Landlord-Tenant Law in Las Animas County, Colorado
Las Animas County is the largest county by area in Colorado — 4,775 square miles of southeastern Colorado encompassing the Spanish Peaks, the Purgatoire River canyon, Raton Pass, and vast stretches of the Comanche National Grassland. The county takes its name from the Purgatoire River, originally named by Spanish explorers El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en el Purgatorio — “River of the Lost Souls in Purgatory” — after soldiers killed along its banks were said to have died without last rites. Las Animas County was established in 1866 as part of the Colorado Territory. The county seat is Trinidad (~8,100), a Victorian-era city at the foot of Raton Pass on Interstate 25, approximately 21 miles north of the New Mexico border and 195 miles south of Denver.
Trinidad’s history is layered with the Santa Fe Trail, coal mining, violent labor conflict, celebrated outlaws, and a singular chapter of American medical history. The county’s rental market is a classic rural Colorado value market: median household income is approximately $52,000–$56,000 for Trinidad, the poverty rate is approximately 18–21%, and property values and rents are among the lowest in Colorado, creating an affordable entry point for landlords. All landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. No rent control. Evictions are filed in Las Animas County District Court in Trinidad (3rd Judicial District).
Trinidad is one of Colorado’s most affordable rental markets by absolute dollar cost, with a cost of living index of 82.4 (vs. the US average of 100) and property taxes that are among the lowest in Colorado (median $398–$653/year for housing units). For landlords seeking low-cost entry into the Colorado rental market, Las Animas County offers some of the state’s lowest acquisition prices. However, the risk profile is elevated: Trinidad’s poverty rate of 18–21% is nearly double Colorado’s statewide average of approximately 9.4%, meaning that a significant portion of prospective tenants may have limited income stability. The county median age is 46.6 years — one of the oldest in Colorado — reflecting the population challenges facing rural communities across southeastern Colorado. Standard income verification (3x monthly rent) is strongly recommended. Trinidad State College (~1,000 students) provides some rental demand from the student population, though it is small relative to the city’s size.
Just-Cause Eviction (HB 24-1098)
Effective April 19, 2024. 90-day written notice required for no-fault non-renewals of tenancies of 12+ months. Valid causes: nonpayment, material lease violations, criminal activity, nuisance, landlord/family occupancy, sale, substantial renovation, or withdrawal from market. Exemptions: owner-occupied SFH/duplex/triplex, sub-12-month tenancies, STRs, employer housing. In Trinidad’s small market, the 90-day notice requirement is less commercially significant than in larger markets, as re-letting timelines are slower and tenant pools are more limited. One rent increase per 12-month period maximum.
Habitability & Aging Housing Stock (SB 24-094)
Trinidad’s Victorian-era downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods include significant housing stock dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the city was the coal capital of southern Colorado. Many of these properties feature older plumbing, electrical, and heating systems that require ongoing maintenance. SB 24-094 requires landlords to begin remedial action within 72 hours of a habitability complaint and within 24 hours for life-safety issues. Given the age of Trinidad’s housing stock, pre-tenancy inspections and proactive maintenance are strongly recommended. Winter temperatures in Las Animas County, at approximately 6,000 feet elevation, can be severe — heating system failures require prompt response. Landlords should pre-arrange contractor relationships before any tenancy begins.
Tourism Revival & Fisher’s Peak State Park
Trinidad has been experiencing a modest creative and tourism revival, anchored by the state-certified CREATE Trinidad Creative District, Fisher’s Peak State Park (Colorado’s newest state park as of 2021, on a 19,662-acre mesa visible from downtown), Trinidad Lake State Park, the Spanish Peaks Wilderness, and the Comanche National Grassland (which contains 150-million-year-old dinosaur tracks and portions of the historic Santa Fe Trail). The revival of Trinidad’s downtown arts scene and its designation as a Colorado Creative District have attracted modest investment and some short-term vacation rental activity. Landlords offering STRs targeting heritage tourism, state park visitors, and I-25 corridor travelers should verify any Trinidad city STR licensing requirements and note that STRs are exempt from HB 24-1098’s just-cause non-renewal requirements.
Security Deposits & HB 25-1249
Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1249 caps security deposits at one month’s rent. At Trinidad’s rent levels — which are among the lowest in Colorado — the cap is unlikely to be a practical constraint for most properties. However, given the elevated poverty rate, landlords should carefully evaluate tenant income verification rather than relying on deposit size as a risk buffer. Return within 30 days; itemized statement required; triple damages for wrongful withholding. Late fees: 7-day grace; max $50 or 5% of past-due rent. At Trinidad income levels, the 7-day grace period may see heavier use than in higher-income markets — landlords should track payment patterns closely and address issues early.
CRS Title 38, Article 12 — statutes, procedures, and landlord rights applicable in Las Animas 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.
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Underground Landlord
🏙️ Communities in Las Animas County
Trinidad and communities across Colorado’s largest county
Largest county by area in Colorado (4,775 sq mi). Named for the Purgatoire River — El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en el Purgatorio (“River of the Lost Souls in Purgatory”). Established 1866. Trinidad on the Santa Fe Trail at the foot of Raton Pass. Ludlow Massacre — April 20, 1914; deadliest labor conflict in US history; 19 killed including 13 women and children in burning tent colony; sparked child labor laws and 8-hour workday reforms; designated National Historic Landmark 2009. Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson (marshal 1882), Al Capone all passed through. Dr. Stanley Biber — began gender reassignment surgery 1969; performed 4,000+ procedures; Trinidad dubbed “Sex Change Capital of the World.” Trinidad State College (oldest community college in Colorado). Fisher’s Peak State Park (2021). Spanish Peaks. Comanche National Grassland (150M-year-old dinosaur tracks). 18–21% poverty rate; 3rd Judicial District.
Las Animas County
Trinidad Landlord Essentials
Affordable CO entry market; cost of living 82.4 vs. US 100. Elevated risk: ~18–21% poverty rate — require 3x income verification; expect heavier use of 7-day late fee grace period. Victorian-era housing stock: pre-tenancy inspection recommended; pre-arrange heating/plumbing contractors. STR: verify Trinidad city requirements; Fisher’s Peak visitors provide new demand. HB 24-1098: 90-day no-fault notice. HB 25-1249: 1-month deposit cap Jan 1, 2026. One rent increase per 12 months. Evictions: 3rd Judicial District, Trinidad.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Las Animas County, Colorado
Las Animas County is the largest county by area in Colorado — 4,775 square miles of southeastern rangeland, canyon country, and mountain foothills anchored by Trinidad, a Victorian-era city at the foot of Raton Pass on Interstate 25. The county’s name comes from the Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en el Purgatorio — “the River of the Lost Souls in Purgatory” — reportedly because Spanish soldiers killed along its banks died without receiving last rites. The river was later called “Purgatoire” by French traders, and that name was anglicized to “Picketwire” by American settlers who couldn’t quite manage the French pronunciation. Las Animas County was established in 1866. Trinidad, located 21 miles north of the New Mexico border and 195 miles south of Denver, sits at roughly 6,025 feet elevation along both the historic Santa Fe Trail and modern I-25.
The Ludlow Massacre: The Deadliest Labor Conflict in American History
No event in Las Animas County’s history shaped American society more profoundly than the Ludlow Massacre of April 20, 1914. The conflict grew from a strike begun in September 1913 by the United Mine Workers of America against the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company — the Rockefeller-owned corporation that employed most of the region’s coal miners. When the striking miners and their families were evicted from company housing, the UMWA established tent colonies to shelter them through the winter, including one at Ludlow, approximately 18 miles north of Trinidad. On the morning of April 20, 1914, gunfire broke out between the Colorado National Guard and miners at the Ludlow colony. The guardsmen, believing the camp to be empty, set it ablaze. Hidden in a pit beneath one of the tents were thirteen women and children, who suffocated and died in the flames. At least nineteen people died at Ludlow that day. In the ten days that followed, armed miners attacked mine facilities across a 225-mile front from Trinidad to Louisville. Federal troops under President Woodrow Wilson ultimately restored order. Historian Howard Zinn described the Colorado Coalfield War as perhaps “the most violent struggle between corporate power and laboring men in American history.” The massacre — though the strikers ultimately won none of their stated objectives — shocked the American public and became the catalyzing event behind child labor law reform and the eight-hour workday. The Ludlow tent colony site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009.
Dr. Stanley Biber and Trinidad’s Singular Medical History
In 1969, a Korean War veteran and general surgeon named Dr. Stanley Biber, who had moved to Trinidad in the 1950s because the town needed a surgeon, received an unusual request from a local social worker. After consulting medical literature and a colleague in New York, Biber performed the procedure — the first of more than 4,000 gender reassignment surgeries he would go on to perform over the next three decades, making Trinidad internationally known in medical and LGBTQ+ communities as the destination for gender-affirming care at a time when virtually no other providers existed. Biber’s protégé, Dr. Marci Bowers, continued his practice after his retirement, and together the two physicians are estimated to have performed more than 6,000 procedures between 1969 and 2010. Trinidad’s welcoming of patients seeking care that was unavailable almost anywhere else in the world became a defining — if unlikely — chapter in the city’s history.
Las Animas County landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. Just-cause eviction (HB 24-1098): 90-day no-fault non-renewal notice required; exemptions for owner-occupied SFH/duplex/triplex, sub-12-month tenancies, STRs, and employer housing. Habitability (SB 24-094): 72-hour begin remedial action; 24-hour for life-safety; pre-arrange heating and plumbing contractors before any tenancy (Trinidad’s older housing stock requires proactive maintenance). Security deposits: HB 25-1249 caps at 1 month’s rent from Jan 1, 2026; return within 30 days. Poverty rate approximately 18–21%: require 3x monthly rent income verification. Late fees: 7-day grace; max $50 or 5% past-due rent. No rent control. One rent increase per 12 months maximum. Evictions filed in Las Animas County District Court in Trinidad (3rd Judicial District). Consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Las Animas County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
