A Colorado lease termination notice is a document which officially announces the upcoming end of a rental tenancy. Either a landlord or tenant may give notice, in most cases at least 28 to 91 days in advance.
| Notice Form | Lease Length |
| 1 Day Notice To Vacate | Less than one week |
| 3 Day Notice To Terminate Tenancy | More than one week, |
but less than one month
but less than six months
but less than one year
A Colorado 1 Day Notice To Vacate terminates a tenancy of less than one (1) week, or a situation without a written lease that falls within that period of time. The non-terminating party must receive notice at least one (1) calendar day before the termination date. [1]
A Colorado 3 Day Notice To Terminate Tenancy terminates a tenancy at will or a tenancy of more than one (1) week, but less than one (1) month, as well as situations with an expired lease or no written lease that fall within those periods of time. The non-terminating party must receive notice at least three (3) calendar days before the date of termination. [1]
A Colorado 21 Day Notice To Vacate terminates a tenancy of one (1) month or longer, but less than six (6) months, as well as an expired lease of under six months or a situation without a written lease where the tenant pays rent monthly. The non-terminating party must receive notice within twenty-one (21) days of the date of termination. [1]
A Colorado 28 Day Notice To Vacate terminates a tenancy of six (6) months or longer, but less than one (1) year, as well as an expired lease or a situation without a written lease which has lasted more than six months. The non-terminating party must receive notice within twenty-eight (28) calendar days of the date of termination. [1]
A Colorado 91 Day Notice To Vacate terminates a tenancy of one (1) year or longer. The non-terminating party must receive notice within ninety-one (91) calendar days of the date of termination. [1]
To ensure the legal compliance of a lease termination notice:
It is easy to lose an otherwise justified legal action because of improper notice. Check carefully to ensure enough time after notice is delivered , not when it’s sent.
The “clock” for a lease termination notice period starts “ticking” the day after the notice gets delivered (served). For example, to give at least 30 days of notice and terminate a tenancy as of June 30th, delivery of the termination letter must be no later than May 31st.
In most jurisdictions, if the last day of a notice period is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the notice period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
Colorado landlords and tenants may in most cases deliver a written lease termination notice using any method which results in the effective delivery of that notice to the other party. The following methods, taken from delivery of an initial eviction notice, provide the legal gold standard under state law: [2]
1 C.R.S. § 13-40-107 (1) A tenancy may be terminated by notice in writing, served not less than the respective period fixed before the end of the applicable tenancy, as follows:
(a) A tenancy for one year or longer, ninety-one days; (b) A tenancy of six months or longer but less than a year, twenty-eight days; (c) A tenancy of one month or longer but less than six months, twenty-one days; (d) A tenancy of one week or longer but less than one month, or a tenancy at will, three days; (e) A tenancy for less than one week, one day. (2) Such notice shall describe the property and the particular time when the tenancy will terminate and shall be signed by the landlord or tenant Source Link 2 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-108
A notice to quit or demand for possession of real property may be served by delivering a copy thereof to the tenant or other person occupying such premises, or by leaving such copy with some person, a member of the tenant’s family above the age of fifteen years, residing on or in charge of the premises, or, in case no one is on the premises at the time service is attempted, by posting such copy in some conspicuous place on the premises.
