10-Day Notice to Quit in Colorado: Contents, Delivery, and Cure

A 10-day notice to quit in Colorado is the written warning a landlord must give most residential tenants before filing an eviction lawsuit. Formally called a Demand for Compliance, it tells the tenant they have 10 days to pay overdue rent, fix a lease violation, or move out. The landlord cannot go to court until that window closes.1Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-104 – Unlawful Detention Defined – Definitions

If you received one, the clock is short but the notice itself has to be done correctly. Defects in the form, the timing, or the way it was delivered are among the most common reasons eviction cases get thrown out.

When the 10-Day Period Applies

The 10-day cure period is the standard for residential tenancies in Colorado. It covers unpaid rent and material lease violations of almost every kind: unauthorized pets, unapproved occupants, and other significant breaches of the rental agreement. The 10-day window replaced a shorter three-day period after HB19-1118 passed in 2019.2Colorado General Assembly. HB19-1118 Time Period To Cure Lease Violation

Situations Where the Timeline Is Different

Not every tenant gets 10 days. Several categories carry a different notice period, and using the wrong one makes the notice defective:

  • Substantial violations — 3 days, no cure. If a tenant or their guest endangers people or property, commits a violent or drug-related felony, or commits a crime on or near the premises that carries at least 180 days of potential incarceration and has been declared a public nuisance, the landlord can end the tenancy on three days’ written notice. There is no right to cure.3Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-107.5 – Legislative Declaration – Definitions – Substantial Violations
  • Small landlords — 5 days. Landlords who own five or fewer single-family rental homes with no more than five total rental units only need to give five days’ notice.1Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-104 – Unlawful Detention Defined – Definitions
  • CARES Act properties — 30 days. If the rental has a federally backed mortgage (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, USDA) or participates in a federal housing program, federal law requires a 30-day notice before the landlord can file for eviction based on nonpayment. The Colorado Supreme Court confirmed in 2023 that this requirement has no expiration date. The state’s JDF 99A notice form has a checkbox for CARES Act properties.4Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 99A – Demand for Compliance
  • Commercial and employer-provided housing — 3 days. Nonresidential leases and housing tied to employment get only three days’ notice.1Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-104 – Unlawful Detention Defined – Definitions

Active-duty servicemembers also have separate protections under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act that can block certain evictions without a court order. If you’re on active duty, that framework applies on top of the state notice rules.

What a Valid Notice Must Contain

Colorado has an official form for this notice: JDF 99A, Demand for Compliance, published by the Colorado Judicial Branch. It is not the same as JDF 101, which is the eviction complaint filed later with the court.5Colorado Judicial Branch. Residential Evictions A valid notice has to include:4Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 99A – Demand for Compliance

  • The street address, city, and county of the rental, plus the monthly rent.
  • The grounds for eviction, with specifics. For unpaid rent, that means the exact dollar amount owed and the missed payment dates. For a lease violation, the notice must identify which lease term was broken and how.
  • A specific date and time by which the tenant must cure or vacate, allowing at least the minimum notice period.
  • The signature of the landlord, their agent, or their attorney.

Vagueness matters. A notice that just says “lease violation” without explaining what happened gives the tenant a straightforward defense. If the landlord’s complaint is unauthorized occupants, the notice needs to say so, name the conduct, and point to the lease term involved.

How the Notice Must Be Delivered

Under C.R.S. § 13-40-108, there are only two proper ways to serve the notice:6Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-108 – Service of Notice to Vacate or Demand

  • Personal delivery. Hand the notice to the tenant, to another person occupying the premises, or to a family member over 15 years old who lives at or is in charge of the property.
  • Posting after failed attempts. If no one is home, the landlord must try personal service on at least two separate days. Only after both attempts fail can the notice be posted somewhere conspicuous, such as the front door.

The age threshold for substitute service is 15, not 18. A notice handed to a 16-year-old family member at the property is validly served.6Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-108 – Service of Notice to Vacate or Demand Slipping a notice under the door on a single visit, with no prior attempt at personal service, is defective. The JDF 99A form has a service section where the landlord records the date, the method, and, if posted, the dates of both failed attempts.4Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 99A – Demand for Compliance

How To Cure Within 10 Days

Curing means fixing whatever the notice describes, in full, before the deadline runs out. What that looks like depends on the reason:

  • Unpaid rent. Pay the full amount listed on the notice, including any past-due balance. Partial payment does not cure the violation.
  • Lease violation. Correct the specific conduct identified. If the notice cites unauthorized pets, the pets have to go. If it cites unapproved occupants, those people have to leave.
  • Disturbing conduct. Stop the behavior described in the notice.

A timely cure ends the process. The landlord cannot file an eviction based on a violation that was fixed within the window. If the same problem happens again, though, the landlord can issue a new notice and start over.

One important limit: substantial violations under § 13-40-107.5 carry no right to cure at all. The three-day notice in those cases is a notice to vacate, not a chance to fix things.3Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-107.5 – Legislative Declaration – Definitions – Substantial Violations

Defenses if the Case Goes to Court

If the 10 days pass without a cure and the landlord files an eviction, the tenant can raise defenses on the JDF 103 Answer form. Several show up regularly:7Colorado Judicial Branch. Eviction Answer and Defenses

  • Defective notice. The demand wasn’t in writing, wasn’t signed, didn’t describe the violation, or didn’t state the reason for eviction.
  • Improper service. The notice wasn’t personally delivered or properly posted, the landlord didn’t try personal service on two separate days before posting, or the notice went to a family member under 16.
  • Insufficient time. The notice gave less than the required cure period for that type of tenancy.
  • Warranty of habitability. The landlord failed to keep the property safe and livable. This can be raised as a defense and a counterclaim.
  • Retaliation. The eviction followed the tenant reporting habitability problems, complaining to a government agency, or joining a tenant’s association.

Domestic violence survivors have an added protection: a landlord cannot evict for a substantial violation if the tenant was the victim of domestic violence or abuse that caused or resulted in the alleged conduct. The perpetrator can still be evicted; the victim cannot.3Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-107.5 – Legislative Declaration – Definitions – Substantial Violations

What Happens After the 10 Days

If the tenant doesn’t cure or move out, the landlord can file a Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) action using JDF 101 and attach a copy of the notice.8Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-110 – Complaint Colorado currently charges no filing fee for residential eviction cases.9Colorado Judicial Branch. List of Fees The court sets a return date between 7 and 14 days later, and the tenant can file the JDF 103 answer or show up in person.10Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-111 – Summons

Some tenants trigger a mandatory mediation step before the case can proceed. If the tenant receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or cash assistance through Colorado Works, the landlord and tenant have to participate in mediation first. Small landlords with five or fewer single-family rental homes and no more than five total units are exempt.8Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-110 – Complaint

If the landlord wins, the court issues a writ of restitution letting the county sheriff physically remove the tenant. The timing is not immediate:11Justia. Colorado Code 13-40-122 – Writ of Restitution After Judgment – Definitions

  • Standard residential cases: at least 10 days after judgment.
  • Tenants receiving SSI, SSDI, or Colorado Works: at least 30 days after judgment (this extension does not apply to small landlords).
  • Substantial violations: the 10- and 30-day delays do not apply; the writ can issue 48 hours after judgment.

The writ has to be executed between sunrise and sunset. Sheriff’s offices charge their own rates for carrying out the removal, and those rates vary by county.