Free Colorado Security Deposit Itemization Form

How the Colorado Itemization Requirement Works

Colorado’s security deposit rules live in the Colorado Revised Statutes at C.R.S. § 38-12-101 through § 38-12-104. At the center of those rules sits a single document requirement: whenever a landlord keeps any portion of a deposit, the landlord must deliver to the tenant a written statement that lists the exact reasons for the retention. That statement is the itemization. It is not a courtesy summary and it is not optional; it is the specific paperwork the statute conditions the entire right to withhold upon. An itemization is the accounting schedule — the deposit held on one side, each lawful charge broken out on the other, and the balance that results. If you also need the cover page that transmits the schedule to the tenant, pair this worksheet with our Colorado security deposit return letter, which carries the same math into a mailable format.

The reason the itemization matters so much is structural. The deposit is the tenant’s money that the landlord merely holds, so the burden sits entirely on the landlord to justify keeping any part of it. A precise, itemized schedule is how a landlord carries that burden. A vague note that says cleaning and repairs, four hundred dollars does not carry it; a schedule that names oven and range cleaning at ninety dollars, carpet stain repair in the second bedroom at one hundred sixty dollars, and unpaid final-month utilities at one hundred fifty dollars does. The specificity is what turns a contested deduction into a documented one. Colorado’s broader framework is covered in our Colorado security deposit laws guide, which sets the itemization inside the full statute.

The Thirty-Day Delivery Deadline (C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1))

Under subsection (1), a landlord must return the full deposit — or the balance after lawful deductions, together with the written itemization — within thirty days after the lease terminates or after the tenant surrenders and the landlord accepts the premises, whichever happens last. A written lease may extend that window, but never beyond sixty days. If the lease is silent, the thirty-day deadline governs by default, and a landlord cannot assume the longer period without lease language to support it. The itemization and the refund travel together: delivering the money without the statement, or the statement without the money, does not satisfy the subsection.

The clock starts at surrender of possession, not at the lease’s calendar end date and not when the last repair invoice arrives. In practice the deadline often lands before every final invoice is in hand. The correct response is to build the itemization with good-faith estimates and deliver on time, because the 2026 amendments expressly treat estimates as acceptable supporting documentation. Waiting for a final number and blowing the deadline is the worst possible trade. If the tenancy is ending early, our guide on how to terminate a lease early explains how surrender fixes the date the itemization clock runs from.

What the 2026 Amendments Changed (HB25-1249)

House Bill 25-1249 took effect on January 1, 2026 and tightened the statute in ways that change how an itemization must be built. The delivery deadline itself did not move, but what a landlord may list, and what a landlord must be able to produce, changed substantially. Every line on the schedule below should be read against the amended law.

• No wear-and-tear or preexisting lines. A landlord may not itemize a deduction for normal wear and tear or for damage or a defective condition that existed before the tenancy began.
• Only reasonable, documented amounts. Withholding is limited to reasonable sums for unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, other lawful charges named in the lease, and necessary repairs for damage exceeding normal wear that did not preexist the tenancy.
• Documentation on demand. If the tenant asks, the landlord must provide all supporting documentation in their possession — photographs, inspection forms or reports, receipts, invoices, or estimates — within fourteen days of the request.
• Carpet and paint limits. A landlord generally cannot itemize a full carpet replacement or full repaint where only part is damaged, and carpet that was not replaced with new carpet within the prior ten years cannot be deemed substantially and irreparably damaged.
• A 125 percent red line. An amount retained is presumed to unreasonably exceed the actual damages if it reaches 120%-5% or more of the documented actual damages.

Anatomy of a Compliant Itemization Statement

A defensible itemization is built from a fixed set of elements. Missing any one of them is the most common way an otherwise fair deduction package fails when a tenant challenges it. Treat the schedule the generator produces as a checklist as much as a calculator.

Parties and property identification

Name every tenant on the lease, the landlord or property manager, the rental address, and the tenant’s forwarding address. The forwarding address is where the itemization and any refund must go; collecting it in writing at move-out removes a frequent excuse for late or misdirected delivery.

The deposit held, stated exactly

State the security deposit and any refundable pet deposit precisely. If a last-month rent credit was collected as prepaid rent rather than as a deposit, keep it out of the deposit total so the accounting reflects only deposit money. The generator on this page subtracts a last-month credit for you so the net figure is clean.

Each deduction as its own line

List every charge separately with a specific description, a category, and an amount. Bundling several repairs into one lump sum invites a challenge because the tenant cannot test any single figure against a receipt. One line, one charge, one number, one piece of proof is the standard to aim for.

The arithmetic, shown

Total the deductions, subtract them from the net deposit, and state the resulting refund — or, where the charges exceed the deposit, the balance the tenant still owes. Showing the math is not decoration; it is how the tenant, and later a judge, confirms that the numbers add up.

Forfeiture: A Late Itemization Costs Everything (Subsection (2))

Subsection (2) is blunt: the failure of a landlord to provide the written statement within the required time works a forfeiture of all rights to withhold any portion of the security deposit. There is no partial credit and no good-faith exception for a late statement. A landlord genuinely owed a legitimate amount for unpaid rent, but who delivers the itemization one day late, loses the right to keep even that legitimate amount and must return the entire deposit.

This is why the deadline dominates every other consideration on the schedule. A flawlessly itemized statement delivered late is worth nothing under subsection (2); a plainly documented statement delivered on time protects the entire deduction package. Treat the calendar, not the paperwork polish, as your first priority, and use certified mail so you can prove the delivery date. When a repair invoice is still pending, itemize the estimate and deliver on time rather than holding the statement for a final number.

Treble Damages, Attorney Fees, and the 7-Day Notice (Subsection (3))

Subsection (3) supplies the financial teeth behind the itemization requirement. A landlord who wrongfully retains a deposit in violation of the statute is liable for treble — three times — the amount wrongfully withheld, together with reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The trebling applies to the wrongfully withheld portion, so a single over-aggressive line can multiply into a much larger judgment once fees are layered on. A deposit of two thousand dollars withheld in bad faith can become a six-thousand-dollar exposure before the tenant’s legal fees are even counted.

The statute builds in one procedural step that favors landlords: before filing suit, the tenant must give the landlord at least seven days written notice of the intention to file legal proceedings. That seven-day window is a genuine chance to cure — a landlord who receives such a notice and promptly returns the disputed amount can often avoid the treble exposure entirely. Landlords who want the wider liability picture should review our landlord retaliation guide, since deposit disputes and retaliation claims frequently travel together.

Lawful Deduction Categories vs. Normal Wear and Tear

The line between a lawful itemized charge and non-deductible wear is where most disputes are won or lost. Colorado treats normal wear and tear as deterioration that occurs, based on the intended use of the unit, without negligence, carelessness, accident, or abuse by the tenant, the tenant’s household, or their guests. Everyday aging of a unit is the landlord’s cost of doing business and cannot appear on the itemization; damage from misuse can.

Generally Deductible (documented, exceeds wear)

• Unpaid rent owed through the end of the tenancy.
• Unpaid utilities the tenant was responsible for under the lease.
• Repair of holes, breaks, burns, or stains that exceed normal wear and did not preexist the tenancy.
• Cleaning needed only where the unit is left excessively dirty beyond ordinary use.
• Other lawful charges expressly listed in the lease, such as an agreed key-replacement fee.

Never Deductible (normal wear and tear)

• Minor scuffs, nail holes, and faded paint from ordinary occupancy.
• Carpet worn in high-traffic paths from everyday walking, or carpet older than ten years.
• Minor scratches on floors and worn spots on countertops.
• Any condition that already existed when the tenant moved in.

Statute & Citation Reference

Provision	Citation	Rule in plain terms
Written statement of reasons	C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)	Deliver a written statement listing the exact reasons for any retention.
Delivery deadline	C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1)	Thirty days after termination or surrender; up to sixty days if the lease says so.
Forfeiture	C.R.S. § 38-12-103(2)	No timely statement forfeits all right to withhold.
Wrongful retention penalty	C.R.S. § 38-12-103(3)	Treble damages plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs.
Pre-suit notice	C.R.S. § 38-12-103(3)	Tenant must give seven days written notice of intent to sue.
Definitions	C.R.S. § 38-12-102	Defines security deposit and frames normal wear and tear.
2026 amendments	HB25-1249 (eff. Jan 1, 2026)	No wear-tear or preexisting lines; documentation on demand; carpet/paint limits; 125 percent presumption.

Common Mistakes on Colorado Itemizations

Most deposit judgments trace back to a small number of avoidable itemization errors. Reviewing them before you finalize the schedule is the cheapest insurance available.

• Lumping charges together. A single line reading repairs and cleaning defeats the whole point of an itemization; break every charge out.
• Counting from the wrong date. Starting the clock at the lease end date instead of the surrender date can silently blow the thirty-day deadline.
• Assuming the sixty-day window. The longer period applies only if the lease actually says so in writing.
• Itemizing wear and tear. A line for faded paint or path-worn carpet is exactly the deduction the 2026 amendments prohibit.
• Padding above documented cost. Any line at or above 120%-5% of the real, provable cost is presumptively unreasonable.
• Keeping no proof. Without photos, invoices, or estimates, a line cannot survive a tenant’s fourteen-day demand or a courtroom.

Best Practices for a Defensible Itemization

1. Document move-in condition with a dated move-in inspection and photographs so preexisting conditions are provable and never itemized.
2. Collect the tenant’s forwarding address in writing at move-out.
3. Conduct a move-out walk-through; either party may request an inspection under the 2026 law.
4. Photograph any damage before you repair it, and keep every receipt, invoice, and estimate keyed to its line.
5. Complete this schedule, let the form total the deductions, and double-check the resulting balance.
6. Deliver the itemization and any refund by certified mail with return receipt before the deadline.
7. Keep a full copy of the signed itemization and its documentation package for your records.

Building the Documentation Package Behind Each Line

An itemization is only as strong as the evidence stacked behind it. Because the 2026 amendments let a tenant demand every supporting document within fourteen days, the practical rule is to assemble the package as you build the schedule, not after a demand arrives. For each line, keep the item that proves it: a paid invoice for completed repair work, a written third-party estimate for work not yet done, dated before-and-after photographs, and the relevant page of the move-in and move-out inspection records. Label each piece with the line it supports so that producing the package is a matter of copying a folder rather than reconstructing a case.

The discipline pays off twice. First, a tenant who receives a clean itemization backed by matching proof rarely files, because the deduction is visibly defensible. Second, if the matter does reach small claims court, the burden is on the landlord to prove each deduction, and a pre-assembled package is exactly that proof. Our rental property inspection guide walks through the photo and checklist habits that make this package come together almost automatically at move-out.

The Move-Out Walk-Through Inspection

The 2026 amendments formalized a walk-through inspection right that experienced landlords already used as best practice, and it feeds directly into a clean itemization. Upon a request by either the landlord or the tenant, and where reasonable and practicable, the parties may conduct a joint inspection of the unit to identify any damage that exceeds normal wear and tear. The inspection can be in person or, where the parties agree, virtual. The value of this step is not the ceremony but the record: a shared, contemporaneous account of the unit’s condition removes most of the ambiguity that later fuels a deposit fight.

For the itemization specifically, the walk-through is an early test of every line you plan to enter. If the tenant sees the same gouged door or stained carpet you intend to charge for, that line becomes far harder to dispute later. Conversely, if a condition you assumed was tenant damage turns out to be a preexisting defect on your own move-in paperwork, you learn that before you enter an unlawful line that could trigger forfeiture of the whole schedule. A tenant who declines the offered inspection cannot later claim surprise at a well-documented deduction.

The 125 Percent Presumption in Practice

One of the sharpest tools the 2026 law hands tenants is a presumption aimed straight at inflated line items. If the amount a landlord retains on any basis reaches 120%-5% or more of the documented actual damages, the retention is presumed to unreasonably exceed those damages. In plain terms, padding a line beyond the real, provable cost is now presumptively unreasonable, and unreasonable retention is exactly the conduct that leads to treble-damage exposure. The presumption shifts the practical burden onto a landlord who has stretched a number.

The lesson for the itemization is discipline on every line. Each entry should map to a receipt, an invoice, or a good-faith written estimate, and the amount should sit at or near the documented cost rather than a comfortable margin above it. If a repair genuinely costs two hundred dollars, itemize two hundred dollars and attach the proof, not two hundred sixty. Resist the temptation to round up, to bundle vague charges, or to add a cushion for inconvenience. The generator keeps your arithmetic honest by summing only the amounts you enter, but the reasonableness of each amount is a judgment you must make against real documentation.

When Deductions Exceed the Deposit

Sometimes the lawful charges genuinely exceed the deposit held — months of unpaid rent plus real damage can easily outrun a thirty-day deposit. The itemization does not stop being required in that situation; it becomes even more important. Deliver the full itemized schedule on time, show every line, and state the balance the tenant still owes after the deposit is fully applied. The deadline and forfeiture rules still bite: a landlord who is owed money but never delivers the statement can still forfeit the right to apply the deposit at all, converting a partial loss into a total one.

Once the deposit is exhausted and a balance remains, that balance is an ordinary debt the landlord may pursue separately, typically in small claims court, subject to the same documentation burden. The generator flags this case for you: when deductions exceed the net deposit, the summary switches from a refund figure to a balance-owed figure and the PDF states the amount the tenant still owes. Keep the itemization and its proof package intact, because the same evidence that justified withholding the deposit is what supports a claim for the remainder.

A Worked Example: Reading the Schedule End to End

Walking one deposit through the schedule makes the mechanics concrete. Suppose a landlord held a security deposit of one thousand five hundred dollars and a refundable pet deposit of three hundred dollars, and that no last-month rent credit was collected as a deposit. The net deposit to account for is one thousand eight hundred dollars — that figure, not the security deposit alone, is what the itemization must reconcile. Everything else on the schedule works down from there.

Now suppose three lawful lines. The tenant left owing four hundred fifty dollars in final-month rent, which is entered as an unpaid-rent line at four hundred fifty dollars and backed by the ledger. A cracked interior door from a slammed handle, exceeding normal wear, costs one hundred eighty dollars to replace on a paid invoice, entered as a damage-beyond-wear line. And the oven and range required professional cleaning beyond ordinary move-out condition at ninety dollars, entered as an excessive-cleaning line with the cleaner’s receipt. The three lines total seven hundred twenty dollars. Subtract that from the net deposit of one thousand eight hundred dollars and the refund due to the tenant is one thousand eighty dollars. The generator produces exactly that number, and the PDF states it as the refund due.

Change one fact and the schedule flips. If instead the tenant left owing two thousand one hundred dollars in unpaid rent, that single line already exceeds the one thousand eight hundred dollar net deposit. The schedule now shows total deductions of two thousand one hundred dollars against a net deposit of one thousand eight hundred dollars, so no refund is due and a balance of three hundred dollars remains owed by the tenant. The summary switches its label to balance owed and the PDF states three hundred dollars as the amount the tenant still owes. The itemization is still required and still must go out on time; the landlord simply pursues the three hundred dollar remainder as an ordinary debt, backed by the same rent ledger that supported the line.

Deposit Caps and Pet Deposits Colorado Landlords Should Know

The itemization only ever accounts for money the landlord was entitled to hold in the first place, so the front-end deposit rules matter to the accounting. Colorado law limits a residential security deposit to no more than the equivalent of two months rent. A refundable pet deposit is capped separately and may not exceed three hundred dollars, and any pet-related rent surcharge is likewise constrained. Because these caps changed with recent legislation, confirm the current figure for your situation before relying on a specific number; the safe practice is to never collect more than the current statutory maximum, since an overcollected deposit invites its own claim independent of the itemization.

The practical link to the itemization is that a refundable pet deposit is deposit money and belongs on the schedule, while a non-refundable fee, where permitted, is not deposit money and does not. Keep the categories separate at collection so the accounting at move-out is clean. If you collected a distinct pet deposit, enter it in the pet-deposit field so the net deposit the schedule reconciles is complete; a pet deposit quietly left off the accounting is a common way landlords underreport what they were holding, which surfaces badly if the tenant produces the original lease showing the larger sum.

Multiple Tenants and Apportioning One Deposit

When several tenants share a lease, they typically share a single deposit, and the itemization accounts for that one deposit rather than splitting it by person. The statement is delivered to the tenants jointly at the forwarding address they provide, and any refund is likewise one figure. Landlords sometimes feel pressure to divide a refund among departing roommates, but the deposit is a single obligation under the lease; unless the lease or a written agreement among the tenants directs otherwise, the cleanest course is to return the single balance to the tenants together and let them settle any internal division among themselves.

Where roommates leave at different tim