Know Your Rights
Your rights as a Denver renter, plus the local resources that can help. Free, in English and Spanish.
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Powered by Colorado tenant law & Denver municipal code
Select a topic below to see a quick rundown of your rights and the Denver organizations that can help. For your specific situation, contact one of the resources listed — many offer free help.
This is general legal information, not legal advice.Laws change and every situation is different. For advice about your case, contact one of the resources listed below or a licensed attorney.
Facing eviction in Denver
In Colorado a landlord cannot evict you without going to court. They must first give you a written notice, then file an eviction case (an “FED”) and win a judgment before the sheriff can remove you. Changing the locks, shutting off your utilities, or removing your belongings without a court order is an illegal “self-help” eviction.
Key rules
- Nonpayment of rent: landlords must give a 10-day written Demand for Compliance before filing.
- For-cause protections (2024): if you’ve lived there 12+ months, a landlord generally needs a legal reason to evict or refuse to renew.
- You must file a written “Answer” with the court by your appearance date — it’s how you get a trial. Most tenants who lose simply never respond.
- Having a lawyer dramatically improves outcomes. Denver and Colorado fund free eviction defense — ask before your court date.
Where to get help
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-104 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-111 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-510 (2024).
- Cause Required for Eviction of Residential Tenant, H.B. 24-1098, 74th Gen. Assemb., 2d Reg. Sess. (Colo. 2024) (codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-12-1300 to -1305).
Repairs & habitability
Colorado’s Warranty of Habitability requires landlords to keep rentals safe and livable — working heat, plumbing, hot water, weatherproofing, working appliances they provided, and no mold, pests, or other serious hazards. This right can’t be waived in your lease.
Key rules
- Tell your landlord in writing (keep a copy). Note the date and the problem.
- For a condition that’s dangerous to life, health, or safety, the landlord must begin repairs within 24 hours; for other habitability problems, within 96 hours.
- If they don’t act, you may have remedies — repair-and-deduct, ending the lease, or suing for damages. Get advice before withholding rent.
- Retaliation — raising rent or evicting because you asked for repairs — is illegal in Colorado.
Where to get help
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-503 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-507 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-509 (2024).
Getting your deposit back
In Colorado a landlord must return your security deposit within 30 days after you move out — or up to 60 days if your lease clearly says so. If they keep any of it, they must give you a written, itemized list of the deductions.
Key rules
- Deductions can cover unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear — not ordinary cleaning or aging.
- If the landlord misses the deadline without good reason, they forfeit the right to keep any of it.
- A willful wrongful withholding can make the landlord liable for up to three times (treble) the amount, plus your attorney fees.
- Send a written demand (give 7 days) before suing. Small-claims court handles most deposit disputes.
Where to get help
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103 (2024).
Rent increases
Colorado bans cities from capping rent, so there is no limit on how much a landlord can raise your rent. But there are rules on how and how often they can do it — and Denver For All is organizing to change the statewide ban on rent stabilization.
Key rules
- Rent can be raised only once in any 12-month period for the same tenant.
- During a fixed-term lease, rent generally can’t change until the lease ends, unless your lease specifically allows it.
- For a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord must give at least 60 days’ written notice before raising rent or ending the tenancy.
- A rent hike used to punish you for asking for repairs or organizing can be illegal retaliation.
Where to get help
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-301 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-701 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-702 (2024).
- Residential Tenancy Procedures, H.B. 21-1121, 73rd Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (Colo. 2021).
Housing discrimination
It’s illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to you, charge you more, or treat you differently because of who you are. Colorado protects more classes than federal law — and unlike many states, it bans discrimination based on your source of income, including Section 8 housing vouchers.
Protected classes in Colorado
- Race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion or creed.
- Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and familial status (having children).
- Disability, and source of income (including housing vouchers).
- Act quickly — you generally have up to one year to file a fair-housing complaint. Colorado and HUD “dual-file” most cases, so one complaint can cover both.
Where to get help
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-502 (2024).
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-502.2 (2024).
- Prohibit Housing Discrimination Source of Income, H.B. 20-1332, 72nd Gen. Assemb., 2d Reg. Sess. (Colo. 2020).
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619 (2018).
Find free legal help
You don’t have to face a landlord alone. Denver and Colorado fund free and low-cost tenant legal help, and representation dramatically improves outcomes in eviction cases. If you have a court date, reach out right away — help is often available the same week.
Where to get help
Providers listed are public legal-aid and referral services. On how representation changes eviction outcomes, see our Denver eviction data story.
Legal information is current as of June 2026 and cites the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) in APA/Bluebook legal-reference style. Statutes change — confirm current law before relying on it.