Landlord-Tenant Law in Washington County, Colorado
Washington County covers 2,521 square miles of Colorado’s northeastern plains, a vast rolling expanse of high-plains shortgrass prairie and dryland wheat country approximately 100 miles east of Denver. The county was established in 1887 and named for President George Washington. The county seat is Akron (~1,600), a quiet agricultural service town on US-34 and US-385 at 4,655 feet elevation. The county’s second community is Otis (~500), located in the southwestern corner of the county.
Washington County is quintessential Colorado high plains — a landscape of sweeping sky, golden wheat fields, occasional windbreaks, and the quiet persistence of rural agricultural life that has defined this part of the state for over a century. The county’s economy is anchored almost entirely by dryland winter wheat farming and cattle ranching, with some sunflower, corn, and sorghum production. Government employment, the school district, and the small service economy of Akron provide the stable non-agricultural employment. All landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. No rent control. Evictions are filed in Washington County District Court in Akron (13th Judicial District).
Washington County’s rental market is among the smallest and most straightforward in Colorado. Akron, with approximately 1,600 residents, is the county’s sole significant population center; Otis (~500) provides a second, smaller community in the southwest. The rental market consists almost entirely of single-family homes and small duplexes, with demand driven by county government employees, Akron school district staff, healthcare workers at the local clinic, grain elevator and agricultural service employees, and the occasional farmer or rancher who rents in town while their land is in the family. Like many high-plains agricultural counties, Washington County has experienced steady population decline as farm consolidation reduces the agricultural workforce and younger residents leave for urban opportunities. Landlords entering this market should have realistic expectations: modest rents, thin demand, reliable but small tenant pools, and properties that require ongoing maintenance in a continental climate with significant weather extremes.
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 include: nonpayment, material lease violations, criminal activity, nuisance, landlord/family occupancy, sale, substantial renovation, or withdrawal from the rental market. Exemptions: owner-occupied SFH/duplex/triplex, sub-12-month tenancies, STRs, and employer housing. Agricultural employer housing provided on farm or ranch operations may qualify for the employer housing exemption. One rent increase per 12-month period maximum.
Dryland Wheat: The Economic Foundation
Washington County is one of Colorado’s most important dryland winter wheat counties. The county’s gently rolling plains — receiving approximately 15–17 inches of annual precipitation, enough for dryland farming without irrigation — produce winter wheat that is planted in fall, overwinters under the plains sky, and harvested in late June and July. The wheat harvest brings seasonal activity to Akron: combines, grain trucks, elevator activity, and the influx of custom harvesters who follow the harvest north from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. Cattle ranching on the drier, grassier portions of the county rounds out the agricultural economy. Sunflower production has grown as a supplementary crop. Agricultural commodity prices — particularly wheat — drive the local economy’s health in ways that are entirely outside local control, making economic conditions in Akron more variable than in communities with more diversified employment bases.
High Plains Climate & Habitability
Washington County’s high-plains climate is characterized by large temperature swings — summer highs above 100°F, winter lows below -10°F — persistent winds, periodic severe thunderstorms with hail, occasional blizzards, and limited humidity year-round. SB 24-094 requires landlords to begin remedial action within 72 hours and address life-safety issues (including heating failures) within 24 hours. At these temperatures, a failed furnace in January is a medical emergency. The nearest significant contractor base is Fort Morgan (Morgan County, approximately 50 miles west) or Sterling (Logan County). Pre-arrange HVAC and plumbing contractor relationships before entering any tenancy. Hail damage to roofs is a recurring maintenance risk on the plains; landlord insurance should explicitly cover hail.
Security Deposits & HB 25-1249
Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1249 caps security deposits at one month’s rent. At Akron’s very modest rent levels this is not a practical constraint. Return within 30 days; itemized statement required; triple damages for wrongful withholding. Late fees: 7-day grace period; maximum $50 or 5% of past-due rent. In a county of 4,800 people, landlord-tenant relationships are deeply community-embedded; good documentation, proactive communication, and neighbor-minded conflict resolution are more valuable than aggressive legal strategies.
CRS Title 38, Article 12 — statutes, procedures, and landlord rights applicable in Washington 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 Washington County
Akron and Otis — the communities of Colorado wheat country
Established 1887; named for President George Washington. County seat: Akron (~1,600) at 4,655 ft — at US-34/US-385 junction. Dryland winter wheat — one of CO’s most productive wheat counties. Cattle ranching; sunflower production. Continental climate: -10°F winters, 100°F+ summers, frequent high winds, hail. 13th Judicial District (shared with Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma). ~100 miles east of Denver.
Washington County
Akron Landlord Essentials
Ultra-thin market — target government and school district employees for stable tenancies. Agricultural employer housing may qualify for HB 24-1098 exemption. Pre-arrange contractors in Fort Morgan (50 mi west) or Sterling; plains winters reach -10°F and summer hail is a recurring maintenance risk (ensure hail insurance coverage). Community relationships matter: good documentation and proactive communication over legal aggression. HB 24-1098: 90-day no-fault notice. HB 25-1249: 1-month deposit cap Jan 1, 2026. Evictions: 13th Judicial District, Akron.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Washington County, Colorado
Washington County covers 2,521 square miles of Colorado’s northeastern high plains, a landscape of rolling shortgrass prairie, winter wheat fields, and wide-open sky that stretches from the South Platte River country in the north to the Arikaree River drainage in the south. The county was established in 1887 and named for the first president of the United States. Its county seat, Akron, is a quiet agricultural service town at 4,655 feet on the junction of US-34 and US-385, approximately 100 miles east of Denver and roughly equidistant from Fort Morgan to the west, Yuma to the east, and Sterling to the north. The county’s second community, Otis, is a small farming town of approximately 500 in the southwest corner of the county.
The High Plains Wheat Economy
Washington County’s agricultural identity is defined above all by dryland winter wheat. The county’s gently rolling terrain, relatively deep soils, and precipitation pattern — averaging approximately 15–17 inches annually, sufficient for dryland cropping without irrigation — make it one of Colorado’s most productive wheat counties. Winter wheat is planted in September and October, germinates and establishes before freeze-up, overwinters under the vast plains sky, resumes growth in spring, and is harvested in late June and early July in a concentrated rush of activity that temporarily fills grain elevators, roads, and the parking lots of Akron’s implement dealers with the machinery and workers of the harvest.
The annual wheat harvest brings seasonal vitality to Akron: custom harvesting crews from Texas and Kansas arrive with their combines, following the harvest ripening line northward; local grain elevators work around the clock; truckers haul wheat to storage and rail loading facilities; and the town’s implement dealers, parts suppliers, and service businesses experience their busiest weeks of the year. The rest of the agricultural calendar is quieter — cattle grazing on the county’s rangeland, sunflower cultivation as a supplementary cash crop, and the steady rhythms of maintenance, marketing, and planning that define modern farm operations. Washington County’s agricultural economy is directly exposed to global wheat commodity prices, precipitation variability, and the long-term structural forces reshaping American agriculture — forces that have driven steady farm consolidation and population decline across the rural plains for decades.
Renting in Washington County: Realistic Expectations
Washington County’s rental market is modest in scale and straightforward in character. The most stable tenant segments are government employees, school district staff, and healthcare workers at the county’s medical facilities. Agricultural workers — both permanent farm operators and seasonal harvest employees — represent an additional segment, though the seasonal income pattern of agricultural work requires careful evaluation. Colorado’s full landlord-tenant framework applies: HB 24-1098’s 90-day just-cause non-renewal requirement (with an agricultural employer housing exemption that may apply to farm worker housing on qualifying operations), SB 24-094’s habitability standards, and HB 25-1249’s 1-month deposit cap effective January 1, 2026.
The high plains climate presents the most important practical maintenance consideration. Winter temperatures regularly drop below -10°F, and heating system failures at these temperatures are emergencies requiring response within SB 24-094’s 24-hour life-safety window. Summer hail is a recurring maintenance risk in a county that sits in the Central Plains hail belt; landlord property insurance should explicitly provide hail coverage. Pre-arranged contractor relationships with Fort Morgan or Sterling-based HVAC and plumbing services are essential, as local contractor availability in Akron is limited. Evictions are filed in the 13th Judicial District courthouse in Akron.
Washington 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; agricultural employer housing may qualify for the employer housing exemption. Habitability (SB 24-094): 72-hour begin remedial action; 24-hour for life-safety; plains winters reach -10°F and below; pre-arrange contractors in Fort Morgan or Sterling. Hail is a recurring risk: maintain adequate property insurance. Security deposits: HB 25-1249 caps at 1 month’s rent from Jan 1, 2026; return within 30 days. 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 Washington County District Court in Akron (13th 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 Washington County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
