the unit is surrendered, whichever is later, or a longer time set in the lease up to 60 days (since January 1, 2026); written statement of reasons; nothing for normal wear and tear or for damage that existed before the tenancy | 38-12-103(1), as amended by HB25-1249; HB25-1249 |
| Missed deadline | No written statement in time forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit. Wrongful retention (including a late or incomplete statement, a late refund or a bad-faith deduction) can cost three times the amount withheld plus attorney fees, if the landlord does not return it within 7 days after the tenant's written demand | 38-12-103(2); HB25-1249 |
| Late fees | Only after rent is 7 calendar days late; no more than the greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent; must be in the lease; written notice within 180 days; no eviction for late fees | 38-12-105 |
| Pet deposit and pet rent | Pet deposit up to $300, refundable; pet rent up to the greater of $35 a month or 1.5% of rent | 38-12-106 |
| Radon | Written disclosure with the statutory warning, the landlord's radon information and the state brochure, signed by the tenant before the lease | 38-12-803 |
| Copy of the lease | Signed copy no later than the 7th day after the tenant signs | 38-12-801 |
| Ending a tenancy | Cause is required for most residential tenancies once a tenant has stayed 12 months; exempt rentals use notice by tenancy length (21 days for 1 to 6 months) | 38-12-1302, 1303; 13-40-107 |
| Other fees | No fees for late payment of amounts that are not rent, or for processing payments when no cost-free way to pay is reasonably available (from January 1, 2026) | HB25-1090 |
| Landlord entry | Colorado's statute sets no notice period for this; set one in the lease | Article 12, Title 38 |
From the Colorado Revised Statutes (Title 38, Title 13), read November 2, 2026. Deposit rules as amended by HB25-1249 (effective January 1, 2026). Denver, Boulder and other cities add their own rules. A template, not legal advice.
The Colorado radon disclosure
Since August 7, 2023, a landlord must give the radon disclosure "Before signing a lease agreement for residential real property" in a document the tenant signs (C.R.S. 38-12-803). It has three parts: the bold warning statement printed in the lease above, everything the landlord knows about radon tests, results and any mitigation system, and a copy of the state health department's radon brochure. If the landlord skips it, the tenant may void the lease, though from January 1, 2026 that remedy does not apply to leases of one year or less.
Applications, screening and ending a tenancy
Colorado limits application fees to what the landlord actually spends processing the application, requires the same fee for every applicant, and bars any fee when the applicant brings a portable tenant screening report (C.R.S. 38-12-903). See the rental application fee guide for the details. When it is time to end a tenancy, remember that Colorado now requires cause for most residential tenants after 12 months (C.R.S. 38-12-1303).
How to use this Colorado lease agreement
- Enter rent and a deposit of no more than two months' rent.
- If you charge a late fee, set the grace period to at least 7 days and keep the fee within the cap shown above.
- Fill in the radon section with what you know, attach the state brochure, and have the tenant sign before the lease.
- Sign and give the tenant a copy within 7 days.
- At move-out, send a written statement and refund within 30 days (or the longer period, up to 60 days, set in the lease), with no deductions for wear and tear or damage that was there before the tenancy.
Need a pet clause too? Use the pet addendum with Colorado's $300 deposit cap. For a rolling agreement see the month-to-month lease; the general version is our lease agreement template.
More state versions: New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington and Maryland.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum late fee in Colorado?
The greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent, and only once rent is at least 7 calendar days late. The fee must be disclosed in the lease (C.R.S. 38-12-105).
How much can a Colorado landlord charge for a security deposit?
No more than two months' rent, for deposits required on or after August 7, 2023 (C.R.S. 38-12-102.5).
How long does a Colorado landlord have to return a deposit?
30 days after the lease ends or the unit is surrendered, whichever is later, unless the lease sets a longer period of up to 60 days (C.R.S. 38-12-103, as amended by HB25-1249 from January 1, 2026).
Is a radon disclosure required in Colorado leases?
Yes. Before signing, the landlord must give a written radon disclosure with the statutory warning, any known radon information and the state brochure, and the tenant signs to acknowledge it (C.R.S. 38-12-803).
What is the pet deposit limit in Colorado?
A refundable pet deposit of no more than $300, and pet rent of no more than the greater of $35 a month or 1.5% of the monthly rent (C.R.S. 38-12-106).