When a Denver Tenant Stops Paying Rent: A Landlord's Step-by-Step Guide
It doesn't happen often with good tenant screening in place — but it happens. A tenant who seemed solid misses a payment in month four. Or month fourteen. Or they pay partial rent and go quiet. Or they stop responding entirely.
This is one of the most stressful situations a landlord faces, and it's also one where the steps you take in the first week matter enormously. Here's what we do when a tenant at a property we manage falls behind on rent — and what you should do if you're handling it yourself.
Below starts AFTER the last day a rent payment is due, like the 8th of the month, as an example
Day 1–3: Reach Out Directly
Before you do anything else, contact the tenant. A missed payment is sometimes genuinely an oversight — a forgotten auto-pay, a bank issue, a family emergency. A quick text or phone call can resolve it in 24 hours.
Keep the tone matter-of-fact: "Hey — I noticed the rent didn't come through this month. Can you confirm when you're planning to send it?" No threats, no emotion. You're gathering information.
If the tenant responds promptly with a clear plan and a history of on-time payments, use your judgment. Getting written confirmation of a specific payment date is smart.
Day 4–7: Send a Written Notice
If you haven't received payment or a satisfactory response by day four or five, it's time to send a formal written notice. Under Colorado law, the standard first step is a Demand for Compliance or Right to Terminate (often called a "10-Day Notice" for non-monetary issues, or a "Demand for Rent").
For unpaid rent, Colorado landlords typically serve a Notice to Pay Rent or Quit — this gives the tenant a specific number of days to pay in full or vacate. The exact required notice period depends on your lease terms and the type of tenancy; the Colorado Judicial Branch self-help center is the most current source for current notice requirements, as Colorado has updated its landlord-tenant laws in recent years.
The notice must be:
- In writing
- Delivered properly (personal service, posting on door, or certified mail — check your local requirements)
- Specific about the amount owed and the deadline
Keep a copy. Document the delivery method and date. This paperwork is the foundation of any eviction proceeding if it comes to that.
What Not To Do
We see DIY landlords make the same costly mistakes in this situation:
- Changing the locks or removing tenant belongings — this is illegal in Colorado. A self-help eviction can expose you to significant liability regardless of whether the tenant owes you money.
- Shutting off utilities — also illegal in Colorado as a means of forcing a tenant out.
- Accepting partial rent carelessly — accepting partial payment can, in some circumstances, reset your legal clock or be interpreted as waiving your right to proceed with eviction for the full unpaid balance. If you're going to accept a partial payment, put in writing that it does not waive your right to pursue the remaining balance or terminate the tenancy.
The Eviction Process in Colorado
If the tenant doesn't pay and doesn't vacate after your notice period expires, the formal eviction process (called "forcible entry and detainer" in Colorado) involves filing a complaint with your local county court. In the Denver metro, that's the Denver County Court or the appropriate district court for your property's location.
The process generally goes:
- File an eviction complaint with the court and pay the filing fee
- The court schedules a hearing (typically within 7–14 days for unpaid rent cases)
- At the hearing, the judge rules — if in your favor, you receive a judgment for possession
- If the tenant doesn't vacate voluntarily after judgment, you can request a Writ of Restitution, which allows the sheriff to remove them
The Colorado Judicial Branch eviction page has current filing instructions and fee schedules. The entire process from notice to physical removal typically takes four to eight weeks in the Denver metro — longer if the tenant contests.
A Word on Mediation
Colorado courts often encourage mediation before or during eviction proceedings. In some cases — especially when a tenant has a legitimate hardship and a history of on-time payments — a negotiated payment plan or mutually agreed-upon move-out date can be faster and less expensive than a full eviction. We evaluate this on a case-by-case basis.
The Best Defense Is Good Screening Upfront
We'll say it plainly: most non-payment situations we encounter are with tenants who showed warning signs during the application process that weren't caught — thin rental history, income that barely cleared the threshold, or a previous landlord reference that was vague rather than enthusiastic.
Thorough screening at the front end is still the single best protection against non-payment situations. For a refresher on what good screening looks like, our services page at rentmyhaven.com covers how we approach it.
If you're in the middle of a non-payment situation right now and not sure what to do next, give us a call at 303-228-7800 or visit rentmyhaven.com. We've navigated dozens of these across the Denver metro and can help you understand your options clearly.
My Haven is a full-service property management company proudly serving the Denver metro area.
