Quick Answer
Colorado HB19-1118, enacted as Chapter 230 and signed May 20, 2019, sets how much time a landlord gives a tenant to fix a lease violation before eviction proceedings. For nonpayment of rent and a first or later violation of a lease condition that is not a substantial violation, the period is 10 days for most residential leases. Exempt residential leases, meaning single-family homes rented by a landlord who owns five or fewer single-family rentals, use 5 days. Nonresidential leases and employer-provided housing use 3 days. Bill page last checked October 22, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Ten days for most residential leases.
- Five days for exempt leases: single-family homes rented by a landlord with five or fewer single-family rentals.
- Three days for nonresidential leases and employer-provided housing.
- Substantial violations are outside this bill’s cure periods.
- Service matters. Use personal delivery, delivery to a resident age 15 or older, or posting after diligent effort.
1. Which Period Applies
First decide whether the lease is residential, nonresidential, or employer-provided housing. For residential leases, count your single-family rentals before you assume the five-day period applies. Most small owners with a mix of unit types should read the bill text and consider asking an attorney.
2. What the Notice Should Say
A notice should name the tenant and address, describe the amount unpaid or the lease condition violated, state the number of days to cure or vacate, and show the date and method of delivery. For a rent notice, include the amount and the period it covers. Use the court’s approved form where one is required, and keep a copy.
3. How to Serve It
The service methods in C.R.S. § 13-40-108 are personal delivery to the tenant, delivery to a resident age 15 or older, or posting after diligent effort. Text and email alone are not enough under that section. Record the date, the time, and who received it.
4. Counting the Days
Count from the day after service. Write the final date into the notice so there is no arithmetic left. If the tenant pays or cures within the period, record that in writing and the date.
5. A Checklist
- Identify the lease type and the correct period.
- Prepare the notice with the amount or the condition and the number of days.
- Serve it by a method the statute allows and record the details.
- Track the final date on your calendar.
- Record any cure in writing, with the date.
Records to Keep
Keep the lease, the rent ledger, the notice, proof of service, and any payment or reply from the tenant in one folder. If the tenant cures, write down the date and the amount and tell the tenant in writing that the matter is closed. If the tenant does not cure, the same folder is the starting point for any court filing.
Tone
A notice is a legal document, but it can still be courteous. Include a contact number and offer to talk. Many cure periods end with a payment or a conversation, not a filing.
Calendar Discipline
Put the final cure date on your calendar the day you serve the notice and set a reminder for the day before. Check the ledger that morning, and write the result in the file. A simple routine keeps you from acting a day early or a day late.
6. What This Guide Does Not Cover
This guide covers the periods in HB19-1118. It does not cover substantial violations, the court filing process, or late fees. It states the bill and does not predict how a court will rule.
7. Questions Owners Ask
Is it three days or ten? For most residential leases, 10 days. The three-day period applies to nonresidential leases and employer-provided housing.
Can I text the notice? Not by itself. See the service methods in C.R.S. § 13-40-108.
What if the violation is substantial? The bill’s cure periods do not cover substantial violations, so read the statute for that category.