Colorado HOA & Condo Law: Plain-English Guide

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On this page: Does this apply to you? · Violation letters and fines · What an association cannot ban · Buying or selling: the status letter · Board members: strictly comply · Records · Behind on dues · Foreclosure and the nine-month stay · HOA or condo at a glance · Who to ask · What changes next

Does this apply to you?

CCIOA covers condominiums, cooperatives and planned communities created on or after 1 July 1992, whatever the association calls itself (115). Bracketed section numbers are in CCIOA unless another law is named: "(316(8))" means C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8). Check the recording date on your declaration and count the units.

Your home	Main law	Worth knowing
House or townhome in a planned community (HOA), created on or after 1 July 1992	CCIOA (115)	Townhomes are usually planned communities.
Condo created on or after 1 July 1992	CCIOA (115)	Condos are never in the small community exemption (116).
Townhome set up as a condominium	CCIOA, as a condo	The rules here are almost all the same.
Any community created before 1 July 1992	Its own documents, plus the CCIOA sections listed in 117	A long list: liens and status letters (316), payment plans (316.3), fees (123), fines and policies (209.4 to 209.7), records (317), registration (401) (117(1), (1.5)). Old condos also have C.R.S. 38-33 (115).
Small community created on or after 1 July 1992 (co-op or planned community)	Only sections 105 to 107 (116)	Only nonresidential units; or no more than 20 units and no development rights; or a planned community whose declaration caps each home's average yearly common expense liability at $400, adjusted for inflation each 1 July. It can opt into the whole act (116(4)).
Housing co-op	CCIOA	Not paying may lead to eviction (316(10)).
Metro district acting as an HOA	C.R.S. 32-1-1004.5	Since HB24-1267 it needs a written fine policy and a dispute policy, and "shall not foreclose" these liens (32-1-1001(1)(j)(I.5)).

Check this one: districts and tiny communities. Our reading is that CCIOA doesn't govern a metro district itself, so check who sent the letter. Older tiny communities have their own exemption: a co-op or planned community created before 1 July 1992 with no more than ten units and no development rights, or whose declaration sets the 116 expense limit, is subject only to sections 105 to 107 unless it amends its declaration to opt in (119). In a community that qualifies under 116 or 119, our reading is that the fine cap and the collection and foreclosure steps here may not apply. We haven't found the current $400 figure. Ask a Colorado-licensed attorney.

There is no Colorado HOA regulator. The Division of Real Estate's HOA Information and Resource Center is "not a regulatory program", and the State "has no authority to intervene" in owner disputes. Manager licensing expired on 30 June 2019, and the DRE says there is "no regulatory oversight" of managers. There is no HOA ombudsman.

Got a violation letter or a fine?

No daily fines. An association can't impose late fees or fines "on a daily basis" (209.5(1.7)(b)(I)). That has been the law for condos, HOAs and co-ops since 10 August 2022 (HB22-1137).

Ordinary violations: two 30-day windows, $500 total

Certified mail. The notice comes by certified mail, return receipt requested, in English and any language you prefer, and gives you 30 days to cure (209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A)).
$500 total. If it isn't cured, the association may fine, but "the total amount of fines imposed for the violation may not exceed five hundred dollars" (209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A)).
Two windows. You get two consecutive 30-day periods to cure before the association may take legal action (209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(B)).
Send photos. Notify the association of the cure with visual evidence, and the violation "is deemed cured on the date that the unit owner sends the notice" (209.5(1.7)(b)(IV)). Otherwise it inspects within seven days after a period ends (209.5(1.7)(b)(V)). Once it's cured, the association must tell you that you won't be fined further for it (209.5(1.7)(b)(VI)).

Check this one: "the violation". The law doesn't define it, so whether a repeat starts a new $500 total is unclear. Read the cap as per violation, not per year or per owner. It doesn't reach safety or health violations: for those you get 72 hours to cure, then the association "may impose fines on the unit owner every other day", with no dollar cap stated (209.5(1.7)(b)(II)).

Every fine needs a fair process

A written policy the association "has adopted and follows", with notice and a hearing before an impartial decision maker, someone with no "direct personal or financial interest in the outcome" (209.5(1)(b)(IV), (2)). The hearing may be in executive session (308(4)(e)).
Found not responsible? The association can't charge you its costs or fees (209.5(3)). If a court finds you didn't commit the violation, it must award you your reasonable fees and costs (123(1)(d)).
A cap on legal fees. For a violation other than not paying, the association can seek attorney fees of no more than $5,000 or 50% of its actual costs, whichever is less (123(1)(b)). In a court case to collect money from you, a court may go above the cap only if it finds you were able to comply but "willfully failed to comply" (123(1)(c)(II)).
Small claims hears assessment, fine and fee disputes up to $7,500 (209.5(9); C.R.S. 13-6-403).
One year. A suit to enforce a building restriction must start within one year of when the violation was, or should have been, known (123(2)).

Fines alone can never take your home

Fines, fees, late charges, attorney fees and interest "may be subject to a statutory lien but are not subject to a foreclosure action" (316(1)(a)), and there can be no foreclosure where the debt "consists only of" fines and fine-related costs (209.5(8)(c)). This dates from 2022.

Check this one: late fees. HB25-1043 defined "assessment" in 316 to include "fees specific to delinquent payments and reasonable collection costs" (316(14)). How that fits with 316(1)(a) is untested, so the safe rule is: fines alone, never.

Letters for this: a notice of cure with photos, a hearing request, daily fines or fines over $500, a notice that skipped the steps, removing costs after you're cleared, and a records request.

What an association cannot ban

Architectural decisions must not be arbitrary or capricious (302(3)(b), as cited by the DRE). CCIOA also protects these items.

Item	Cannot	Can still
Flags, window and yard signs (106.5(1)(a), (c))	Ban or regulate by content	Ban commercial ones; content-neutral rules
Religious item on your entry door (106.5(1)(c.5))	Ban it	Bar items over 36 square inches combined, or unsafe, obstructing or obscene ones
Marked emergency vehicle up to 10,000 lbs (106.5(1)(d))	Ban parking it at home	Bar parking that blocks access
Disability modifications (106.5(1)(g))	Ban them	Fair Housing Act standard
Xeriscape, artificial turf (106.5(1)(i))	Ban them	Design rules; turf in back yards only for attached homes
Water-wise yards, detached homes only (106.5(1)(i.5))	Ban back-yard turf or vegetable gardens	Must preapprove at least three front-yard designs
Rain barrels (106.5(1)(j))	Ban them	Placement rules
Licensed family child care; home business (106.5(1)(k), (l))	Ban them	Parking and noise rules
Solar (106.5(1.5)); heat pumps, shade structures, attic fans, evaporative coolers, retractable clotheslines (106.7)	"Effectively prohibit" them	Reasonable rules (solar); looks and bona fide safety rules (106.7)
Fire-hardened materials (106.5(3))	Ban them, or require cedar shakes (106.5(2))	Limited fence standards
Level 1 or 2 EV charger (106.8)	Ban it	Safety and looks rules; registration within 30 days; licensed electrician

For a detached home's water-wise yard, the owner may sue after written notice and 45 days to cure, for the greater of $500 or actual damages (106.5(1)(i.5)).

Check this one: portable solar. From 12 August 2026, HB26-1007 says an association may not "unreasonably prohibit" portable-scale solar devices, including on limited common elements. We haven't confirmed its section number, and our reading is that rules on securing them may still be allowed.

Rentals are not on the list. The DRE says that without authority in the declaration, "an association does not have the power to adopt rules that restrict the use or occupancy of individually owned units", and, describing Houston v. Wilson Mesa Ranch HOA (Colo. App. 2015), that a short-term rental ban takes a declaration amendment. Changing permitted uses needs 67% of the votes (217(4.5)).

Letters for this: the item is protected, and an architectural denial.

Buying or selling: the status letter

The purchase contract calls it a Status Letter; the statute calls it "a written statement setting forth the amount of unpaid assessments" (316(8)). It works the same for condos, HOAs and co-ops, old or new (117(1)(k)).

How to ask. The owner, a mortgage holder, or either one's designee, in writing, delivered personally or by certified mail, return receipt, to the association's registered agent (316(8)).
14 calendar days. Due "within fourteen calendar days after receipt of the request". It "is binding on the association, the executive board, and every unit owner" (316(8)).
If none comes, "the association shall have no right to assert a lien upon the unit for unpaid assessments which were due as of the date of the request" (316(8)).
The fee. We found no cap on status letter fees in Colorado law. The association must keep a list of its fees, including "the charge for a status letter or statement of assessments due" (317(1)(h.5)).

Check this one: is it free? An association can't charge for giving "the unit owner a statement of the total amount that the unit owner owes" (209.5(8)(b)). That may not reach a status letter ordered for a sale, so don't assume that one is free.

The contract (CBS1)

Since 1 January 2007, every residential contract in a common interest community must carry a disclosure "in bold-faced type that is clearly legible". If it's missing, the buyer has a claim against the seller for actual damages, unless the buyer knew (C.R.S. 38-35.7-102(1), (2)(a)). The Real Estate Commission's Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), CBS1, has been mandatory since 1 January 2026.

Association Documents. Governing documents, minutes, the insurance list, financial documents, fee lists and recent construction defect notices (CBS1 7.3), from the seller at the seller's expense by the Association Documents Deadline (CBS1 7.2).
The buyer's way out. The buyer may terminate by the Association Documents Termination Deadline, in the buyer's sole subjective discretion, or within ten days after receiving late documents. Silence is acceptance (CBS1 7.4).
Your dates. Both deadlines are dates the parties fill in; a blank or "N/A" deadline is deleted (CBS1 3.1, 3.2).
The seller pays for the Status Letter. The seller requests it at least fourteen days before closing, and "Any fee incident to the issuance of Association's Status Letter must be paid by Seller" (CBS1 15.3, 15.3.1).

Check this one: no statutory right to cancel. We found no Colorado statute letting a resale buyer cancel after getting the documents. Buyers rely on the CBS1 deadline, which is whatever the contract says. Ask your buyer's broker or the title or closing company.

The yearly disclosure. Within 90 days after the fiscal year ends, free to owners: the budget, financial statements "including any amounts held in reserve", the insurance policy list, minutes and policies (209.4(2), (3)), and from 12 August 2026 any 209.2 reserve study (209.4(2)(j)).
Registration. Check it on the DRE Licensee Lookup ("Business Name/DBA"). An unregistered association can't enforce its lien until it registers (401(3)).
Ahead of the mortgage. The association's lien ranks ahead of a first mortgage for up to six months of regular assessments (316(2)(b)(I)).

Letters for this: requesting a status letter, a seller's authorization, a late status letter, a buyer's document request, a balance statement, the yearly disclosure, and a closing charge.

For board members: strictly comply

To recover money through foreclosure of its lien, an association "shall strictly comply" with the lien and foreclosure rules of title 38 and its own documents, as "a condition precedent". If it doesn't, "the court may stay the proceedings", and no late fees or interest run during the stay (123(3)). This came from HB25-1043, for enforcement actions started on or after 1 October 2025. It is tied to liens and foreclosure, not every board decision.

The DRE's examples of possible non-compliance: a collections referral without a recorded vote at a formal meeting; demanding more than $25 a month on the 18-month plan; refusing notices to a designated contact or in the preferred language. "Substantial compliance" used to be accepted (DRE forum, 24 October 2025).

Nine written policies. Collections; conflicts of interest; meetings; enforcement and fines; records; investing reserves; adopting policies; owner disputes; and reserve studies (209.5(1)(b)).
The collection policy. Without one, no collection agency and no suit for assessments (209.5(5)(a)). The delinquency notice must offer a ledger within seven business days of a request, warn that not curing within 30 days may lead to "the sale of the unit owner's unit at auction", and point to the HOA Center and HUD credit counseling (209.5(5)(a)(V)(C) to (E)).
Contact details and registration. Ask owners periodically for phone, cell and email (209.5(1)(a.5)). Register with the DRE every year and report changes within 90 days. Associations with revenue of $5,000 or less are exempt from the fee "but not the registration requirement" (401). An unregistered association's right to enforce a lien "is suspended until the association is validly registered" (401(3)).

Meetings and elections

Owner meetings at least yearly, with 10 to 50 days' notice and the agenda (308(1)).
Board and committee meetings "shall be open to attendance by all members" (308(2)(a)), and owners may speak before the board votes (308(2.5)). No rule may be adopted in executive session (308(6)).
Contested seats need a secret ballot, counted by a neutral third party or volunteers who aren't board members or candidates (310(1)(b)).
Amendments need more than 50% of votes, or more if the declaration says, never more than 67% (217(1)(a)).

Check this one: video meetings. We found no CCIOA rule on video meetings or electronic owner voting. The nonprofit corporation law may apply. Ask the association's attorney.

Budgets, directors and reserves

Budget. A summary goes to owners within 90 days after adoption. It stands unless "a majority of all unit owners" veto it, "whether or not a quorum is present" (303(4)(a)).
Audit if revenue or expenses are $250,000 or more and owners of one-third of units ask (303(4)(b)).
Removing a director takes 67% of those present and entitled to vote at a quorum meeting (303(8)). Owner-elected directors are liable only for "wanton and willful acts or omissions" (303(2)(b)).
Reserves. Existing associations need a reserve study policy (209.5(1)(b)(IX)) and must show reserves in their financial statements (209.4(2)(d)). Colorado law doesn't make them commission a study or fund reserves to a set level.
New builds. From 12 August 2026 (HB26-1099), before handing over control of a planned community or condo, the developer must pay for an independent reserve study projecting costs over 30 years (209.2). A 1.5% developer payment in the bill as introduced was not enacted.
Education. Yearly owner education at no cost is required (209.7(1)). Board training is optional (209.6).

Check this one: our readings. Section 303(8) isn't on the 117 list, so our reading is that it doesn't reach communities created before 1 July 1992. HB26-1099 has no applicability clause; our reading is that it reaches communities whose developer hadn't handed over control by 12 August 2026.

Letters for this: a delinquency notice, a payment plan offer, contact details, the manager handover, records and ledger requests, an audit, and the right to speak.

Records

No reason needed. The association may require a written request ten days ahead, but "may not condition the production of records upon the statement of a proper purpose" (317(2)(a)). Copies cost no more than the estimated cost (317(4)).
The penalty. If records aren't produced within 30 calendar days after a certified-mail request, the association owes $50 a day from the eleventh business day after it got the request, up to $500 or your actual damages, whichever is greater (317(4.5)).
Manager handover. From 12 August 2026, a management company whose contract ends must hand over all association property, including records, money and "account passwords, keys", within 45 days at no charge. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, one that fails owes $250 for each business day plus damages (317(9)).

Check this one. Our reading is that the $50 a day counts back to the eleventh business day once 30 days pass, and that a board that drops its manager to self-manage is still owed the handover.

Letters for this: a records request by certified mail, an inspection request, and the manager handover.

Behind on dues

Notice first. Before collection, the association must send notice by certified mail and contact you or your designated contact two of three ways: phone call, text, email. If you haven't given a phone number or email, regular mail can stand in (209.5(1.7)(a)). You may name a designated contact and ask for another language (209.5(1.7)(a)(I)).
A recorded vote. Collections only "if a majority of the executive board votes to refer the matter in a recorded vote" (209.5(1.7)(a)).
Statements and interest. A monthly itemized statement (209.5(1.7)(c)); no fee for a statement of your balance (209.5(8)(b)); interest no more than 8% a year (209.5(8)(a)).
Three missed installments before legal action (316(1)(b)). Foreclosure needs much more.
Fee caps. Collection attorney fees before a lawsuit are capped at $5,000 or 50% of what's owed, whichever is less (123(1)(a)). No attorney fees for work done before the notice steps were met (316(7)(b)).

The 18-month payment plan

The offer. Before judicial foreclosure, the association must offer in writing a plan "in monthly installments over eighteen months", where "the unit owner may choose the amount to be paid each month", at least $25 (209.5(7)(a)(II)).
Failing it. Foreclosure can follow only if you don't accept within 30 days, or later miss three installments by more than 15 days (209.5(7)(a)(III)). Falling behind on regular assessments also counts (316.3(2)).
Protection. No foreclosure while you keep to the plan (316.3(3.5)). Payments go to assessments first (316.3(4)).

Check this one: equal or your choice? Section 316.3(2) speaks of "equal installments over a period of at least eighteen months"; 209.5(7)(a)(II) lets you choose the amount. The 123 fee caps rise with inflation every 1 August from 2025; we haven't found the current figures. HB24-1337's protections apply to debts accrued from 7 August 2024.

An owner may sue within five years of a violation of the foreclosure rules for up to $25,000 plus costs and fees (316.3(5)).

Letters for this: a ledger and itemized statement, a designated contact and language, accepting the payment plan, the referral vote, and attorney fees.

Foreclosure and the nine-month stay

The gates before a case

Six months of assessments owed (316(11)(a)(I)).
A vote on your unit. The board must have "formally resolved, by a recorded vote, to authorize the filing of a legal action against the specific unit on an individual basis". Without it, the case "must be dismissed" (316(11)(a)(II)).
The plan offer, registration and strict compliance (209.5(7); 401(3); 123(3)).
A personal judgment first, if you're an individual living in the home as your principal residence, or in workforce housing, with limited exceptions (316(10.5), (10.6)).
Notices, 30 days ahead: the right to mediation, which you must answer within 30 days (316(10.7)); credit counseling (316(10.3)); and intent to foreclose, by certified mail and two other means, warning an auction could cost "some or all" of your equity (316(10.8)).
In court. The lien is foreclosed "in like manner as a mortgage on real estate" (316(11)(a)).

Check this one: subsection letters. HB25-1043 changed parts of 316, and the DRE calls one notice the "Notice of Election and Demand" (316(10.7)(c)). Check the current letters.

Within five business days after filing, the association must notify "all lienholders identified in the unit owner property records" of the right to cure and of the owner's right to move to stay the sale (316(11.2)). That notice goes to lienholders, so don't wait for it.

Nine months to sell (C.R.S. 38-38-109.5)

File before the auction. Any time after the case is filed "but prior to the sale date at auction", you may ask the court to stay the sale and list the home (38-38-109.5(1)).
The value comes from an appraisal, a licensed agent's market analysis, an online marketplace estimate or the assessed value (38-38-109.5(2)(a)). If the association objects, the court sets the initial list price (38-38-109.5(2)(c)).
Nine months. The order "is in effect for nine months after the date of the order", and can be extended for an imminent sale or good cause (38-38-109.5(3)). Proceeds go into court escrow (38-38-109.5(5)). For cases started from 1 October 2025.

It's time to sell, not a pause on paying. The stay lets you sell at market price and keep your equity instead of losing it at auction. Ask a Colorado-licensed attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor as soon as a case is filed.

Cure, sale and buying back

Cure. Under C.R.S. 38-38-104, file a notice of intent to cure no later than 15 calendar days before the sale, and pay by 12 noon the day before it.
Who can't buy. Directors, the management company and its staff, the association's law firm staff, and their families (316(12)).
Buying back. For debts accrued from 7 August 2024, the owner is first in line among "alternate lienors" (38-38-305.5(1)(a)), with 30 days to file a notice of intent to redeem (38-38-302(1)(d)). Then, between 35 and 180 days after the sale, the top filer may redeem by paying the sale price plus interest and allowed sums (38-38-302(4)(a)(II)(B)).
Six years. A lien ends unless enforcement starts within six years (316(5)).

Check this one: the 30-day notice is the gate. If no one files a notice of intent, the redemption period is 30 days (38-38-501(3)). And 38-38-104 is the general cure rule, tied to association cases by 316(11.2). Confirm every date with a Colorado-licensed attorney.

Letters for this: a response to the mediation notice, the vote on your unit and the other gates, attorney fees, and a status letter for a sale.

HOA or condo at a glance

Rule	Condo	HOA (planned community)
Main law, if created on or after 1 July 1992	CCIOA (115)	CCIOA (115)
Created before 1 July 1992	Own documents, the 117 list and C.R.S. 38-33	Own documents and the 117 list
Small community exemption (116)	Never	If 20 units or fewer and no development rights, or the $400 cap
No daily fines, $500 total (209.5(1.7)(b))	Yes	Yes
Status letter in 14 calendar days (316(8))	Yes	Yes
Foreclosure gates, plan, nine-month stay	Yes	Yes
Records penalty (317(4.5))	Yes	Yes
Water-wise yards (106.5(1)(i.5))	No	Detached homes only
Developer reserve study (209.2)	Before turnover	Before turnover

Check this one: older communities. The status letter (117(1)(k)), foreclosure (316, 316.3), fine (117(1.5)(c)) and records (117(1.5)(m)) rules reach communities created before 1 July 1992, other than tiny ones under 119. For the fine rules added in 2022, and for water-wise yards (detached homes only), that is our reading.

Who to ask

Your board or manager, in writing. Status letter requests go to the registered agent (316(8)).
The HOA Information and Resource Center, Division of Real Estate, 1560 Broadway, Suite 225, Denver, CO 80202; 303-894-2166 or 800-886-7675; [email protected]. It explains rights and logs complaints. It does not regulate, investigate, mediate, advise or fine (C.R.S. 12-10-801).
The DRE Licensee Lookup (registration).
The county clerk and recorder: declarations, amendments, liens and lis pendens.
The Colorado Judicial Branch Office of Dispute Resolution or the Mediation Association of Colorado, for mediation.
A HUD-approved housing counselor. Colorado Housing Connects (Brothers Redevelopment) is a statewide helpline; look up its current number.
A Colorado-licensed attorney for your own situation; the buyer's broker or title company for sales.

What changes next

This page is current to the laws that took effect on 12 August 2026: HB26-1099 (developer reserve studies, manager handover) and HB26-1007 (portable solar). HB26-1287 continued the Division of Real Estate to 1 September 2037; it didn't bring back manager licensing.

New data. Registration data on delinquencies, payment plans and foreclosure filings must be reported in aggregate in the HOA Center's annual report (C.R.S. 12-10-801(3)(c)(II); 401(3.2)).
1 September 2030. The HOA Center is repealed unless continued (SB25-184).
Every 1 August, the 123 fee caps rise with Denver-area inflation (123(1)(g)).

Check this one: 2027. The next regular session is expected to start on Wednesday 13 January 2027; check the legislature's calendar. We found no 2027 HOA bill and no court decision yet on 123(3), 316(10.5) or 38-38-109.5. Colorado changed this law in 2022, 2024 and 2025, so this area keeps moving.

General information only, not legal advice. Current to October 2026. The official text of the Colorado statutes is linked below. Check it, and ask your association's attorney or a Colorado-licensed attorney about your own situation.

Official sources

Colorado links

Free, ready to copy

Letters you can send

The letters from The Colorado HOA & Condo Handbook. Fill in the square brackets, keep a copy, and send them in a way that gives you proof of delivery.

From No Daily Fines.

1. Notice of cure, with photos

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager], [address]

Re: Notice dated [date], [property address]

Your notice dated [date] concerned [describe the violation]. I have cured it. Photos showing the cure are attached.

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(IV), the violation is deemed cured on the date I send this notice, which is [date].

Under section 209.5(1.7)(b)(VI), please confirm in writing that I will not be further fined for this violation, and state any fine balance for it.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

2. Request for a hearing

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Notice dated [date], [property address]

I request a hearing on the notice dated [date] about [describe the violation]. [I dispute that there is a violation. / I have cured it. / I wish to discuss the cure period.]

C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(2) requires notice and an opportunity to be heard before an impartial decision maker before any fine. Please send me:

(1) the enforcement policy and schedule of fines in force on [date of violation], with their adoption dates;

(2) the photos, inspection notes and complaints the association relies on; and

(3) the names of those who will decide. [I ask that [director's name] step aside, because [reason].]

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

3. Daily fines, or fines over $500

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Fines on account for [property address]

My account shows fines of $[total] for [describe the violation], charged [daily / in amounts totaling more than $500].

C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(I) bars fines and late fees on a daily basis. For a violation that does not threaten public safety or health, section 209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A) limits the total fines for the violation to $500.

Please [remove the daily charges / reduce the fines for this violation to no more than $500 in total], send me a corrected statement, and tell me the policy line each fine was charged under.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

4. Notice that did not follow the steps

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Fine of $[amount], [property address]

A fine of $[amount] was charged on [date] for [describe the violation]. The notice I received [was not sent by certified mail, return receipt requested / gave [number] days to cure, not 30 / was not in [language], which I had asked for].

For an ordinary violation, C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A) requires notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, in English and any preferred language, with 30 days to cure, before any fine.

Please withdraw the fine, or tell me in writing why the association believes the notice met that section.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

5. Found not responsible: remove the costs

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Hearing decision dated [date], [property address]

On [date], [the board / the hearing panel] found that I was not responsible for [describe the alleged violation].

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(3), the association may not charge me its costs or attorney fees for this matter. My account shows [describe charges, with amounts].

Please remove those charges and any fine for the matter, and send me a corrected statement. Section 209.5(8)(b) provides that no fee may be charged for a statement of the total I owe.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

6. Records request (send by certified mail)

[Date]

[Association name], [address]

Re: Request for records under C.R.S. 38-33.3-317

I own [property address]. Under section 317, I request to [inspect / receive copies of] these records:

[Describe each one with reasonable particularity, for example: inspection notes, photos and complaints relating to my lot from [date] to [date]; minutes of any meeting at which a fine on my lot was discussed; the enforcement policy in force on [date].]

I am sending this by certified mail, return receipt requested. Please tell me any copying charge in advance. I note section 317(4.5).

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

7. The item is protected

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Notice dated [date], [property address]

Your notice dated [date] concerns my [flag / sign / religious item on my door / vegetable garden / water-wise yard / rain barrel / solar device / heat pump / EV charger / home business].

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-[106.5(1)([letter]) / 106.5(1.5) / 106.7 / 106.8], an association may not [ban / effectively prohibit] this item. [If the association's concern is a size, placement, appearance or safety rule that it may still apply, please tell me which rule.]

Please withdraw the notice and confirm that no fine will be charged.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

8. Architectural denial: reasons and a second look

[Date]

The Board of [Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Architectural application dated [date], [property address]

My application for [describe the project] was denied on [date]. [No reason was given. / The reason given was [reason].]

Architectural decisions must not be arbitrary or capricious (C.R.S. 38-33.3-302(3)(b)). Please tell me in writing which design guideline the project does not meet, and what change would make it acceptable.

I ask the [committee / board] to reconsider. [Similar projects were approved at [addresses] on [dates].] If the board votes on it at a meeting, I would like to speak before the vote, as section 308(2.5) allows.

[Name, mailing address, telephone, email]

From The Status Letter.

1. Request for a status letter

[Date]

By certified mail, return receipt requested

[Registered agent name], registered agent for [Association name], [address]

Re: Statement of unpaid assessments, [property address]

I am the owner of [property address] [or: the designee of the owner / the holder of a mortgage on the unit]. Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8), I request a written statement of the amount of unpaid assessments on this unit.

Under 316(8), the statement is due within 14 calendar days after you receive this request. Please confirm any fee and how to pay it.

Please send the statement to [name, email and mailing address].

[Name, role, telephone, email]

2. Owner's request for a statement of the balance

[Date]

[Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Statement of amount owed, [property address]

I am the owner of [property address]. Please send me a statement of the total amount I owe the association, itemized by charge and date.

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(8)(b), no fee may be charged for this statement.

[Name, unit, telephone, email]

3. Seller's authorization

[Date]

[Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Sale of [property address]

I have contracted to sell [property address] to [buyer name], with closing set for [date].

I authorize the association to provide the buyer, at [buyer or broker email], with the Association Documents listed in section 7.3 of the contract, and the governing and financial documents referred to in C.R.S. 38-35.7-102(2)(b). They must reach the buyer by [Association Documents Deadline]. Please send the invoice to me.

I also authorize [title company] to request the statement of unpaid assessments under C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8) as my designee.

[Name, unit, telephone, email]

4. Status letter not received

[Date]

By certified mail, return receipt requested

[Registered agent name], registered agent for [Association name], [address]; copy to [manager]

Re: Statement of unpaid assessments, [property address]

On [date of receipt], your registered agent received my written request under C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8). A copy, with the return receipt, is enclosed. The 14 calendar days ended on [date]. No statement has been received.

Please send it to [name and email] at once. Closing is set for [date].

I note that 316(8) provides that if no statement is furnished, the association has no right to assert a lien on the unit for unpaid assessments due as of the date of the request.

[Name, role, telephone, email]

5. Buyer's request for documents

[Date]

[Seller name], c/o [seller's broker or attorney]

Re: [property address]

Under C.R.S. 38-35.7-102(2)(b), I request copies of the governing documents and financial documents of [Association name], or your authorization for the association to provide them to me.

In particular I ask for the declaration and amendments, bylaws, articles, rules, policies, current budget, latest financial statements, insurance policy list, the past year's minutes, any reserve study, and the association's list of closing fees.

Please send them to [email and mailing address].

[Name, telephone, email]

6. Owner's request for the yearly disclosure package

[Date]

[Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Annual disclosure, [property address]

I am the owner of [property address]. Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.4(2) and (3), please tell me where I can obtain, at no cost, the association's current annual disclosure, including the budget, assessments by unit type, financial statements showing reserves, any audit or review, the insurance policy list, the governing documents and policies, and the past year's minutes.

[Name, unit, telephone, email]

7. Question about a closing charge

[Date]

[Association name], c/o [manager]; copy to [title company]

Re: Closing charges, [property address]

The estimated closing statement for [property address] shows a charge of [amount] described as [description], payable to [payee].

The association's list of unique and extraordinary fees, kept under C.R.S. 38-33.3-317(1)(h.5), does not include this charge. Please tell me in writing what the charge is for, what authorizes it, and whether the fee list will be updated.

Closing is set for [date].

[Name, role, telephone, email]

8. Owner's request to inspect records

[Date]

By certified mail, return receipt requested

[Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Records request, [property address]

I am the owner of [property address]. Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-317, I ask to inspect, or receive copies of, these records: [describe each record, for example the year-end financial statements for [year], the current reserve study, and the minutes of board meetings from [date] to [date]].

Please tell me the cost of copies, which under 317(4) may not exceed the estimated cost of production and reproduction. I note the timing and penalty provisions in 317(4.5).

[Name, unit, telephone, email]

From Strictly Comply.

1. Board to owner: notice of delinquency

[Date] By certified mail, return receipt requested

[Owner or designated contact], [address]

Re: Unit [number], [association name]

Our records show $[amount] unpaid on your account as of [date].

You may ask for a ledger of your account. We will provide it no later than seven business days after we receive your request (C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(5)).

If the delinquency is not cured within 30 days, it may lead to the sale of your unit at auction.

Free information is available from the HOA Information and Resource Center at the Division of Real Estate, and credit counseling from a HUD-approved housing counselor.

We are also contacting you by [two of: phone, text, email]. A payment plan offer follows separately.

[Name], [manager or board], [contact details]

2. Board to owner: payment plan offer

[Date]

[Owner or designated contact], [address]

Re: Payment plan, Unit [number]

The association offers you a plan to repay $[amount] in monthly installments over 18 months (C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(7); 316.3). You may choose the amount of each monthly payment, as long as each is at least $25.

You must also keep paying your regular assessments while on the plan.

To accept, please reply within 30 days of this letter, stating your chosen monthly amount. While you comply with the plan, the association will not foreclose.

[Name], on behalf of the Board

3. Board to owners: contact details and language

[Date]

To all owners of [association name]

Re: Your contact details (C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1)(a.5))

The association asks owners each year for a phone number, cell number and email address. You do not have to provide them. If you do, we can reach you faster about anything affecting your account.

You may also name a designated contact to receive notices about your account, and ask to receive notices in a language other than English.

Please reply to [name and address] with: [phone], [cell], [email], [designated contact, if any], [preferred language, if any].

[Name], on behalf of the Board

4. Board to former manager: handover of records and property

[Date]

[Management company], [address]

Re: Handover under C.R.S. 38-33.3-317(9)

The association's management contract with you [ended / was not renewed] on [date]. Section 317(9) requires you to deliver all association property within 45 days, at no charge.

Please deliver: all money and account details; all records, in every form; insurance policies; contracts; and all account passwords and keys, including [owner portal, bank, utilities, website, gates].

Please deliver to [name, address] by [date]. We will confirm receipt in writing.

[Name], on behalf of the Board

5. Owner to board: records request

[Date] By certified mail, return receipt requested

Board of [association name], c/o [manager or secretary]

Re: Request for records, C.R.S. 38-33.3-317

I am the owner of Unit [number]. I request to inspect, or receive copies of, these records: [for example: board minutes from (date) to (date); reserve account statements for (year); the current management contract].

I will pay copy charges up to the estimated cost of production. Please tell me the amount in advance.

I understand records not produced within 30 calendar days of receipt of this certified request may carry a penalty under 317(4.5).

[Name, unit address, telephone, email]

6. Owner to board: ledger request

[Date]

[Association name], c/o [manager]

Re: Ledger for Unit [number], C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(5)

I received a notice of delinquency dated [date]. Please send me a ledger of my account showing every charge and payment since [date].

I understand the association must provide it no later than seven business days after receiving this request.

Please also send notices about my account to [designated contact, if any] and in [preferred language, if any].

[Name, unit address, telephone, email]

7. Owners to board: request for an audit or review

[Date]

Board of [association name]

Re: Request under C.R.S. 38-33.3-303(4)(b)

We, the undersigned, own at least one-third of the units in the association. We request [an audit / a review] of the association's financial statements for fiscal year [year].

Please tell us the name of the accountant engaged and the expected completion date.

Contact for this request: [name, unit, telephone, email].

[For each signer: printed name, unit, signature, date]

8. Owner to board: meeting notice and the right to speak

[Date]

Board of [association name], c/o [secretary or manager]

Re: Notice of board meetings, C.R.S. 38-33.3-308

I am the owner of Unit [number]. Please send me notice of all board meetings by email at [email], including special meetings (308(2)(b)).

I also wish to speak at the next meeting before the board votes on [item], as 308(2.5) allows. Please tell me any time limit or sign-up procedure.

[Name, unit address, telephone, email]

From Nine Months.

1. Request for the ledger and an itemized statement

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name], [address]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

I ask for a copy of my account ledger from [date] to today, showing every charge and every payment, the date each was posted, and the type of each charge (assessment, late fee, interest, fine, certified mail cost, collection cost or attorney fee).

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(5)(a), the ledger is due no later than seven business days after you receive this request. Under 209.5(8)(b), no fee may be charged for a statement of the total I owe. Please also confirm the interest rate charged, which may not exceed 8% a year (209.5(8)(a)), and how each of my payments was applied.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

2. Naming a designated contact and a preferred language

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(a)(I), I name the following person as my designated contact for any notice about amounts owed on my account: [name, address, telephone, email].

I also ask that all notices to me and to my designated contact be provided in [language] as well as English.

Please confirm in writing that your records have been updated, and send any future notices under 209.5(1.7)(a) and 316(10.8) both to me and to my designated contact.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

3. Accepting the 18-month payment plan

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

I accept the payment plan offered in your letter dated [date]. Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(7)(a)(II), I choose to pay $[amount] a month for 18 months toward the arrears of $[amount], starting [date], in addition to my regular assessment of $[amount] when due.

Under 316.3(4), please apply my plan payments to assessments first. Under 316.3(3.5), the association may not foreclose while I am in compliance with this plan.

Please confirm the plan terms in writing, including how any balance remaining at the end of 18 months will be handled.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

4. The referral vote and the required contacts

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

My account has been referred to [name of collection agency or law firm]. Please tell me:

1. the date of the board meeting at which a majority of the board voted, in a recorded vote, to refer my account, as C.R.S. 38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(a) requires; and

2. the dates and methods of the certified mail notice and the two other contacts by phone, text or email made before that action.

Under 316(7)(b), I am not responsible for attorney fees for work done before those contacts were made. Please remove any such fees.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

5. Question about attorney fees

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

My account shows attorney fees of $[amount] charged between [date] and [date].

Please send an itemized list of those fees, with the date and description of each item of work. Please also tell me the cap that applied on each date under C.R.S. 38-33.3-123(1)(a), which limits collection attorney fees without a lawsuit to the lesser of the adjusted dollar figure or 50% of the assessments and money owed, and how the fees charged compare with it.

If any fees exceed the cap, or were for work before the 209.5(1.7)(a) contacts (316(7)(b)), please remove them and confirm the correction in writing.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

6. Response to the mediation notice

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], your notice dated [date]

I received your notice of the right to engage in mediation prior to litigation under C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(10.7). I respond within thirty days, and I choose mediation.

Please contact me by [method] to agree on a mediator familiar with the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act and to schedule the mediation within thirty days, as the statute provides. Please also tell me who will pay the mediator's fees.

[Name, address, telephone, email]

7. Before foreclosure: the vote on my unit and the other gates

[Date]

Board of Directors, [association name]

Re: [unit or lot number and address], account [number]

Before any foreclosure action, please send me:

1. the minutes showing the board's recorded vote authorizing a legal action against my specific unit (C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(11)(a)(II));

2. the figures showing that my unpaid common expense assessments equal at least six months under the periodic budget (316(11)(a)(I));

3. a copy of the written payment plan offer and its date (209.5(7)(a)(II)); and

4. the association's current registration with the Division of Real Estate (401).

[I occupy this unit as my principal residence (316(10.5)).]

[Name, address, telephone, email]

8. Status letter request for a sale

[Date]

By certified mail, return receipt requested

[Name of registered agent], registered agent for [association name], [address]

Re: [unit or lot number and address]

I am the owner of this unit. Under C.R.S. 38-33.3-316(8), I request a written statement setting out the amount of unpaid assessments on this unit, to be furnished within fourteen calendar days after you receive this request.

Please send it to me and to [name of title or closing company and address]. Please also tell me any fee charged for this statement, as listed under 317(1)(h.5).

[Name, address, telephone, email]

The series

The Colorado HOA & Condo Handbook

The four books in the series are coming to Amazon over the next few weeks. Everything else on this page is free now.

Book 1 · Owners with a violation letter

No Daily Fines.

Colorado bans daily HOA fines. For an ordinary violation, the total of all fines is capped at $500, and you get two 30-day windows to fix it before legal action.

Coming to Amazon soon.

Book 2 · Buyers and sellers

The Status Letter.

A Colorado association has 14 calendar days to give a status letter. If it gives none, it loses its lien for the assessments already due that day.

Coming to Amazon soon.

Book 3 · Board members

Strictly Comply.

Since 1 October 2025, a Colorado association that does not strictly comply with its lien and foreclosure rules can have its case paused, with no late fees or interest running.

Coming to Amazon soon.

Book 4 · Owners behind on dues

Nine Months.

Behind on your Colorado HOA or condo dues, or holding a foreclosure letter? Start here.

Coming to Amazon soon.

Colorado HOA & condo law, in plain English

Free tools

Does this apply to you?

Got a violation letter or a fine?

Ordinary violations: two 30-day windows, $500 total

Every fine needs a fair process

Fines alone can never take your home

What an association cannot ban

Buying or selling: the status letter

The contract (CBS1)

For board members: strictly comply

Meetings and elections

Budgets, directors and reserves

Records

Behind on dues

The 18-month payment plan

Foreclosure and the nine-month stay

The gates before a case

Nine months to sell (C.R.S. 38-38-109.5)

Cure, sale and buying back

HOA or condo at a glance

Who to ask

What changes next

Colorado links

Letters you can send

From No Daily Fines.

From The Status Letter.

From Strictly Comply.

From Nine Months.

The Colorado HOA & Condo Handbook

No Daily Fines.

The Status Letter.

Strictly Comply.

Nine Months.