Colorado (CO) lease form
Colorado has enacted some of the most tenant-protective lease laws in the country, with a wave of legislation from 2021 through 2026 adding mandatory disclosures, strict prohibited-clause lists, and a total-price transparency rule that affects every written rental agreement in the state. Landlords and property managers must comply with Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS) Title 38, Article 12, which governs everything from how late fees must appear in the lease to which clauses are outright void. Getting the lease document right from the start is especially critical in Colorado because several prohibited provisions trigger automatic voidability, meaning a court will not enforce them even if both parties signed.
Revun generates a Colorado-ready lease with the required disclosures and clauses built in, then handles e-signature, rent, and renewals on the same platform.
Required under federal law (42 U.S.C. 4852d) for all residential properties built before 1978. Landlords must provide the EPA-approved disclosure form, the pamphlet 'Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home,' and disclose any known lead hazards. Tenant must sign acknowledgment before the lease is executed.
Required for all residential leases in Colorado. Before signing, the landlord must provide: (1) a bold-faced warning statement recommending the tenant obtain a radon test; (2) a copy of the Colorado DPHE radon-in-real-estate brochure; and (3) written disclosure of any known radon test results, the date of the most recent test, current radon concentration levels, and a description of any mitigation system installed. The tenant must sign to acknowledge receipt. Note: effective January 1, 2026, the tenant's lease-voiding remedy for non-disclosure no longer applies to leases of one year or less.
Every written rental agreement must state the full legal name, mailing address, and contact information of the landlord or the landlord's authorized agent. If landlord identity changes, written notice must be provided to each tenant within one business day of the change, or posted conspicuously on the premises.
Every rental agreement must include, in at least 12-point bold-faced type and in both English and Spanish: (1) a statement that the tenant is entitled to safe and healthy housing; (2) the mailing address and an email address or online portal link where the tenant can submit written notice of uninhabitable conditions; and (3) notice that the landlord is prohibited from retaliating against a tenant who reports unsafe conditions or requests repairs.
A landlord may not rent a unit known to contain a current bed bug infestation. When a prospective tenant requests it, the landlord must disclose: (1) whether bed bugs were found in the unit within the past eight months; and (2) the most recent date the unit was inspected and found to be free of bed bugs. There is no duty to disclose absent a tenant request or actual knowledge of infestation.
Landlords who own more than five residential rental units (including single-family homes) and are not otherwise exempt must include a written statement in the lease explaining that Colorado law prohibits discrimination based on a tenant's lawful and verifiable source of income, including housing vouchers, subsidies, and other third-party payments.
When advertising and at the lease stage, landlords must disclose all mandatory fees as a single, conspicuous total price. The lease itself may not include provisions requiring tenants to pay fees, charges, or amounts that HB25-1090 prohibits, such as certain mandatory add-on fees separated from base rent. Utility charges may be disclosed separately. Violations expose landlords to triple damages plus 18% interest.
Any late fee must be explicitly disclosed in the rental agreement before it can be charged. The lease must state the amount of the late fee (capped at the greater of $50 or 5% of overdue rent), confirm that it will not be charged until at least seven calendar days after rent is due, and acknowledge that only one late fee per late payment may be assessed. Late fees that are not disclosed in the lease are void and unenforceable.
Colorado HB25-1202 requires lease agreements for residential property to include disclosure of any known presence of mold, prior mold assessments and remediation history, and health danger information. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment adopted implementing rules effective January 1, 2026. Landlords should obtain and retain signed acknowledgment of this disclosure.
General information, not legal advice. Governing statute: Colorado Revised Statutes Title 38, Article 12 - Tenants and Landlords (CRS 38-12-101 through 38-12-1409). Confirm current requirements or consult an attorney before finalizing a lease.
Colorado lease FAQ
Colorado requires several disclosures in residential leases: a radon gas disclosure with the DPHE brochure and any known test results (CRS 38-12-803); landlord identity and contact information (CRS 38-12-801); a bilingual warranty of habitability statement and contact address for repair notices (SB24-094); a source-of-income non-discrimination notice for landlords with more than five units; disclosure of any mold history (HB25-1202); and disclosure of all mandatory fees as a total price (HB25-1090). Federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure for properties built before 1978.
Colorado does not require a written lease for rental terms of one year or less - oral leases for short terms are legally enforceable. However, any rental agreement with a term longer than one year must be in writing to be enforceable under Colorado's Statute of Frauds (CRS 38-10-108). In practice, a written lease is strongly recommended for any tenancy because it is the only way to satisfy Colorado's mandatory disclosure and prohibited-clause requirements, and because many protections (such as late fee enforceability) only apply if they are written into the agreement.
Colorado law voids several types of lease clauses, including: one-sided attorney fee provisions that only allow the landlord to recover legal costs; jury trial waivers; class action waivers; waivers of the warranty of habitability or quiet enjoyment; automatic cleaning-fee clauses (as of January 1, 2026); clauses characterizing non-rent charges as rent for eviction purposes; third-party service markups above 2% of the billed amount or $10 per month; self-help eviction provisions; and waivers of Colorado's for-cause eviction statutes. These provisions are void by operation of law even if both parties sign the lease.
Under CRS 38-12-105, late fees are only enforceable if they are disclosed in the written rental agreement before the landlord attempts to charge them. The lease must state the fee amount (which cannot exceed the greater of $50 or 5% of the overdue rent amount), confirm the seven-calendar-day grace period before any fee can be assessed, and acknowledge that only one late fee may be charged per late payment. A landlord must also provide written notice of the fee within 180 days of the due date. Any late fee not meeting these requirements is void.
Before a tenant signs a lease, Colorado landlords must provide a written radon disclosure (CRS 38-12-803) that includes a bold-faced warning recommending the tenant obtain a radon test, a copy of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment radon brochure, and any known radon test results including the date, concentration levels, and details of any mitigation system on the property. The tenant must sign to acknowledge receipt of this information. As of January 1, 2026, the tenant's right to void a lease due to missing radon disclosure no longer applies to leases of one year or less.
