Colorado Law
How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Colorado? (2026 Rules and Notice Periods)
By Denver Rental Managers · Updated October 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Summary
Colorado has no statewide cap on how much a landlord can raise rent, and cities like Denver are barred from adopting rent control. But under C.R.S. 38-12-701 a landlord can raise rent only once in any 12-month period, must give at least 60 days’ written notice when there is no written lease, and cannot raise rent mid-term on a fixed lease unless the lease allows it.
Key takeaways
- There is no percentage cap on rent increases in Colorado, and local rent control is preempted by state law.
- Rent can be increased only once in any 12-month period of a tenancy.
- Tenancies without a written agreement require at least 60 days’ notice before an increase.
- During a fixed-term lease, rent stays as written unless the lease expressly allows an increase.
- Under HB24-1098, a tenant who refuses a new lease with reasonable terms can be non-renewed; an unreasonable increase may not qualify.
- Increases cannot be retaliatory or discriminatory.
Is there a rent cap in Colorado?
No. Colorado does not limit how much rent can go up, and state law (C.R.S. 38-12-301) prohibits cities and counties, including Denver, from enacting rent control on private residential property. Proposals to repeal that preemption have been debated in recent sessions, but as of October 2026 no local rent control is in effect.
What Colorado does regulate is how often and with how much warning rent can change.
The once-per-12-months rule
Since HB21-1121, codified at C.R.S. 38-12-701, a residential landlord may not increase rent more than once in a 12-month period of tenancy. That applies regardless of lease length. If you raised rent at a renewal last October, the next increase can’t take effect until this October at the earliest.
Notice periods
| Situation | Notice for a rent increase |
|---|---|
| Tenancy with no written agreement (any duration) | At least 60 days’ written notice, by statute |
| Fixed-term written lease, mid-term | No increase unless the lease expressly allows one |
| Fixed-term written lease, at renewal | Follow the lease’s notice terms; offer the new rent before the old term ends |
| Month-to-month written lease | Follow the lease; 60 days is the safe practice |
The statute’s 60-day requirement is written for tenancies without a written agreement. Several consumer sites state it applies to every lease; the statute summary does not say that. Our recommendation is simple: give at least 60 days’ written notice on every increase. It costs you nothing and removes the argument.
Timing a renewal increase
For a 12-month lease ending June 30, send the renewal offer with the new rent by about April 15. That gives the tenant time to decide and gives you time to market the home if they leave. If the for-cause law applies and you intend not to renew for a no-fault reason, the 90-day notice rule is the longer clock to plan around.
How the for-cause eviction law affects rent increases
HB24-1098 allows non-renewal when a tenant refuses to sign a new lease with reasonable terms. Most owners read that as protecting market-rate renewals. The risk is an increase so far above market that a court sees it as a disguised eviction. Price renewals against real comparable rents, document them, and keep the increase consistent with what you would charge a new tenant.
Rules that limit how you raise rent
- No retaliation: you cannot raise rent because a tenant complained about habitability, contacted a government agency or joined a tenant group.
- No discrimination: increases must not target protected classes under fair housing law.
- No hidden increases through fees: since January 1, 2026, HB25-1090 requires advertised and leased rent to include mandatory fees, and limits new or rising fees mid-lease. See the junk fee law guide.
- Pet rent has its own cap: the greater of $35 or 1.5% of monthly rent under HB23-1068.
How much should you raise rent in 2026?
Legal and smart are different questions. Denver-area rents softened over the past year and vacancy sits around 5.7%, so an aggressive increase can trade a few dollars a month for a vacancy that costs far more.
| Example on a $2,400/month home | Result |
|---|---|
| Raise 3% ($72/month) and tenant renews | +$864 for the year |
| Raise 8% and tenant leaves; 30 days vacant | −$2,400 rent lost, plus turnover and leasing costs |
For most stable, on-time tenants, a modest increase tied to current comps is the better return. Read our Denver rental market report or get a free rental analysis for your address.
A compliant rent-increase checklist
- Confirm at least 12 months since the last increase took effect.
- Check the lease for increase and renewal-notice terms.
- Price the new rent against current comparable listings and save the comps.
- Send written notice at least 60 days before the effective date.
- Update the total monthly price, including any mandatory fees, in the renewal lease.
Month-to-month tenancies vs. lease renewals
For a month-to-month tenant without a written lease, the 60-day notice clock is the controlling rule. For a tenant on a 12-month lease, the practical moment to adjust rent is the renewal, and your notice should reach the tenant early enough that they can compare options before the lease ends. If you’re moving a tenant from a fixed term to month-to-month, write the new rent and terms into a signed renewal or extension rather than relying on a verbal agreement.
Document every increase
Keep a short file for each renewal: the comps you used, the date and method you delivered the notice, and the tenant’s signed renewal. If a tenant later claims an increase was retaliatory or unreasonable, that record shows the increase was tied to market rents and applied on schedule. It also makes it easy to prove the 12-month rule was respected.
How Denver Rental Managers handles this
We review each renewal about 90 days before lease end, compare current comps, and recommend whether to raise rent and by how much, with the math on vacancy risk. Notices go out in writing well ahead of the 60-day mark, and the new terms appear in your Rentvine owner portal. It’s part of standard property management.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Colorado Division of Real Estate or an attorney.
Sources
This guide is general information for Colorado landlords, not legal advice. Laws change; confirm current requirements with the Colorado Division of Real Estate or a licensed attorney before acting.
