Colorado Security Deposit Itemization Letter Template

What a Colorado security deposit itemization letter must include under Colorado law, and a fill-in draft that follows those rules.

Use the official form if there is one

Colorado Judicial Branch JDF 101 - Eviction Complaint (Residential Tenancy)
Verified Motion for Order to Remove Unauthorized Persons (statutory form text in C.R.S. § 13-40.1-101(2))

What Colorado law requires

If the landlord keeps any part of the deposit, it must send a written statement listing the exact reasons for each amount kept, together with the balance of the deposit, within 30 days after the lease ends or the tenant surrenders the unit, whichever is later. A lease may extend this to no more than 60 days. Deductions are allowed only for unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, other lawful charges listed in the lease, and necessary repairs for damage beyond normal wear and tear that did not exist before the tenancy. Whole-unit carpet or paint replacement is limited. The landlord complies by sending the statement, payment, and any required documentation to the tenant's last-known address or to any email address the landlord knows of. The refund itself may be mailed, or sent by secured electronic transfer with the tenant's consent. After a written request from the tenant, the landlord must provide relevant documentation in its possession, such as photos, inspection reports, receipts, invoices, and estimates. The statute ties this to a 14-day period, but its wording is ambiguous; see the note. A statement that does not list exact reasons, or is not sent on time with the documentation, makes the withholding wrongful and forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit.

Source: C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1), (1.5), (2), (2.5), (8)-(11) (as amended by HB 25-1249, effective Jan. 1, 2026)

Wording of § 38-12-103(8) in the enrolled bill is ambiguous: it reads 'if a landlord provides a tenant with a written statement ... within fourteen days after a written request by the tenant, the landlord shall provide documentation'. It can mean either that the tenant must ask within 14 days after the statement, or that the landlord must produce the documents within 14 days after the tenant asks. Confirm against the codified CRS 2025 text. Under HB 25-1168, a victim-survivor who ends the lease under § 38-12-402 is not liable for damage caused by the abuser.

Fill-in draft

Replace every [bracketed] item. If your state or city requires specific wording, a specific form, or a translated version, that requirement controls over this draft. Courts dismiss eviction cases over defective notices — if anything is unclear, talk to a lawyer.

STATEMENT OF SECURITY DEPOSIT DEDUCTIONS

To: [former tenant name(s)], at [forwarding address]

Premises: [street address, unit]

Tenancy ended / possession returned on: [date]

Deposit held: $[amount] Interest (if required): $[amount]

Deductions (itemized): [item — reason — cost], [item — reason — cost]

Amount returned: $[amount], sent by [method] on [date]. This statement is provided under C.R.S. § 38-12-103(1) (as amended by HB 25-1249).

Date: [date]
Landlord or agent: [name, address, phone]
Signature: ____________________

Proof of delivery: Delivered on [date] by [method required by Colorado law] by [name].

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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.