For volunteer board members
Colorado HOA Rules for Board Members (2026)
New to a Colorado HOA or condo board? Before you send a violation letter or set a fine, it helps to know what the law actually says. Here are the Colorado rules in plain words, each with its statute section and a link to the official text.
Colorado HOAs (planned communities) and condominium associations governed by the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. 38-33.3. The fine and enforcement rules here also apply to communities created before July 1, 1992. Small or limited-expense communities that the Act exempts aren't covered. Your association must have a written fine policy before it fines anyone.
- 30-day cure period ends (most violations): for violations other than health or safety: 30 days to cure, counted from the date the owner received the certified-mail notice. No fine before this date, and only after an inspection shows it isn't cured.
- Health or safety only: 72-hour cure (reminder date): only for a violation the association reasonably determines threatens public health or safety. The law says 72 hours after the owner receives the notice: count the hours from receipt.
- Inspect by, if the owner sent no cure notice (most violations): within 7 days after the 30-day cure period ends (the Kindly Board tracker's count: receipt + 30 + 7). Inspect after the cure period has ended, not before.
Updated October 2026. Not legal advice.
Key Colorado deadlines at a glance
| Deadline | What the law says |
|---|---|
| 30-day cure period ends (most violations) | For violations other than health or safety: 30 days to cure, counted from the date the owner received the certified-mail notice. No fine before this date, and only after an inspection shows it isn't cured. C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A) |
| Health or safety only: 72-hour cure (reminder date) | Only for a violation the association reasonably determines threatens public health or safety. The law says 72 hours after the owner receives the notice: count the hours from receipt. C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(II) |
| Inspect by, if the owner sent no cure notice (most violations) | Within 7 days after the 30-day cure period ends (the Kindly Board tracker's count: receipt + 30 + 7). Inspect after the cure period has ended, not before. C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(V) |
| Second 30-day cure period ends (most violations) | If the inspection shows no cure, a second 30-day period starts. This is the Kindly Board tracker's count (30 days after the first period ends). Legal action only after two consecutive 30-day periods. C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(B) |
| Careful: second cure period counted from the inspection | Colorado's text doesn't say exactly when the second period starts. Counting 30 days from the inspection that found no cure gives the later, careful date. If it matters, ask a Colorado attorney. C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(V) |
Which Colorado law applies
Communities created on or after July 1, 1992 with no more than 20 units and no development rights, or whose declaration caps average annual common expenses at the statute's limit, are exempt from most of the Act unless the declaration adopts it.
For communities created before July 1, 1992, the fine power (§38-33.3-302(1)(k)), the attorney fee limits (§38-33.3-123), the lien rules (§38-33.3-316) and §§38-33.3-209.4 to 209.7 also apply (those four sections for events on or after January 1, 2006).
How Colorado counts days
In computing a period of days, the first day is left out and the last day is included. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the period runs to the next day that isn't.
Colorado's legal holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Washington-Lincoln Day (third Monday in February), Memorial Day, Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day, Labor Day, Frances Xavier Cabrini Day (first Monday in October), Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any day the governor or the President appoints for fasting, prayer or thanksgiving. A holiday on a Sunday moves to Monday.
Violation notices and the chance to fix in Colorado
For a violation that doesn't threaten public health or safety, the association must send written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, in English and in any language the owner has asked for, saying the owner has thirty days to cure or the association, after an inspection shows it isn't cured, may fine. The total of all fines for the violation may not exceed $500.
If the owner sends no notice of a cure, the association must inspect within seven days after the thirty-day cure period ends. If it isn't cured, a second thirty-day cure period starts, or, after two periods, the association may take legal action.
An owner may name a designated contact and a preferred language for notices. The owner and the designated contact must receive the same correspondence and notices.
If the owner tells the association the violation is cured and sends visual evidence, it is treated as cured on the date the owner sends the notice. Without visual evidence, the association inspects as soon as practicable.
Fines in Colorado
The association may not fine an owner unless it has adopted and follows a written fine policy. The policy must include a fair and impartial fact-finding process on whether the violation happened and whether this owner is responsible. It may be informal but must at least give the owner notice and an opportunity to be heard before an impartial decision maker: someone with no direct personal or financial interest in the outcome.
For a violation the association reasonably determines threatens public health or safety, the written notice (in English and the owner's chosen language) says the owner has seventy-two hours to cure or may be fined. If an inspection shows it wasn't cured within 72 hours after the owner received the notice, the association may fine every other day and may take legal action, but may not foreclose based on fines.
The association must give the owner two consecutive thirty-day periods to cure before it may take legal action for the violation, and may not foreclose based on fines.
The fine policy must require notice of the nature of the violation, the action needed to cure it, and the timeline for the fact-finding process, and must set the interval at which fines may be levied for a continuing violation.
An association may not impose late fees or fines on a daily basis. Fines for violations may be imposed only as §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b) allows.
Once the owner cures the violation, the association must tell the owner, in English and the owner's chosen language, that no further fines will be imposed for it, and any fine balance still owed.
After notice and an opportunity to be heard, the association may levy reasonable fines for violations of the declaration, bylaws, and rules and regulations. It may not fine an owner for not watering landscapes while local water restrictions or guidelines are in place.
Assessments, late fees and liens in Colorado
Fines, fees, late charges, attorney fees and interest may be subject to the association's statutory lien but are not subject to a foreclosure action.
Interest on unpaid assessments, fines or fees may not exceed 8% a year, and the association may not foreclose on a lien made up only of fines and fine-related costs and fees.
Other rules boards should know
If the owner is found not responsible for the violation, the association may not charge the owner's account any of its costs or attorney fees for it.
Step by step: a Colorado violation case
The order Kindly Board walks a Colorado board through, from the first look to the last letter.
- Check before you start Every case
Make sure the Colorado rules fit, the fine policy is in place, and the rule is one you can enforce. - Courtesy reminder Optional
Optional friendly reminder. It doesn't start Colorado's cure period. - Formal notice and time to cure Required before any fine
Required. Certified mail, return receipt requested. 30 days to cure (72 hours for health or safety). - Cure notice and inspection Before any fine
Required. Inspect after the cure period; a photo of the cure counts from the day it's sent. - Hearing Before any fine
Required. The owner's chance to be heard before an impartial decision maker, on your policy's timeline. - Notice of fine After cure, inspection, hearing
Never daily. $500 total cap for most violations. - Close the case Every case
Confirm the cure in writing and keep the file.
Colorado HOA rules: FAQ
What HOA law applies in Colorado?
Colorado HOAs (planned communities) and condominium associations governed by the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. 38-33.3. The fine and enforcement rules here also apply to communities created before July 1, 1992. Small or limited-expense communities that the Act exempts aren't covered. Your association must have a written fine policy before it fines anyone. The main sources: the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (C.R.S. 38-33.3).
How are days counted for Colorado HOA deadlines?
Colorado doesn't count the first day; a deadline on a weekend or legal holiday moves to the next day that isn't. The 30 days are counted from the date the owner received the notice.
What are the key deadlines in a Colorado HOA violation case?
30-day cure period ends (most violations): for violations other than health or safety: 30 days to cure, counted from the date the owner received the certified-mail notice. No fine before this date, and only after an inspection shows it isn't cured. (C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(A)) Health or safety only: 72-hour cure (reminder date): only for a violation the association reasonably determines threatens public health or safety. The law says 72 hours after the owner receives the notice: count the hours from receipt. (C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(II)) Inspect by, if the owner sent no cure notice (most violations): within 7 days after the 30-day cure period ends (the Kindly Board tracker's count: receipt + 30 + 7). Inspect after the cure period has ended, not before. (C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(V)) Second 30-day cure period ends (most violations): if the inspection shows no cure, a second 30-day period starts. This is the Kindly Board tracker's count (30 days after the first period ends). Legal action only after two consecutive 30-day periods. (C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(1.7)(b)(III)(B))
What does Colorado law say about HOA fines?
The association may not fine an owner unless it has adopted and follows a written fine policy. The policy must include a fair and impartial fact-finding process on whether the violation happened and whether this owner is responsible. It may be informal but must at least give the owner notice and an opportunity to be heard before an impartial decision maker: someone with no direct personal or financial interest in the outcome. (C.R.S. §38-33.3-209.5(2)(a), (b))