Colorado Rent Increase Laws for Landlords (2026)

Updated September 2026 · Written for self-managing landlords · Not legal advice

In short: Colorado requires 60 days' notice before a rent increase takes effect, and there is no cap on the amount.

What Colorado law requires

Colorado is one of the 19 US jurisdictions with a statute that speaks directly to raising rent. It requires 60 days' notice before an increase takes effect, in writing.

Citation: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-701 · read the source (code mirror)

Why this links to a code mirror. Colorado publishes its statutes through a LexisNexis portal rather than the legislature site. The citation is the statute; the link is the best freely readable copy of it.

How much can you raise it in Colorado?

There is no statutory ceiling. No cap on the amount. Colorado regulates only the notice, and allows one increase per twelve months on a tenancy without a written agreement.

Only four US jurisdictions cap the size of an increase - California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Colorado is not one of them, so the amount is a business decision, not a legal one. The usual constraint is practical: a tenant who leaves over an increase costs you a turnover, and a turnover costs more than the increase was worth.

Local rules override this. Local rent control is preempted by Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-301.

Can you raise rent mid-lease in Colorado?

Not unless the lease says so. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for its term, whatever the statute does or does not require about notice. An increase belongs at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy after proper notice.

Serving the notice so it holds up

Most rent increases that fall apart fall apart on the date, not the amount: the notice went out too late, or nobody can prove when it went out. Count the days from delivery, not from the day you wrote it, and keep the proof.

LandlordPro generates the notice against the state's rule, dates it, records when it was sent, and carries the new rent onto the rent roll on the right day so the ledger and the notice agree.

Generate the notice, keep the proof

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Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise rent in Colorado?

60 days in writing, under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-701.

Is there a limit on how much rent can be raised in Colorado?

No. Colorado sets no cap on the size of an increase. Only California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia cap the amount.

Can rent be raised during a lease in Colorado?

No, unless the lease itself provides for it. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term; an increase belongs at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy after notice.

Does a Colorado rent increase notice have to be in writing?

Yes.

Do local rules change this in Colorado?

Local rent control is preempted by Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-301.