Colorado Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Colorado rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Yes. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is mold associated with dampness, or any other damp condition, that would materially interfere with the tenant's health or safety if not fixed. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-503, 38-12-505(1)(a), (3)
The rules in Colorado
| Mold | Yes. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is mold associated with dampness, or any other damp condition, that would materially interfere with the tenant's health or safety if not fixed. Minor mold on surfaces that collect moisture through normal use is excluded. The landlord must make sure the unit is habitable before leasing it and must fix such conditions under the warranty of habitability; the tenant may use the remedies in § 38-12-507. Since January 1, 2025, every lease must include a bold statement of the tenant's right to safe and healthy housing and where to send written notice of an uninhabitable condition (§ 38-12-505(3)(c)-(d)). Colorado has no separate mold disclosure statute. |
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| Pests & bed bugs | The landlord must provide appropriate extermination for rodent, vermin, pest or insect infestations throughout the premises. Under the bed-bug law, the tenant must promptly notify the landlord in writing or electronically; within 96 hours the landlord must get the unit inspected by a qualified inspector, and inspect contiguous units if bed bugs are found. The landlord must give written results within two business days and start treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment, and may not rent a unit it knows or suspects has bed bugs; on request it must disclose bed bugs in the past eight months and the last clean inspection date. Bed-bug part added by HB 19-1328, effective January 1, 2020. Entry for inspection or treatment requires at least 48 hours' written or electronic notice unless the lease sets a different time, and the tenant may not unreasonably deny access (§ 38-12-1004). |
| Heat | Yes. A unit that substantially lacks functioning heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order is uninhabitable. Lack of functioning heating from October through April is presumed to materially interfere with the tenant's life, health or safety. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature. Local housing codes may set minimum temperatures. |
| Air conditioning | No state requirement to provide air conditioning or maximum indoor temperature. However, a landlord may not prohibit or restrict a tenant from installing or using a portable cooling device (such as a window or portable AC unit) unless it would violate codes or law, violate the manufacturer's safety guidelines, damage the premises, or exceed the electrical capacity. A landlord that restricts them must disclose the restrictions in writing and give information on cooled common spaces or nearby community cooling spaces. Violating these cooling rules makes the unit uninhabitable. Where electrical capacity limits portable cooling devices in a multi-unit building, the landlord must prioritize requests made to accommodate a tenant's disability (§ 38-12-505(7)(b)). |
| Smoke and CO detectors | Rentals with fuel-fired appliances or an attached garage must have an operational carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of the entrance to each sleeping room (or where the building code says). Before a new tenant moves in, the owner must replace any CO alarm that is missing or not working and must provide any batteries needed at move-in; the owner must also replace or fix alarms when the tenant gives written notice of a problem. The tenant must keep, test and maintain the alarms and notify the owner in writing when batteries need replacing or an alarm is missing, not working or deficient; no one may disable an alarm except for maintenance. Text from the Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 edition; later session laws may have changed it. No smoke-alarm requirement for rentals was found in title 38. Source: C.R.S. §§ 38-45-102, 38-45-104 |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Colorado vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Yes. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is mold associated with dampness, or any other damp condition, that would materially interfere with the tenant's health or safety if not fixed. Minor mold on surfaces that collect moisture through normal use is excluded. The landlord must make sure the unit is habitable before leasing it and must fix such conditions under the warranty of habitability; the tenant may use the remedies in § 38-12-507. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-503, 38-12-505(1)(a), (3) | The landlord must provide appropriate extermination for rodent, vermin, pest or insect infestations throughout the premises. Under the bed-bug law, the tenant must promptly notify the landlord in writing or electronically; within 96 hours the landlord must get the unit inspected by a qualified inspector, and inspect contiguous units if bed bugs are found. The landlord must give written results within two business days and start treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment, and may not rent a unit it knows or suspects has bed bugs; on request it must disclose bed bugs in the past eight months and the last clean inspection date. C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(VII)-(VIII); §§ 38-12-1001 to 38-12-1007 | Yes. A unit that substantially lacks functioning heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order is uninhabitable. Lack of functioning heating from October through April is presumed to materially interfere with the tenant's life, health or safety. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature. C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(V), (4)(d) |
| Arizona | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Arizona has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building codes materially affecting health and safety and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(1)-(2) | Arizona has a bed-bug statute. Landlords must give bed-bug educational materials to existing and new tenants and may not rent a unit they know has a current bed-bug infestation. Tenants may not knowingly move infested items into the unit and must notify the landlord in writing or electronically if they know bed bugs are present. Other pests fall under the general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1319; § 33-1324(A)(2) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat when required by seasonal weather, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat comes from equipment in the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat, the tenant may give notice and buy heat and deduct the cost, recover damages, or get substitute housing. State law sets no minimum temperature. A.R.S. §§ 33-1324(A)(6), 33-1364 |
| Kansas | No statute — Kansas has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Mold is handled under the landlord's duty to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to maintain plumbing, sanitary, and ventilating systems in good and safe working order. K.S.A. 58-2553(a)(1), (3) | No statute — Kansas does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. Infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance duty; tenants must keep their unit clean and remove garbage and waste in a clean and safe manner, and are responsible for damage they or their guests or animals cause. K.S.A. 58-2553(a)(1), (4); 58-2555(b), (c), (f) | Yes. The landlord must supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water at all times, and reasonable heat — unless the building is not required by law to be so equipped or the heat or hot water comes from equipment under the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. Heating appliances the landlord supplies must be kept in good and safe working order. No numeric minimum temperature is set by state statute. K.S.A. 58-2553(a)(3), (5) |
| Nebraska | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. After written or actual notice, the landlord must substantially comply with applicable minimum housing codes and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises fit and habitable. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1419(1)(a)-(b) | No pest- or bed-bug-specific statute. The landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas clean and safe (after notice); the tenant must keep the occupied part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage and waste properly. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1419(1)(b)-(c), 76-1421(2)-(3) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat (and running water and reasonable hot water at all times) and maintain heating facilities in good and safe working order. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season is set. Exceptions: buildings not required by law to be equipped for heat, or units where heat is generated by an installation in the tenant's exclusive control supplied by a direct public utility connection. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1419(1)(d), (1)(f) |
| New Mexico | No statute — general repair duty applies. The owner must substantially comply with applicable minimum housing codes and make repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a safe condition. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-20(A)(1)-(2) | No pest- or bed-bug-specific statute. The owner must keep the premises in a safe condition and common areas safe, and provide garbage receptacles and removal; the resident must keep the occupied part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. NMSA 1978, §§ 47-8-20(A)(2)-(3), (5); 47-8-22(B)-(C) | Yes. The owner must supply reasonable heat (and running water and a reasonable amount of hot water at all times) and maintain heating facilities in good and safe working order. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season is set. Exceptions: buildings not required by law to be equipped for heat, or units where heat is generated by an installation in the resident's exclusive control supplied by a direct public utility connection. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-20(A)(4), (A)(6) |
| Oklahoma | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Oklahoma has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the tenant's dwelling unit and premises in a fit and habitable condition.' 41 O.S. § 118(A)(2) | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord must keep the unit fit and habitable and (except single-family residences) keep common areas clean, safe and sanitary; the tenant must keep the occupied part of the premises as safe, clean and sanitary as its condition permits and dispose of garbage in a safe, clean and sanitary manner. 41 O.S. §§ 118(A)(1)-(2), 127(1)-(2) | Yes, except in single-family residences or where service comes through direct, independently metered utility connections to the unit: the landlord must supply 'reasonable heat' and running and hot water, and must keep landlord-supplied heating facilities in good and safe working order. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season. If the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply heat, after written notice the tenant may terminate, procure heat and deduct the cost from rent, recover diminished rental value, or obtain substitute housing and be excused from rent. 41 O.S. §§ 118(A)(3), (A)(5), 121(C) |
| Utah | No statute — the Utah Fit Premises Act does not mention mold. Mold is governed by the general duty to keep the unit fit for human habitation and in accordance with local ordinances and local board of health rules, and not to rent premises unless they are safe, sanitary and fit for human occupancy. The act applies only to conditions that materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter. Utah Code 57-22-3; 57-22-4(1); 57-22-6 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the Fit Premises Act. Infestations fall under the safe-and-sanitary duty and local health-department rules when they materially affect health or safety. The renter must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with local board of health rules. Utah Code 57-22-3; 57-22-4(1); 57-22-5(1) | Yes. Each rental unit must have heating (along with electrical systems, plumbing and hot and cold water), and the owner must maintain the heating system. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season; local ordinances and board of health rules may. Utah Code 57-22-3(1); 57-22-4(1) |
| Wyoming | No statute — Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act does not mention mold, and no state housing code addresses it. Mold is governed only by the general duty to keep the unit safe, sanitary and fit for human habitation; the act applies only to conditions that materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter. The renter must be current on payments and give written notice (certified mail or as allowed by W.S. 1-21-1003) before court remedies are available. W.S. 1-21-1202(a), (c); 1-21-1203(a)-(b); 1-21-1206 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the Residential Rental Property Act or elsewhere for rentals. Infestations fall under the general safe-and-sanitary duty if they materially affect health or safety. The owner need not remedy conditions caused by the renter, the renter's family or guests through misuse, and the renter must keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. W.S. 1-21-1202; 1-21-1203(c); 1-21-1204(a)(i)-(ii) | Yes, but no temperature standard. Each rental unit must have operational heating (and electrical, plumbing and hot and cold running water) unless both parties agree otherwise in writing, and the owner must maintain the heating system. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. Seasonal units such as summer cabins not intended to have these amenities are excepted. W.S. 1-21-1202(a); 1-21-1203(a)(iii) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Colorado Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Colorado?
Yes. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is mold associated with dampness, or any other damp condition, that would materially interfere with the tenant's health or safety if not fixed. Minor mold on surfaces that collect moisture through normal use is excluded. The landlord must make sure the unit is habitable before leasing it and must fix such conditions under the warranty of habitability; the tenant may use the remedies in § 38-12-507. (C.R.S. §§ 38-12-503, 38-12-505(1)(a), (3))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Colorado?
The landlord must provide appropriate extermination for rodent, vermin, pest or insect infestations throughout the premises. Under the bed-bug law, the tenant must promptly notify the landlord in writing or electronically; within 96 hours the landlord must get the unit inspected by a qualified inspector, and inspect contiguous units if bed bugs are found. The landlord must give written results within two business days and start treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment, and may not rent a unit it knows or suspects has bed bugs; on request it must disclose bed bugs in the past eight months and the last clean inspection date. (C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(VII)-(VIII); §§ 38-12-1001 to 38-12-1007)
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Colorado?
Yes. A unit that substantially lacks functioning heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order is uninhabitable. Lack of functioning heating from October through April is presumed to materially interfere with the tenant's life, health or safety. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature. (C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(V), (4)(d))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Colorado?
No state requirement to provide air conditioning or maximum indoor temperature. However, a landlord may not prohibit or restrict a tenant from installing or using a portable cooling device (such as a window or portable AC unit) unless it would violate codes or law, violate the manufacturer's safety guidelines, damage the premises, or exceed the electrical capacity. A landlord that restricts them must disclose the restrictions in writing and give information on cooled common spaces or nearby community cooling spaces. Violating these cooling rules makes the unit uninhabitable. (C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(XVI), (7))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Colorado?
Rentals with fuel-fired appliances or an attached garage must have an operational carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of the entrance to each sleeping room (or where the building code says). Before a new tenant moves in, the owner must replace any CO alarm that is missing or not working and must provide any batteries needed at move-in; the owner must also replace or fix alarms when the tenant gives written notice of a problem. The tenant must keep, test and maintain the alarms and notify the owner in writing when batteries need replacing or an alarm is missing, not working or deficient; no one may disable an alarm except for maintenance. (C.R.S. §§ 38-45-102, 38-45-104)
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.