Free Colorado Landlord Notice of Entry — overview

A Colorado Landlord Notice of Entry is a written notice from landlord to tenant of intent to enter the premises. Colorado does NOT have a statewide statutory notice period for routine entry – the requirement comes from the lease and common-law principles. Best practice is at least 24 hours’ written notice.

Complete the Landlord Notice of Entry

Complete the form below to generate a Colorado Landlord Notice of Entry. The notice must specifically identify the date and time window of entry, the purpose, and the persons who will enter. Vague notices can violate the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the premises. Even where state law does not impose a specific notice period, lease terms and common-law principles of reasonableness apply.

About the Colorado Landlord Notice of Entry

Colorado is among the minority of states without a statewide statutory entry-notice requirement for routine landlord entry. The notice requirement, if any, comes from the lease itself and common-law principles of the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment under CRS §38-12-503 (Habitability Act). Most Colorado leases – and best practice generally – require at least 24 hours written notice for non-emergency entry. SB24-094 (2024) rewrote the warranty of habitability and DID add an entry-notice rule: C.R.S. §38-12-503(6)(a)(III) requires at least 24 hours written notice before the landlord enters to inspect or remedy a condition the tenant reported as uninhabitable, unless the condition imminently threatens life, health or safety or is causing substantial damage. Some Colorado cities (Boulder, Denver) may have local ordinances or rental-licensing requirements that impose stricter entry rules – verify with local counsel for specific cities. Best practice in all Colorado tenancies: written notice 24+ hours in advance, specific date/time window, identified purpose, and entry at reasonable hours.

Colorado Entry Notice Framework

• No statewide statutory entry-notice requirement in Colorado
• Notice requirement comes from the lease + common-law quiet enjoyment
• SB24-094 (2024) added a 24-hour written entry-notice rule for habitability repairs (C.R.S. §38-12-503(6)(a)(III))
• Best practice: 24 hours’ written notice + reasonable hours
• Habitability-related entry: CRS 38-12-503(6) REQUIRES at least 24 hours written notice, and sets 24-hour / 72-hour remedial-action clocks
• Some Colorado cities may have local rental ordinances

Permitted Purposes for Entry

Colorado landlords may enter for the purposes specified in the lease, plus any purpose permitted by common law: making necessary repairs, conducting inspections (annual, pre-renewal, move-out), showing the unit to prospective tenants or buyers, pest control, and other ordinary purposes. For habitability-related entry (responding to a tenant maintenance request), CRS §38-12-503 may impose timing requirements (24 hours for emergencies, 72 hours for non-emergency habitability conditions). Entry must be at reasonable times – typically business hours unless the tenant agrees otherwise.

Emergency Entry — When No Notice Is Required

Genuine emergencies (fire, flood, gas leak, sewage backup, immediate threat to life or property) permit landlord entry without advance notice in Colorado as in all U.S. states. CRS §38-12-503 (Habitability Act) imposes a 24-hour response requirement for habitability emergencies. Document the emergency carefully – photos, contemporaneous notes, and any tenant communications.

What Happens If Landlord Enters Without Proper Notice

While Colorado does not impose statutory penalties for improper entry, the tenant may sue for breach of the lease (failure to follow lease entry provisions), breach of the implied warranty of quiet enjoyment, trespass, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in extreme cases. Damages may include rent abatement, actual damages, and (in some cases) constructive eviction claims. Best practice: always follow lease entry provisions strictly, provide written notice, and document everything.

Best Practices

• Always provide written notice. Even in states without specific statutory requirements, written notice protects both parties and creates a record.
• Be specific. Identify the date, time window, purpose, and who will enter. Vague notices can violate the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment.
• Enter at reasonable times. Default to business hours (8am-6pm) unless the tenant explicitly agrees otherwise.
• Limit entry to stated purpose. If the notice says “HVAC repair,” do not also conduct an unannounced inspection of other rooms.
• Respect tenant scheduling. If the tenant has a reasonable conflict, work with them to reschedule when feasible.
• Document delivery. Retain a copy of the notice with proof of delivery (photo of posted notice, email read receipt, text screenshot).

Related Resources

• Colorado landlord entry laws
• Colorado habitability laws
• Colorado landlord tenant laws
• Colorado security deposit laws
• Colorado eviction notice laws
• Landlord entry laws by state

The “HB25-1090 Entry Notice” Claim, Checked Against the Bill Text

Several landlord-advice sites now describe HB25-1090 as the source of a new, general 24-hour entry-notice requirement in Colorado, effective January 1, 2026. That description does not match the enacted bill. HB25-1090, “Concerning Protections Against Deceptive Pricing Practices,” is a consumer-pricing law: it adds C.R.S. §6-1-737, requiring landlords (and other sellers) to disclose an all-in total price and barring specific junk fees — utility markups above actual cost, non-rent late fees, property-tax pass-throughs, payment-processing fees, and common-area-maintenance charges. The bill’s text contains no entry, access, or notice-to-enter provision of any kind.

How the Habitability Entry-Notice Process Works (C.R.S. §38-12-503(6))

When a tenant has put a landlord on notice of a condition that materially interferes with life, health, or safety, or that renders the unit uninhabitable, §38-12-503(6)(a) requires the landlord to take three specific steps, in addition to the 24-hour/72-hour remedial-action clocks in subsection (2)(b):

• Contact the tenant within 24 hours of receiving notice of the condition (up to 72 hours if the unit is inaccessible because of an environmental public health event), describing the landlord’s plan and timeline to remedy it.
• Inform the tenant of the landlord’s obligations under subsection (4), including the right to a comparable dwelling unit or hotel room at no cost if the condition materially interferes with life, health, or safety.
• Give written notice at least 24 hours before entering to commence or maintain remedial action — unless the condition imminently threatens life, health, or safety, or poses an active, ongoing threat of substantial property damage, in which case no advance notice is required.

Subsection (6)(b) adds process detail that most summaries leave out: the landlord must state the specific date, time, and a reasonable estimate of how long the visit will take; the tenant may reasonably deny entry at the proposed time and the landlord must then propose (or accept the tenant’s proposed) alternative date and time; and a tenant may voluntarily agree to let the landlord in with less than 24 hours’ notice. None of this substitutes for a lease provision covering non-habitability entry (showings, routine inspections, pest control unrelated to bed bugs) — for those, Colorado still has no statutory notice period, and the lease and common-law quiet enjoyment described above govern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Colorado law require 24 hours’ notice before a landlord can enter?

Only in one specific circumstance: entry to inspect or remedy a condition the tenant has reported as uninhabitable, under C.R.S. §38-12-503(6)(a)(III). For routine, non-habitability entry — a showing, a scheduled inspection, general maintenance — Colorado has no statewide statutory notice period; 24 hours is best practice, driven by the lease and common-law quiet enjoyment, not a specific statute.

Is the 24-hour notice rule the same as the bed bug notice rule?

No — they are two different statutes with two different periods. Habitability-related entry under §38-12-503(6) requires at least 24 hours’ notice. Bed bug inspection or treatment entry under a separate provision, C.R.S. §38-12-1004(1)(a), requires at least 48 hours’ written or electronic notice, unless the rental agreement sets a different minimum or the tenant waives the requirement.

Did HB25-1090 create a general Colorado entry-notice law?

No. HB25-1090 is a 2025 pricing-transparency and junk-fee law; it does not address landlord entry or notice at all. The actual entry-notice statutes are C.R.S. §38-12-503(6) (habitability-related entry) and §38-12-1004 (bed bugs).

What can a Colorado tenant do if a landlord enters without following these rules?

Colorado does not impose a separate statutory penalty for improper routine entry the way some states do, but a tenant may still have a claim for breach of the lease, breach of the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment, or trespass, and may be able to seek rent abatement or actual damages. For habitability-related entry specifically, failing to follow the §38-12-503(6) notice-and-process requirements can also support the tenant’s case that the landlord failed to timely commence or continue remedial action under subsection (2)(b).