Colorado House Bill 24-1098 established a significant shift in how residential evictions work in Colorado. The law requires landlords to have documented, legally recognized grounds before evicting a tenant — a framework commonly called “for-cause” eviction. It was designed to prevent arbitrary displacement while still giving landlords clear paths to remove tenants when legitimate circumstances arise.
Does This Law Apply to Your Rental?
Before diving into the details, it’s important to understand that this law does not cover every rental situation in Colorado. Key exemptions include:
- Short-term rentals (properties rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days)
- Owner-occupied properties — if the owner lives in the same single-family home, duplex, or triplex as their primary residence, the law does not apply — though a professional Colorado Springs property management team can still help you navigate the transition into or out of the rental market.
- Tenants with less than 12 months of tenancy — the law’s protections only apply once a tenant has been in the unit for at least 12 months. A strong tenant screening process helps ensure you’re placing the right tenant from day one, since the decisions made at the start of a tenancy shape every option available later.
- Employer-provided housing
If your rental falls into one of these categories, the standard requirements of this law do not apply.
Non-Renewal Is Treated as an Eviction
Under HB24-1098, a landlord’s decision not to renew a lease — when it requires the tenant to vacate — is treated the same as an eviction. Landlords must have valid cause, whether that’s a tenant-fault reason or one of the permitted no-fault grounds described below.
No-Fault Evictions: When Landlords Can Ask Tenants to Leave Without Wrongdoing
No-fault evictions allow landlords to end a tenancy even when the tenant hasn’t done anything wrong, provided the reason falls within one of six specific categories. All no-fault evictions require at least 90 days’ written notice, and tenants may remain in possession under their existing lease terms during that notice period.
- Property Demolition or Conversion. A landlord planning to demolish the property or convert it to non-residential use or a short-term rental may initiate a no-fault eviction. The written notice must include a description and timeline of the planned demolition or conversion, along with demonstrable evidence of when the project will begin — such as a copy of a building permit.
- Substantial Repairs or Renovations. When a landlord plans repairs or renovations that cannot be safely completed with the tenant in place and that will require the unit to be vacant for at least 30 days, a no-fault eviction is permitted. The landlord must provide an expected completion date and general description of the work, proceed without unreasonable delay once possession is recovered, and — if the work is expected to take fewer than 180 days — notify the tenant of the completion date and offer the tenant the first right of refusal to return under a new lease with reasonable terms. Consistent routine inspections and maintenance documentation are essential here, as the landlord must be able to demonstrate the repairs were legitimate and could not be completed with the tenant in place. Note: a landlord cannot use this provision to evict a tenant for repairs that are required to cure a warranty of habitability breach, or in retaliation against the tenant.
- Landlord or Family Member Occupancy. If the landlord or a family member intends to occupy the unit as their primary residence, a no-fault eviction is permitted. The landlord must demonstrate that no substantially equivalent unit is available in the same building and must not re-rent the property as a long- or short-term rental for at least 90 days following the eviction.
- Sale of the Property. When a landlord intends to sell a single-family home, townhome, duplex, triplex, or individual condo unit, a no-fault eviction is permitted at the end of the lease term. The property must not be re-listed as a rental for at least 90 days after the tenant vacates — unless the landlord can show the property was listed for sale on a multiple listing service after the tenant vacated. This ground applies only to sales; it is not a general “withdrawal from the rental market” provision.
- Tenant Refuses to Sign a New Lease with Reasonable Terms. If a tenant declines to sign a new lease with reasonable terms, the landlord may initiate a no-fault eviction with 90 days’ notice after the tenant’s refusal.
- History of Late Payment. If a tenant has paid rent late — more than 10 days after it was due — on more than two occasions during the rental agreement, the landlord may initiate a no-fault eviction at the end of the lease term with 90 days’ notice. This applies only at lease end and does not apply if the late payment was submitted within the applicable cure period. Consistent rent collection and late payment documentation practices are critical here — this ground is only available if the landlord issued proper written notice each time a payment was late.
For-Cause Evictions: Tenant Fault Grounds
When a tenant’s own conduct or failure gives rise to an eviction, the law recognizes the following grounds:
- Nonpayment of rent — the most common ground; requires proper notice and an opportunity to cure
- Material lease violation — breaching specific lease terms after notice and an opportunity to remedy
- Substantial violation — serious conduct (defined under §13-40-107.5) with a 10-day cure period
- Repeat violation — a subsequent violation of the same lease condition after proper prior notice
- Nuisance or negligent property damage — conduct that interferes with the quiet enjoyment of other tenants or the landlord (if co-located), or negligent damage to the property; requires 10 days’ written notice describing the specific conduct
- Holding over after a valid no-fault eviction process — a tenant who remains after all no-fault notice requirements have been satisfied
Important Tenant Protections Built Into the Law
A few provisions of HB24-1098 are worth knowing regardless of which side of a lease you’re on:
- No lease waivers. Any provision in a rental agreement that attempts to waive or modify the requirements of this law is void and unenforceable.
- Affirmative defense. If a landlord proceeds with an eviction without complying with this law, the tenant may raise the landlord’s non-compliance as an affirmative defense in court. If the landlord cannot demonstrate compliance by a preponderance of the evidence, the court must dismiss the eviction proceeding.
- Tenant remedies. If a landlord evicts a tenant in violation of this law and the tenant loses possession without a court order, the tenant may seek relief under C.R.S. §38-12-510.
HB24-1098 reflects Colorado’s broader effort to bring stability and predictability to the rental market. For tenants, it provides meaningful protection from sudden displacement. For landlords, it establishes a clear, workable framework — provided the required procedures are followed precisely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Colorado landlords and tenants about HB24-1098 and for-cause eviction requirements.
The law’s protections apply once a tenant has completed at least 12 months of tenancy. Before that point, a landlord can choose not to renew with no stated reason, provided they give proper advance written notice. The boundary at exactly 12 months is less settled — a non-renewal that lands right at lease end with no documented reason could be challenged, and Colorado courts have generally been tenant-friendly in interpreting this law’s intent. Both landlords and tenants in that situation should get legal advice before acting.
No — under HB24-1098, a lease expiring is not by itself a valid reason to end a tenancy once you’ve been in the unit for at least 12 months. A landlord must have either a documented tenant-fault reason or one of the six permitted no-fault grounds outlined in the law. Simply declining to renew without a qualifying reason is treated the same as an eviction and must meet the same legal standards.
A substantial violation is serious misconduct that poses a significant risk to people or property — things like threatening or assaulting other tenants, engaging in illegal activity on the premises, or causing significant damage to the unit. Unlike a standard lease violation, a substantial violation doesn’t require the landlord to give the tenant an opportunity to fix the problem before proceeding. The landlord must still serve proper written notice, and the tenancy terminates three days after that notice is served.
This is a legitimate no-fault eviction ground, but it comes with specific requirements the landlord must meet. They must give you at least 90 days’ written notice, demonstrate that no substantially equivalent unit is available in the same building, and actually move in within three months of you vacating. If the landlord evicts you under this ground and then turns around and re-rents the property within 90 days, that’s a violation of the law and you may have legal remedies.
Only if the work qualifies as “substantial” under the law — meaning it cannot safely be completed with you in place and will require you to vacate for at least 30 days. Routine maintenance, cosmetic updates, and repairs required to fix habitability issues do not qualify. If the work is expected to take less than 180 days, you also have the right of first refusal to return to the unit once it’s complete, provided you notify the landlord within 10 days of receiving the completion notice.
If a landlord proceeds with an eviction in violation of HB24-1098, you can raise that non-compliance as an affirmative defense in court — and if the landlord can’t prove compliance, the court must dismiss the eviction. If you’ve already lost possession of your unit without a court order, you may be entitled to seek additional relief under C.R.S. §38-12-510. In either situation, consulting a tenant’s rights attorney promptly is important.
Not immediately — but it does open a door. If you’ve paid rent more than 10 days late on two separate occasions during your lease term, and your landlord served proper written notice each time, they may initiate a no-fault eviction at the end of your lease with 90 days’ notice. This ground only applies at lease end, not mid-lease, and only if the landlord followed the correct notice procedure each time the payment was late.
It applies to virtually all residential rental properties in Colorado — single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, condos, and apartment buildings alike. The main exceptions are short-term rentals, owner-occupied properties where the owner lives on site in a small building, and tenancies under 12 months. The type of property matters less than whether those specific exemptions apply to your situation.
No. The law explicitly states that any lease provision attempting to waive or modify its requirements is void and unenforceable. It doesn’t matter how the clause is worded or whether you signed the lease agreeing to it — a landlord cannot contract around HB24-1098, and any attempt to do so has no legal effect.
A standard eviction is based on something the tenant did wrong — not paying rent, violating the lease, or causing damage. A no-fault eviction means the tenant hasn’t done anything wrong, but the landlord has a qualifying reason related to the property itself — such as selling it, moving in, or completing major renovations. No-fault evictions always require at least 90 days’ notice and can only happen at the end of a lease term, not mid-lease.