Home / Security deposit / Colorado
Colorado security deposit demand letter
Colorado's Division of Real Estate describes the security-deposit deadline, after House Bill 25-1249, as 30 days after the lease ends or the premises are surrendered, whichever is later, unless the lease allows a longer period of up to 60 days. Wrongful retention can make the landlord liable for three times the amount wrongfully withheld, but the tenant must give at least seven days' notice before filing. The General Assembly lists the act's effective date as January 1, 2026.
Laws change. Read the official source and confirm it still applies to your tenancy. Local ordinances are not summarized here. This page is not legal advice.
Return deadline
30 days by default. A lease may allow up to 60 days.
The Colorado Division of Real Estate's summary of HB25-1249 says the law clarifies that the default time to return a security deposit is thirty days, rather than “one month,” and that a lease may still allow a longer period not to exceed sixty days. The bill page states that the act takes effect January 1, 2026. The Division also says HB25-1168 became law, so the amendment in section 3 of HB25-1249 is the operative change to § 38-12-103(1). The session law's section 3 text says the landlord shall, within thirty days after termination of a lease or surrender of the premises, whichever occurs last, return the full security deposit unless the lease specifies a longer period not to exceed sixty days.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(1), as amended by HB25-1249. Colorado Division of Real Estate, HB25-1249 summary. Last verified: 2026-11-10.
If the deposit is kept improperly
Treble the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs, if the landlord does not return it within seven days after notice.
The Division of Real Estate summary says wrongful retention subjects the landlord to treble damages if the tenant has notified the landlord of the demand for return and the intention to file legal proceedings at least seven days before filing. The tenant may bring that action only if the landlord fails to return the deposit or withheld portion within seven days after that notice. In the action, the landlord bears the burden of proving the withholding was not wrongful and that the landlord complied with § 38-12-103. The same summary says a landlord who does not comply with the section, or who otherwise wrongfully withholds the deposit, forfeits the right to withhold any portion.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(3), as described by the Division of Real Estate. Colorado Division of Real Estate, HB25-1249 summary. Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Itemized deductions
Yes. If any amount is retained, the landlord must give a written statement of the exact reasons and the balance.
The enrolled text of HB25-1249, section 3, says that when actual cause exists for retaining any portion, the landlord shall provide a written statement listing the exact reasons for the retention and shall deliver the difference between the sum deposited and the amount retained, along with documentation the subsection requires. Sending the statement, payment, and documentation to the tenant's last-known address, or to an email address the landlord has actual notice of, is treated as compliance, with payment sent as subsection (10) provides.
HB25-1249, section 3, amending § 38-12-103(1). Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1249. Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Forwarding address
The landlord may send the statement and refund to the last-known address or a known email. A separate forwarding-address statute was not the trigger for the 30 days.
The session-law text says the landlord complies with the statement-and-refund duty by sending them to the tenant's last-known address or to any email address for the tenant that the landlord has actual notice of. The seven-day pre-suit notice is a separate written demand, described in the penalty note.
HB25-1249, section 3. Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1249. Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Written demand before a case
Yes, at least seven days before filing, if you want the treble-damages remedy.
The Division of Real Estate summary says the tenant must notify the landlord of the demand for the return of the security deposit and of the intention to file legal proceedings at least seven days before filing. Treble damages, fees, and costs are available in court only if the landlord then fails to return the deposit or the withheld portion within seven days after that notice.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(3). Colorado Division of Real Estate, HB25-1249 summary. Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Free sample with blanks
Copy this outline and fill the brackets yourself. The statute sentence is from the checked note above, not from a generated draft.
[Date] [Your name] [Your current address] [Landlord name] [Landlord address] Re: Return of security deposit for [rental address] Dear [Landlord name], I rented [rental address] from [move-in date] through [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit]. You have returned $[amount already returned]. I am asking for the remaining $[balance]. What happened: [Describe the move-out, the condition of the unit, and any list of deductions you did or did not receive. Two or three sentences are enough.] Under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(1), as amended by HB25-1249, 30 days by default. A lease may allow up to 60 days. Treble the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs, if the landlord does not return it within seven days after notice. Please pay $[balance] within [14] days by [check or money order]. I can provide [receipts, photos, the lease, or messages]. Sincerely, [Your name] Sample note: the statute sentences above come from Colorado Division of Real Estate, HB25-1249 summary, last verified 2026-11-10. Laws change. This sample is a formatting example, not legal advice.
Official and free resources
- HB25-1249, Tenant Security Deposit Protections — General Assembly bill page. Status: became law. Effective date listed as January 1, 2026.
- Division of Real Estate summary of HB25-1249 — Official agency explanation of the 30-day default, the 60-day cap, and treble damages.
Illinois · All deposit states · Washington
Draft a Colorado letter
Preview
The free preview is watermarked. Copy and download stay locked.
A clean PDF and Word file is not on sale yet. One letter is $4.99 for 7 days on this browser. Three letters about the same dispute are $9.99 for 30 days. We do not keep the letter text.