Weld County covers 3,992 square miles of north-central Colorado, making it the state’s largest county by area after Las Animas and Moffat. It is also Colorado’s most economically productive county outside the Denver metro, generating more agricultural output and more oil and gas revenue than any other county in the state. Established in 1861 as one of Colorado Territory’s original seventeen counties and named for Lewis Ledyard Weld, the territory’s first secretary, the county sits at the intersection of the Front Range corridor and the high plains, stretching from the Rocky Mountain foothills in the west to the Kansas and Nebraska borders in the east.
The county seat is Greeley (~108,000), a significant Northern Colorado city anchored by the University of Northern Colorado and a diverse economy spanning education, healthcare, agriculture, oil and gas, and manufacturing. Weld County also encompasses the rapidly growing I-25 communities of Evans, Windsor, Johnstown, Milliken, and Firestone/Frederick, as well as the historic towns of Fort Lupton, Platteville, and Kersey. All landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. No rent control. Evictions are filed in Weld County District Court in Greeley (19th Judicial District).
SB 24-094: 72hr begin remedial action; 24hr life-safety
Late Fee Grace Period
7 days; max $50 or 5% past-due rent
Security Deposit Return
30 days; triple damages for wrongful withholding
Court
Weld County District Court — Greeley (19th Judicial District)
HB 25-1249
Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Weld County Landlord Rules & Colorado Law
CRS Title 38 applied to Colorado’s most productive county — practical considerations for landlords in Greeley, Windsor, Johnstown, Firestone, and the I-25 growth corridor
Weld County is one of the best-kept secrets in Colorado real estate for landlords: a county with Larimer/Boulder-adjacent geographic position, a massive and diverse employment base, strong population growth, significantly more affordable property prices than its neighbors to the west, and one of the most favorable landlord-tenant environments in the state. The county’s economy is anchored by three extraordinary assets: it is Colorado’s leading oil and gas producer, with thousands of active wells in the DJ Basin generating billions in annual revenue; it is the state’s leading agricultural county, producing sugar beets, corn, vegetables, cattle, and dairy at a scale unmatched elsewhere; and it hosts the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley (~12,000 students), which anchors a healthcare and education sector that provides stable year-round employment. The I-25 communities of Windsor, Johnstown, Milliken, and Firestone/Frederick are among the fastest-growing municipalities in Colorado, with new development, young families, and expanding commercial infrastructure driving robust rental demand.
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 qualifying farm or ranch operations may qualify for the employer housing exemption in Weld County’s large agricultural sector. Weld County’s 19th Judicial District handles evictions efficiently relative to many Colorado jurisdictions. One rent increase per 12-month period maximum.
Oil & Gas: The DJ Basin Engine
Weld County sits atop the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, one of the most productive oil and natural gas basins in the continental United States. The county produces more oil and gas than any other county in Colorado — by a wide margin — and the energy industry is one of the county’s largest private employers, supporting thousands of jobs in drilling, completion, production operations, field services, pipeline, and supporting industries. The DJ Basin’s dominance of Colorado’s oil production is relatively recent, driven by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology that has unlocked the Niobrara and Codell formations since the early 2010s. Major operators including Civitas Resources and others maintain active programs in the county. Energy sector employment generates stable, well-compensated tenant demand, particularly in Greeley and the eastern communities closer to active development. The energy cycle introduces some economic variability, but Weld County’s diversified employment base provides resilience that single-industry energy communities lack.
Greeley, UNC & the I-25 Growth Communities
Greeley (~108,000) is the county seat and its largest city, home to the University of Northern Colorado (~12,000 students), Banner Health and UCHealth regional medical facilities, the headquarters of JBS USA (one of the largest beef processing operations in North America), and significant retail and service employment. UNC generates student housing demand and anchors a stable academic employment base. The meatpacking industry, with its substantial workforce including a significant immigrant and refugee community, creates additional rental demand. Along I-25, the communities of Windsor (~25,000), Johnstown (~17,000), Milliken, Firestone, and Frederick are experiencing some of the fastest residential growth in Colorado, with new subdivisions, expanding retail centers, and young families drawn by relative affordability compared to Larimer and Boulder counties. For landlords, these I-25 corridor communities offer the best combination of growth trajectory, emerging infrastructure, and entry-level property costs.
Security Deposits & HB 25-1249
Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1249 caps security deposits at one month’s rent. At Weld County’s rent levels — moderate by Front Range standards — this cap is manageable for most properties but meaningful in absolute terms for higher-end units. 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. Weld County’s diverse tenant pool — university students, energy workers, agricultural laborers, meatpacking employees, healthcare workers, and young families — requires differentiated screening approaches for each segment. Verify income carefully for seasonal or contract workers.
CRS Title 38, Article 12 — statutes, procedures, and landlord rights applicable in Weld 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.
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📋 Notice Period Calculator
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⚠️ 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.
Underground Landlord
🏙️ Communities in Weld County
Greeley, Windsor, Evans, Johnstown, Firestone, Frederick, Fort Lupton, and more
One of CO Territory’s original 17 counties (1861). County seat: Greeley (~108,000) — University of Northern Colorado (~12,000 students); JBS USA beef processing; regional medical hub. #1 Colorado oil & gas producer — DJ Basin; Niobrara & Codell formations. #1 Colorado agricultural county — sugar beets, corn, cattle, dairy. Fastest-growing I-25 communities: Windsor, Johnstown, Firestone/Frederick. ~360,000 population; projected to reach 400,000+ by 2030. 19th Judicial District.
Weld County
Greeley & Weld County Landlord Essentials
One of CO’s best landlord opportunities: affordable entry, diversified demand (UNC students, energy workers, healthcare, meatpacking, I-25 families), strong growth trajectory. I-25 corridor (Windsor, Johnstown, Firestone) is among the fastest-growing in CO — new infrastructure, young families, rising demand. Agricultural employer housing may qualify for HB 24-1098 exemption. Screen diverse tenant pool carefully by segment. HB 25-1249: 1-month deposit cap Jan 1, 2026. Evictions: 19th Judicial District, Greeley.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Weld County, Colorado
Weld County covers 3,992 square miles of north-central Colorado — from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Kansas and Nebraska borders in the east — and is arguably the most economically productive county in Colorado outside the Denver metropolitan area. It was established in 1861 as one of Colorado Territory’s original seventeen counties and named for Lewis Ledyard Weld, the territory’s first secretary. The county seat, Greeley, sits at 4,663 feet on the Cache la Poudre River approximately 50 miles north of Denver and 30 miles east of Fort Collins. With a population approaching 360,000 and growing rapidly, Weld is Colorado’s fifth-largest county by population and one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.
Colorado’s Energy and Agricultural Powerhouse
Weld County’s extraordinary economic productivity rests on two foundations that together make it unlike any other Colorado county. It is simultaneously the state’s leading oil and natural gas producer and its leading agricultural county — a combination that generates billions of dollars in annual economic activity and supports a diverse, well-employed population with strong rental housing demand.
The county’s energy production is centered on the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, a sedimentary basin that underlies much of northeastern Colorado and holds significant reserves in the Niobrara and Codell formations. The application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology to these formations since the early 2010s transformed Weld County into one of the most productive oil-producing counties in the continental United States. Major operators including Civitas Resources (the product of several DJ Basin company mergers) maintain active development programs across the county. The energy sector employs thousands of workers directly and supports thousands more through service companies, pipeline operations, and ancillary businesses, generating well-compensated employment that creates strong rental housing demand.
Agriculturally, Weld County is the undisputed leader among Colorado’s 64 counties in total agricultural output. The county’s irrigated farmland — watered by the South Platte River and its extensive network of canals and ditches — produces sugar beets (Weld County is the heart of Colorado’s sugar beet industry), corn, onions, potatoes, vegetables, and other crops at a scale matched nowhere else in the state. The county’s cattle feedlots are among the largest in the region, and JBS USA’s massive beef processing complex in Greeley is one of the largest beef plants in the country, employing several thousand workers.
Greeley and the University of Northern Colorado
Greeley was founded in 1870 as Union Colony — an idealistic cooperative farming community established by journalist and reformer Horace Greeley and organized by Nathan Meeker (of later Meeker Massacre fame). The colony’s irrigation-based farming model proved highly successful on the Front Range, and the town grew rapidly as an agricultural service center. Today Greeley is a substantial city of approximately 108,000, home to the University of Northern Colorado (~12,000 students), regional medical facilities operated by Banner Health and UCHealth, significant manufacturing and processing employment, and a retail and service economy that serves the northern Front Range.
UNC generates reliable student housing demand in the neighborhoods surrounding the university, academic employment for faculty and staff, and the healthcare and education sector employment that anchors the city’s stable economic core. The city’s immigrant and refugee community — many employed at JBS and in agricultural operations — represents a significant portion of the rental market and requires culturally aware and legally compliant tenant screening practices.
The I-25 Corridor: Colorado’s Growth Engine
The most dynamic landlord opportunity in Weld County may not be Greeley itself but the rapidly growing communities along the I-25 corridor in the county’s western portion. Windsor, Johnstown, Milliken, Firestone, and Frederick are among the fastest-growing municipalities in Colorado, attracting young families who find Front Range employment in the Larimer/Boulder corridor but can afford more house for their money in Weld County. New residential development, expanding commercial infrastructure, improving schools, and growing community amenities are making these communities increasingly self-sufficient rather than purely bedroom communities. For landlords, these communities offer entry-level property costs below comparable Larimer or Boulder County properties, strong and growing demand, and a tenant pool of working and professional families with stable incomes.
Colorado’s HB 24-1098 requires 90-day notice for no-fault non-renewals of tenancies of 12 months or more; HB 25-1249’s 1-month deposit cap takes effect January 1, 2026. Weld County’s 19th Judicial District handles a high volume of eviction proceedings relative to most Colorado judicial districts given the county’s size, and the court is generally efficient. Agricultural employer housing may qualify for HB 24-1098’s employer housing exemption in appropriate circumstances. All evictions are filed in Greeley.
Weld 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. 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 Weld County District Court in Greeley (19th 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 Weld County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
