Free Colorado Notice to Enter
Colorado has no general entry statute – ordinary entry is governed by your lease, with about 24-hour written notice at reasonable hours as best practice. The one statutory rule, C.R.S. 38-12-1004, asks 48 hours to inspect for or treat bed bugs. Fill in the date, time, purpose, and delivery, then download a clear written notice as a PDF.
This Colorado Notice to Enter gives a tenant clear written notice before the landlord enters the rental unit. Colorado has no general statute setting a notice period, so ordinary entry is governed by the lease; absent a lease term, give about 24 hours of reasonable written notice at reasonable hours. The one statutory rule, C.R.S. 38-12-1004, asks at least 48 hours to inspect for or treat bed bugs. See our tenant screening laws by state hub and how to screen tenants guide to keep your Colorado tenancies documented from the start.
Generate the Colorado Notice to Enter
Complete the fields below to generate a Colorado Notice to Enter. Colorado sets no general statutory notice period, so for ordinary entry give reasonable written notice – about 24 hours is customary – at reasonable hours, and deliver it per the lease. For a bed bugs inspection or treatment, C.R.S. 38-12-1004 asks at least 48 hours. The form records the date, time window, purpose, the persons entering, and how the notice is delivered.
Give reasonable notice even though no general statute requires it
Because Colorado sets no general notice period, the lease controls ordinary entry – but about 24 hours of written notice at reasonable hours is the accepted standard and your best protection against a quiet-enjoyment claim. For a bed bugs inspection or treatment, C.R.S. 38-12-1004 asks at least 48 hours, a default the lease may change and the tenant may waive. A genuine emergency allows immediate entry.
1. Landlord / Agent
2. Tenant & Rental Property
3. Date and Time of Entry
4. Purpose of Entry
5. Delivery of Notice
6. Landlord / Agent Signature
Watch: Colorado Notice to Enter explained
Colorado Notice to Enter at a Glance
Statute
CO: lease + §38-12-1004 bed bugs
General entry
No statute (lease)
Customary notice
24h written
Bed bugs (C.R.S. 38-12-1004)
48 hours
Colorado general entry is lease-governed
There is no general Colorado statute setting a notice period for entry. Follow the lease’s entry clause; if it is silent, give about 24 hours of written notice at reasonable hours for a legitimate purpose. The one statutory rule, C.R.S. 38-12-1004, asks at least 48 hours to inspect for or treat bed bugs – a default the lease may change and the tenant may waive. A genuine emergency allows immediate entry.
How to Complete the Colorado Notice to Enter
Start with the lease – there is no general statute
Colorado has no general landlord-entry statute, so the lease’s right-of-entry clause controls ordinary entry. Read it first – it sets the notice period and method. If it is silent, plan on about 24 hours of written notice as the customary standard.
Identify the parties and property
Fill in the landlord, tenant, and rental property information so the notice clearly identifies who and where.
Set the entry date and time
Set the date and time window of entry, and the date you are delivering the notice – aim for about 24 hours ahead at reasonable hours, or at least 48 hours for a bed bugs inspection or treatment under C.R.S. 38-12-1004.
Describe the entry and who attends
State the purpose, describe the work, list who will enter, and note whether the tenant should be present and how pets should be handled.
Deliver and keep a copy
Choose a delivery method the tenant will see, sign the notice, deliver it, and keep a dated copy on file.
How Colorado Entry Law Works
Colorado is one of the states with no general statute governing landlord entry. Unlike many states, Colorado law does not set a notice period, a list of permitted purposes, or reasonable hours for ordinary entry. That makes the lease the controlling document: whatever the entry clause says about notice and access is what binds both sides, backed by the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the home. Most Colorado leases include a right-of-entry clause, and a well-drafted one states the notice period – often about 24 hours – the permitted reasons, and the hours of entry.
Best practice when the lease is silent: give about 24 hours of written notice, enter only at reasonable hours, and only for a legitimate purpose. Reasonable, documented notice protects you even though no general statute requires it – and it keeps entry from being challenged as a breach of the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment. Treat the 24-hour figure as a customary standard, not a statutory mandate.
The one place Colorado does set a rule by statute is pests. Under C.R.S. 38-12-1004, a landlord must give at least 48 hours written or electronic notice before entering to inspect for or treat bed bugs. Even this is a default rather than a hard floor: the statute lets the lease set a different minimum, and it lets the tenant waive the notice. The other clear point is emergencies. If there is a fire, a flood, a gas leak, or another immediate threat to life or property, a Colorado landlord may enter at once without advance notice; document the emergency and what was done. For every routine entry, this form gives the tenant clear written notice that satisfies a reasonable-notice lease clause and leaves you a dated record that you provided it.
About the Colorado Notice to Enter
A Colorado Notice to Enter is the written notice a landlord or property manager gives a tenant before entering the rental unit. Unlike many states, Colorado has not enacted a general landlord-entry statute, so for ordinary entry there is no state-law notice period to satisfy – but that does not mean a landlord can walk in unannounced. Entry is governed by the lease and by the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the home, and giving clear, reasonable notice is both the professional standard and the best protection against a dispute.
Because the lease controls, the first step is always to read the entry clause. A typical Colorado lease grants the landlord a right of entry for repairs, inspections, showings, and similar legitimate purposes, and sets a notice period – about 24 hours is the most common. If the lease specifies a period or a delivery method, follow it exactly; a landlord who ignores the lease’s own terms undercuts the very document that authorizes entry. Where the lease is silent, the widely accepted default is about 24 hours of advance written notice at reasonable hours – a customary best practice rather than a statutory command.
Colorado does set one entry rule by statute, and it concerns pests. Under C.R.S. 38-12-1004, a landlord must give at least 48 hours written or electronic notice before entering to inspect for or treat bed bugs. The extra lead time recognizes that a treatment visit often requires the tenant to prepare the unit. Notably, even this rule is a default rather than an absolute floor: the statute lets the lease set a different minimum, and it lets the tenant waive the notice. When the purpose of entry is a bed bugs inspection or treatment, the safe practice is to give at least 48 hours and say so plainly in the notice unless the lease or the tenant clearly provides otherwise.
What counts as a legitimate purpose is broad: repair and maintenance work, annual or move-out inspections, showing the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer, lender, or appraiser, pest control, servicing heating and cooling systems, and testing smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. This form lets you state the exact purpose, describe the work, list who will enter, and note whether the tenant’s presence is requested or required. Spelling out who will be in the home, and how pets should be handled, removes most of the friction that makes tenants resist access.
The risk a Colorado landlord is managing for ordinary entry is not a statutory penalty but a breach claim. Repeated entries without notice, entry for harassment, or entry at unreasonable times can breach the lease and the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment, exposing the landlord to damages and giving the tenant a defense in other disputes. A dated, signed notice for every routine entry is the simple, durable record that shows you acted reasonably, while the bed bugs rule in C.R.S. 38-12-1004 is the one entry timing the statute speaks to directly. Pair a consistent entry practice with disciplined tenant screening and a documented screening process so your Colorado tenancies are well-run from application through move-out.
Colorado Entry Notice Requirements
- Colorado has no general statute setting a notice period – ordinary entry is lease-governed.
- Follow the lease’s right-of-entry clause for notice period, purpose, and hours.
- Where the lease is silent, give about 24 hours of written notice as customary best practice.
- For a bed bugs inspection or treatment, C.R.S. 38-12-1004 asks at least 48 hours written or electronic notice.
- That 48-hour rule is a default – the lease may change it and the tenant may waive it.
- Enter at reasonable hours for a legitimate purpose.
- A genuine emergency allows immediate entry without advance notice.
Service Methods Permitted
- Personal delivery to the tenant.
- Posting on the door, alone or combined with email.
- Email or text where the lease permits electronic notice – and accepted electronic notice for the bed bugs rule.
- Certified mail for a documented record when timing allows.
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring the lease’s own entry clause, which is the controlling document for ordinary entry in Colorado.
- Entering with little or no notice for routine, non-emergency reasons.
- Entering at unreasonable hours or repeatedly, risking a quiet-enjoyment breach.
- Forgetting the 48-hour default in C.R.S. 38-12-1004 for a bed bugs inspection or treatment.
- Keeping no dated copy, leaving no record that notice was given.
Best Practices
- Default to about 24 hours of written notice for ordinary entry even when the lease asks for less.
- State the exact purpose, time window, and persons entering.
- Allow at least 48 hours whenever the entry involves a bed bugs inspection or treatment.
- Keep every signed notice on file for the life of the tenancy.
Bottom line
Colorado has no general statutory notice period for landlord entry, so the lease controls ordinary entry – but the durable best practice is about 24 hours of written notice at reasonable hours for a legitimate purpose, with immediate entry allowed only in a genuine emergency. The one statutory entry rule, C.R.S. 38-12-1004, asks at least 48 hours written or electronic notice to inspect for or treat bed bugs, and even that is a default the lease may change and the tenant may waive. A dated, signed notice for every entry is your record that you acted reasonably. Treat about 24-hour written notice as a fixed habit for every routine entry, allow 48 hours for bed bugs, and keep each signed copy on file for the life of the tenancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado law require advance notice before a landlord enters?
For ordinary entry, no. Colorado has no general landlord-entry statute and sets no statutory notice period for routine entry. Your rights and obligations come from the lease and the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment, so the entry clause in your lease controls how much notice you must give and when you may enter.
How much notice should a Colorado landlord give?
Absent a lease term, give reasonable advance notice – about 24 hours of written notice is the customary standard, though it is best practice rather than a statutory mandate – and enter at reasonable hours for a legitimate purpose such as repairs, inspection, or showings.
Is there any Colorado entry rule set by statute?
Yes, one. C.R.S. 38-12-1004 asks a landlord to give at least 48 hours written or electronic notice before entering to inspect for or treat bed bugs. Even this rule is a default: the lease may set a different minimum, and the tenant may waive the notice, so it is a floor that can move rather than an absolute mandate.
Can a Colorado landlord enter without permission?
If the lease grants a right of entry and the landlord gives reasonable notice for a legitimate reason, yes. Entering to harass a tenant, or repeatedly without notice, can breach the lease and the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment, so reasonable written notice protects you even though no general statute requires it.
What about emergencies?
In a genuine emergency – fire, flood, gas leak, or another threat to life or property – a landlord may enter immediately without advance notice. Document the emergency and what was done as soon as possible afterward.
What purposes justify entry?
Repairs and maintenance, inspections, showing the unit to prospective tenants, buyers, lenders, or appraisers, pest control, servicing systems, and testing smoke or carbon-monoxide detectors are all routine, legitimate reasons to enter with notice. For a bed bugs inspection or treatment, plan around the 48-hour default in C.R.S. 38-12-1004.
Should the tenant be present?
Not required, but the form lets you state whether the tenant’s presence is requested or required. Recording it – along with pet handling, the purpose, and the time window – reduces confusion and disputes on the day of entry.
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