Costilla County occupies the southeastern corner of the San Luis Valley, bordered by New Mexico to the south and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east. With approximately 3,650 residents, it is one of Colorado’s smallest counties by population and carries the distinction of being home to San Luis — the oldest continuously occupied European-American settlement in Colorado, founded on April 5, 1851 by Hispano farmers from the Taos Valley under the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. San Luis, the county seat with approximately 642 residents, sits at 7,979 feet elevation in the high-altitude San Luis Valley, where acequia irrigation systems, communal land-use traditions, and deep Catholic faith have shaped community life for over 170 years. The county’s population is approximately 65% Hispanic, with San Luis itself being approximately 82.8% Hispanic — making Costilla County one of the most culturally Hispano communities in Colorado.
All landlord-tenant matters in Costilla County are governed by the Colorado Revised Statutes, primarily CRS Title 38, Article 12 and Title 13, Article 40. Colorado’s 2024 legislative reforms — statewide just-cause eviction (HB 24-1098), enhanced habitability protections (SB 24-094), and the HOME Act (HB 24-1007) — apply fully. There is no local rent control and no county-level landlord registration. The county faces severe economic hardship: the poverty rate in Costilla County exceeds 22%, the town of San Luis has a poverty rate of 37.4%, and the county unemployment rate runs approximately 6.4% — well above the state average. This is one of Colorado’s most economically distressed rental markets. Bilingual Spanish-English notices are strongly advisable. Evictions are filed in Costilla County Court.
County and town-specific rules that apply alongside Colorado state law
Category
Details
Rental Licensing / Registration
Costilla County has no county-level landlord registration or rental licensing requirement for residential properties. The Town of San Luis does not require rental registration beyond standard business licensing. Code enforcement capacity in this small, rural county is limited. Colorado state habitability law applies fully regardless of local enforcement resources, and landlords bear the same compliance obligations here as in Denver or Boulder.
Bilingual Notice Requirement
Colorado law requires eviction notices to be provided in the tenant’s primary language when known to the landlord. With approximately 82.8% of San Luis residents identifying as Hispanic and Spanish being the primary language of a large share of households, landlords in Costilla County must prepare all eviction notices in both English and Spanish. San Luis maintains a distinctive Spanish dialect reflecting centuries of relative isolation — landlords should work with a qualified translator or Colorado attorney to ensure notices are legally accurate in both languages. A defective notice due to language issues can invalidate an eviction proceeding and require restarting from the beginning.
Just-Cause Eviction (HB 24-1098)
Colorado’s statewide just-cause eviction law applies in Costilla County. Non-exempt tenancies require a qualifying reason to terminate or decline to renew, with no-fault non-renewals requiring 90 days written notice. Common exemptions include owner-occupied single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes; tenancies of less than 12 months; and employer-provided housing. In a county of 3,650 people with extreme poverty and a tiny rental market, good tenants are virtually irreplaceable. Just-cause compliance is both a legal obligation and sound business practice.
Rent Control
None. Colorado state law preempts all local rent control. Costilla County and the Town of San Luis have no rent stabilization. With a median household income of $30,481 in San Luis and a poverty rate of 37.4%, market forces constrain rents far more effectively than any ordinance could. Rent increases in this environment carry real risk of triggering nonpayment and eventual eviction in a market where replacement tenants are extremely difficult to find.
Late Fees & Security Deposits
Colorado’s mandatory 7-day grace period applies before any late fee may be assessed. Late fees are capped at $50 or 5% of past-due rent, whichever is greater. Security deposits must be returned within 30 days of tenancy end (60 days if agreed). Wrongful withholding results in triple damages plus attorney fees. No statewide cap on deposit amounts as of April 2026. Large security deposit requirements in a market with a 37.4% poverty rate and widespread federal assistance reliance will eliminate most of the local applicant pool. Landlords must calibrate deposit expectations to the actual economic circumstances of potential tenants.
Warranty of Habitability (SB 24-094)
Colorado’s 2024 habitability reforms require landlords to begin remedial action within 72 hours for most uninhabitable conditions and 24 hours for life-safety emergencies. San Luis sits at 7,979 feet elevation in the San Luis Valley, with harsh winters that make heating failures life-safety emergencies requiring immediate response. The nearest larger city with broader contractor availability is Alamosa, approximately 20 miles to the northwest. Costilla County’s older housing stock — much of it built in adobe or early 20th-century construction styles — requires attentive maintenance and proactive inspection to prevent conditions that trigger the 2024 habitability response timelines.
Sangre de Cristo Land Grant & Communal Lands
Costilla County is home to a portion of the historic Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, a Mexican-era land grant whose ownership and use rights have been the subject of significant litigation. The landmark Lobato v. Taylor case (2002) affirmed that heirs of original land grant settlers retain access rights to mountain common lands. Landlords acquiring property in Costilla County should conduct careful title research to understand any easements, access rights, or community land rights that may affect the property. This is particularly important for rural and agricultural parcels in the county’s mountainous western portions. Consult a Colorado real estate attorney with San Luis Valley land grant experience before acquiring property here.
Great Sand Dunes Proximity
Costilla County is adjacent to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve — one of Colorado’s most visited national parks and a major regional tourism driver. The park draws over 500,000 visitors annually, primarily through Alamosa and Saguache counties, but Costilla County landowners along US-160 benefit from some tourism spillover. Short-term rental potential exists for properties with good access to the park, the Blanca Peak area (a 14er), and the broader San Luis Valley outdoor recreation corridor.
CRS Title 38 & Title 13 statutes, notice requirements, and landlord rights that apply in Costilla County
⚡ Quick Overview
10
Days Notice (Nonpayment)
10
Days Notice (Violation)
30-50
Avg Total Days
$85
Filing Fee (Approx)
💰 Nonpayment of Rent
Notice Type10-Day Demand for Compliance or Possession
Notice Period10 days
Tenant Can Cure?Yes
Days to Hearing7-14 days
Days to Writ48 hours after judgment days
Total Estimated Timeline30-50 days
Total Estimated Cost$150-$500
⚠️ Watch Out
HB 24-1098 (2024) increased notice period from 3 to 10 days for nonpayment. Tenant can cure by paying full rent owed. Late fees cannot be charged during the 10-day period. Landlord must accept partial payment if offered during notice period in some cases.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the County Court. Pay the filing fee (~$85).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Colorado eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Colorado attorney or local legal aid organization.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
Colorado landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Colorado —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Colorado's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
Ready to File?
Generate Colorado-Compliant Legal Documents
AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Colorado requirements.
Calculate your required notice period and earliest filing date
📋 Notice Period Calculator
Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.
⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Costilla County is home to San Luis — Colorado’s oldest continuously occupied town (founded 1851). With ~3,650 residents, a 22% county poverty rate, 37.4% poverty rate in San Luis, and 82.8% Hispanic population, this is among Colorado’s most economically distressed rental markets. Bilingual notices essential. Land grant title issues require specialized legal counsel for property acquisitions.
Costilla County
Screen Before You Sign
In a county with 37.4% poverty in the county seat, screening must be both thorough and realistic. Target the most stable profiles: Costilla County school district employees, county government workers, healthcare staff, and established agricultural workers. Bilingual screening materials are essential. At a median household income of ~$30,481, income verification at 3x rent must account for local economic reality. A co-signer requirement is advisable for applicants near income thresholds.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Costilla County, Colorado
Costilla County is where Colorado’s story begins. San Luis, the county seat, was founded on April 5, 1851 — more than 25 years before Colorado achieved statehood — by Hispano settlers moving north from the Taos Valley under the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant issued by the Mexican government in 1843. The community they established in the high-altitude San Luis Valley has endured for over 170 years, sustained by acequia irrigation systems that still water fields and gardens in San Luis today, by the Catholic faith centered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, and by the extended family structures and communal land traditions that are the defining characteristics of Hispano settlement culture in the American Southwest. To operate as a residential landlord in Costilla County is to work within one of the oldest and most culturally distinctive communities in the American West. It requires more than legal compliance — it requires cultural competence, linguistic accessibility, and a genuine commitment to serving a community whose relationship with this land predates the legal framework that now governs it.
The Economy of Costilla County
Costilla County is one of the most economically distressed counties in Colorado by virtually every measurable indicator. The county poverty rate exceeds 22%. The town of San Luis has a poverty rate of 37.4% — meaning more than one in three residents lives below the federal poverty line. The median household income in San Luis is approximately $30,481 — less than half the Colorado state median. The county unemployment rate in August 2025 was 6.4%, well above the state average of 4.2%. Approximately 41% of the county’s population receives federal assistance. These are not statistics to be cited dispassionately and moved past — they are the economic reality within which every landlord-tenant relationship in Costilla County operates, and they define what is feasible, what is fair, and what is sustainable in this rental market.
The county’s employment base is anchored by healthcare and social assistance (approximately 20% of employment), educational services, construction, and agriculture. The acequia-irrigated farmland in the valley floor supports small-scale agricultural operations that have sustained local families for generations, though the economic returns from small-scale traditional farming are modest. County government, the school district, and healthcare at the local clinic represent the most stable sources of regular wage employment. Tourism, driven by proximity to Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Blanca Peak 14er, and the broader San Luis Valley cultural heritage, generates some seasonal economic activity but has not yet produced the kind of sustained tourism-sector employment that characterizes other Colorado counties.
The Sangre de Cristo Land Grant and Title Complexity
Any landlord or investor considering acquiring property in Costilla County must understand the unique title complexity created by the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. The landmark Colorado Supreme Court case Lobato v. Taylor (2002) affirmed that the heirs of original land grant settlers retain access rights to mountain common lands within the former grant boundary — rights that had been contested for over a century following Anglo-American acquisition of the land in the late 19th century. These community access rights affect how certain parcels within the county can be used and what easements and access obligations may run with the land.
Landlords acquiring property in Costilla County — particularly rural and agricultural parcels in the county’s mountainous western portions near the Sangre de Cristo range — should work with a Colorado real estate attorney who has specific experience with San Luis Valley land grant issues. Standard title searches may not fully disclose community rights that arise from the land grant tradition rather than recorded easements. This is not a market where standard Front Range due diligence practices are sufficient.
Operating Respectfully in Colorado’s Oldest Community
The practical and legal considerations for landlords in Costilla County ultimately flow from the same source: this is a community with deep roots, limited resources, and a historical experience of institutional relationships that have not always served its residents well. Colorado’s 2024 landlord-tenant law reforms — the just-cause eviction requirement, the habitability response timelines, the late fee caps, the bilingual notice obligations — apply here with the same force as in any Denver neighborhood. But their application in this context requires particular thoughtfulness. Serving bilingual notices is not a technical compliance exercise — it is a recognition that the community’s first language is Spanish and that legal proceedings conducted only in English create genuine barriers to understanding. Maintaining habitability standards in 170-year-old adobe housing is not optional — it is the baseline obligation that Colorado law demands of every landlord regardless of the age or condition of the stock they own. The landlords who operate successfully and sustainably in Costilla County are those who approach this community with the respect that its history and its people deserve.
Costilla County landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12 and CRS Title 13, Article 40. Nonpayment notice: 10 days (3 days for exempt agreements). Lease violation: 10 days to cure or quit. No-fault non-renewal: 90 days with qualifying reason. Late fee grace period: 7 days; maximum fee: $50 or 5% of past-due rent. Security deposit return: 30 days (60 days if agreed). No rent control statewide. Bilingual Spanish-English eviction notices required when tenant’s primary language is known. Sangre de Cristo Land Grant title issues — consult a specialized Colorado real estate attorney for property acquisitions. Evictions filed in Costilla County Court. Consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Costilla County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always verify current requirements with a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
