Colorado security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Colorado law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Colorado
Make the seven-day pre-suit notice explicit
Check whether your lease extends the return period beyond 30 days, up to 60. Before suing under section 38-12-103, give written notice of your demand and intent to file at least seven days before filing.
What records should support deductions?
Since Jan 2026: on tenant request the landlord must produce within 14 days all relevant documentation in their possession - photos, inspection reports, receipts, invoices, or estimates (HB25-1249).
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103: 30 days (HB25-1249 replaced 'one month' effective Jan 1, 2026) after lease termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs last; the lease may extend the period up to 60 days. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(3)(a), wrongful retention makes you liable for treble the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees and costs, and you bear the burden of proving the withholding was proper. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
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The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Colorado example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103 (as amended by HB25-1249, eff. Jan 1, 2026) ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Colorado case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Colorado sample letter
Fictional Colorado case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Colorado rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103 (Colorado Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: 30 days (HB25-1249 replaced 'one month' effective Jan 1, 2026) after lease termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs last; the lease may extend the period up to 60 days.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103(3)(a), wrongful retention makes you liable for treble the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees and costs, and you bear the burden of proving the withholding was proper. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
State the amount requested and your intent to bring proceedings if unresolved. Request the records behind retention; the 2026 law addresses relevant photos, inspection reports, receipts, invoices and estimates.
Colorado HB25-1249, signed act (effective January 2026) ↗What happens after sending?
Preserve proof of the notice and allow the required seven days before filing. Compare the response with actual damage and the 2026 restrictions on carpet replacement and repainting.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Colorado filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Colorado letter refer to?
30 days (HB25-1249 replaced 'one month' effective Jan 1, 2026) after lease termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs last; the lease may extend the period up to 60 days. Failure to comply with the section's requirements, or otherwise wrongfully withholding, means the landlord 'forfeits the landlord's rights to withhold any portion of the security deposit' (§ 38-12-103(2), as amended); wrongful retention then triggers treble damages if the deposit still isn't returned within 7 days of the tenant's demand and notice of intent to sue.
What penalties does Colorado law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Wrongful retention (HB25-1249 replaced 'willful' effective Jan 1, 2026) makes the landlord liable for treble the portion wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees and costs (§ 38-12-103(3)(a)). The tenant must first notify the landlord of the demand for return and the intent to sue at least 7 days before filing, and treble damages/fees are available only if the landlord fails to return the withheld amount within 7 days after receiving that demand and notice (§ 38-12-103(3)(c)) - the landlord's final cure window. The landlord bears the burden of proving the withholding was not wrongful and that it complied with the section; retaining 125%+ of actual damages is presumed to unreasonably exceed actual damages, i.e. bad-faith retention (§ 38-12-103(3.5)(b)).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $7,500; filing fees $31-$55 depending on claim size). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Colorado filing steps and court forms →