Colorado · CO · updated 2026
In Colorado, a landlord must return a security deposit within 30 calendar days
Quick answer
A Colorado landlord has 30 calendar days after the tenancy ends to return your deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Miss it in bad faith and the landlord can end up owing you more than the deposit itself.
Under Colorado security deposit law, a Colorado landlord has 30 calendar days to return your security deposit, counted from when the tenancy ends. By statute, the deposit is capped at 2 months' rent. If the landlord misses the deadline or keeps money you are owed, you can push back in writing and, if needed, in small claims court.
- Return deadline
- 30 calendar days
- Deadline counted from
- the tenancy ends
- Itemized statement
- Required
- Move-in condition list
- Not required by statute
- Maximum deposit
- 2 months' rent
- Interest on deposit
- Not required
Calculate your exact Colorado deadline
Enter your move-out date to see the exact calendar date the deadline lands on. It runs on your device, so nothing you type is uploaded.
What a Colorado landlord can deduct
- Unpaid rent and unpaid utilities you owe under the lease
- Repair of damage beyond ordinary wear and tear (not normal aging, fading, or minor marks)
- An itemized written statement of every deduction (Colorado requires it, so ask for it in writing)
If the landlord withholds in bad faith
Wrongful retention renders landlord liable for treble the wrongfully withheld amount plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs; rebuttable presumption of bad faith if amount retained is 125% or more of actual damages.
How to get your deposit back in Colorado
- Document the unit's condition at move-out with dated photos of every room (a move-in / move-out checklist keeps it organized).
- Confirm your exact return deadline with the deadline calculator.
- If the deadline passes, send a written demand letter citing the statute and the amount owed.
- If it is still ignored, you can file in small claims court.
Common Colorado deposit disputes
- The deadline passed and you have heard nothing
- Send a written demand letter citing the statute and the amount owed. Keep proof you sent it.
- You got money back but disagree with the deductions
- Colorado requires an itemized statement, so ask for it in writing first, then dispute anything charged as ordinary wear and tear.
- You are still deciding whether the case is worth it
- Confirm the exact deadline below, gather your dated move-out photos, and read the penalty your state allows before you commit.
Frequently asked
- How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Colorado?
- In Colorado, a landlord must return a security deposit within 30 calendar days.
- How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Colorado?
- Colorado caps the security deposit at 2 months' rent.
- Can my Colorado landlord keep my deposit for cleaning or normal wear?
- Deductions are generally limited to unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. Colorado requires the landlord to give an itemized statement of deductions.
- Does a Colorado landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
- No. Colorado does not require the landlord to pay interest on the security deposit.
- What if my Colorado landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
- Wrongful retention renders landlord liable for treble the wrongfully withheld amount plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs; rebuttable presumption of bad faith if amount retained is 125% or more of actual damages.
HB25-1249 (signed 6/3/2025, eff. 1/1/2026) changed the default return deadline from one month to 30 calendar days; a lease may extend it to 60 days. The 2-month deposit cap (eff. 8/7/2023) was unchanged. Home-rule cities may add local requirements.