Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Colorado?
In Colorado, a tenant who is a victim-survivor of unlawful sexual behavior, stalking, domestic violence or domestic abuse and intends to vacate out of fear of danger may end the lease and leave without further obligation by notifying the landlord in writing and giving one form of evidence: a self-attestation affidavit, a letter from a qualified third party, a police report from the prior one hundred twenty days, or a protection or restraining order. The tenant owes no more than one month’s rent, and only if the landlord gives the tenant a written statement of actual economic damages caused by the early termination within thirty days after the tenant vacates; that amount is due within ninety days after the tenant vacates, and the landlord may not collect it if another tenant remains on the lease. A tenant who has not yet given the evidence must provide it within seven days after the landlord’s written request. The landlord may not disclose that the tenant is a victim-survivor, or the tenant’s new address, to anyone, including a co-tenant, without the tenant’s express written consent or a court order. Once the tenant gives notice and the evidence, the landlord may not prevent the tenant from changing the locks or taking other reasonable safety precautions, and may not charge the victim-survivor for damage caused by the abuse, which it may pursue only from the responsible party. A landlord may not terminate a lease or evict a tenant solely because the tenant is a victim-survivor. This is C.R.S. § 38-12-402.
| What | Colorado |
|---|---|
| Ending the lease early | Written notice with evidence; at most one month’s rent |
What the statute says
“… and the tenant intends to vacate the premises due to fear of danger because of the unlawful sexual behavior, stalking, domestic violence, or domestic abuse, then the tenant may terminate the residential rental agreement or lease agreement and vacate the premises without further obligation …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
C.R.S. § 38-12-402
Read the statute in the Colorado Revised Statutes (Colorado General Assembly): leg.colorado.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Breaking a Lease for Domestic Violence: Laws by State — How a domestic violence victim can end a lease early, with the notice, documents and rent rule in each of the 39 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana