Colorado Springs rent increase 2026 Colorado has no local rent control — C.R.S. §38-12-301 (enacted 1981) preempted local rent ordinances statewide, and Colorado Springs City Council has NOT enacted any rent stabilization ordinance under the 2023 SB 23-184 modification. TABOR (Article X, §20 of the Colorado Constitution, voter-approved 1992) adds constitutional complexity to any future action requiring voter approval. Colorado Springs — home to Fort Carson (~18,000 military; 4th Infantry Division HQ; $2.2B annual economic impact), Peterson Space Force Base (NORAD and USNORTHCOM headquarters; ~8,500 personnel), Schriever Space Force Base (GPS satellite operations; ~3,700), and the U.S. Air Force Academy (~10,000 employees) — is the largest per-capita military community in Colorado and one of the most militarily concentrated rental markets in the United States. BAH 2026: E-5 with dependents ~$1,926/mo; O-3 with dependents ~$2,175/mo; O-5 with dependents ~$2,310/mo. Colorado law: 30-day deposit return (60 days with itemized deductions); 3× triple-damage penalty (C.R.S. §38-12-103(3)); 10-day non-payment notice; 24-hour entry notice (HB 21-1121).

Colorado C.R.S. §38-12-301 — the preemption statute and SB 23-184 modification

Colorado Revised Statutes §38-12-301, enacted in 1981 as part of a national wave of state-level preemption legislation, was for four decades the categorical prohibition on local rent control in Colorado. The original statute prohibited any county, city, town, or other political subdivision from enacting any ordinance, regulation, or resolution that would control the rental rate of private residential property. Colorado joined Texas (Tex. Loc. Gov. Code §214.902) and Arizona (A.R.S. §33-1329) in the same year, 1981, reflecting a national consensus in favor of market-rate housing supply as the preferred policy response to affordability challenges.

SB 23-184: the 2023 partial modification

The Colorado Legislature passed Senate Bill 23-184 in 2023, partially modifying the historic preemption. SB 23-184 drew a legislative distinction between “rent control” (still prohibited) and “rent stabilization” (potentially permissible subject to conditions). Key elements of SB 23-184:

• Municipalities may enact “rent stabilization”: Cities and towns (but not counties, under the bill as enacted) may pass local ordinances establishing rent stabilization programs, subject to state-law conditions.
• New construction exemption: Any local rent stabilization ordinance must exempt newly constructed residential buildings for at least 15 years after the certificate of occupancy is issued — a supply-protection condition designed to prevent the well-documented supply chilling effect of rent control on new construction.
• Affordable housing restriction exemption: Units subject to income-restricted affordable housing programs are also exempt from any local rent stabilization ordinance.
• Voter approval optional: Unlike TABOR, SB 23-184 does not by itself require voter approval for a local rent stabilization ordinance — though TABOR may independently require voter approval for any associated fee or revenue structure.

Colorado Springs’ non-response to SB 23-184

Colorado Springs City Council has not enacted any rent stabilization ordinance in the years since SB 23-184 was enacted, and the political environment in El Paso County makes such action extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future. El Paso County is one of the most reliably Republican-leaning large counties in Colorado, consistently voting 65–70% for Republican candidates in recent elections. The Colorado Springs City Council majority is oriented toward market-rate solutions and property rights, not rent regulation. No Colorado Springs council member has introduced a rent stabilization ordinance or resolution as of 2026. The result: SB 23-184’s theoretical opening has no practical effect in Colorado Springs.

TABOR: the unique Colorado constitutional constraint

Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), codified at Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution, was approved by Colorado voters in November 1992. TABOR is unique in the United States: no other state has a comparable constitutional provision. Key TABOR requirements relevant to any potential rent stabilization program:

• Revenue limitation: Government revenue cannot grow faster than the sum of inflation and population growth without voter approval.
• New taxes require a vote: Any new tax or tax-rate increase requires a majority vote of the affected electorate.
• Fee programs: If a rent stabilization administration program charges fees to landlords, those fees may constitute “revenue” under TABOR, potentially triggering voter-approval requirements even if SB 23-184 does not independently require a vote.

The TABOR constraint is a distinctive Colorado wrinkle: even cities that might wish to implement a rent stabilization program under SB 23-184 face potential TABOR litigation risk over the program’s administrative fee structure. Denver has explored but not yet implemented a program post-SB 23-184; Boulder and Fort Collins have similarly hesitated. Colorado Springs, starting from a position of no interest in rent stabilization, faces TABOR as one of many arguments against any future action.

What Colorado’s preemption does NOT restrict

C.R.S. §38-12-301 preempts regulation of rent amounts. It does not preempt all landlord-tenant regulation. Colorado municipalities may enact:

• Rental registration and inspection programs
• Habitability code enforcement programs
• Tenant outreach and education programs
• Relocation assistance requirements (though these are rare in Colorado outside Denver)

Colorado Springs operates standard habitability code enforcement through the City’s Neighborhood Services division. Colorado Springs has no just-cause eviction ordinance as of 2026.

Fort Carson — the Army’s anchor and Colorado Springs’ defining economic engine

Fort Carson, Colorado — officially Fort Carson Military Reservation, located south of Colorado Springs near Fountain, Colorado — is the single most important economic anchor in El Paso County and the defining driver of Colorado Springs’ rental market. No other factor shapes Colorado Springs rental demand as comprehensively as Fort Carson’s approximately 18,000 active-duty military personnel and 7,000 Department of Defense civilians and contractors.

Fort Carson by the numbers

Fort Carson is home to some of the United States Army’s most important combat and support formations:

• 4th Infantry Division (4ID) Headquarters: The “Ivy Division,” one of the Army’s oldest and most storied divisions, has been headquartered at Fort Carson since 1995. The 4ID’s history includes deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003), Operation Enduring Freedom, and ongoing rotational commitments to Eastern Europe under Operation Atlantic Resolve. The Division HQ alone employs hundreds of senior officers and senior NCOs who concentrate their BAH spending in Briargate, Monument, and northern Colorado Springs.
• 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne): The 10th SFG(A) is one of the Army Special Forces Command’s seven active-duty special forces groups, focused on Europe and the former Soviet states. Special Forces soldiers earn additional special pay beyond base pay and BAH, creating a higher-income subset of the Fort Carson tenant population. The 10th SFG was established at Fort Carson in 1995 after relocating from Bad Tölz, Germany. Green Berets typically earn E-7 to O-4 pay grades during their operational years, corresponding to BAH with dependents of $2,082–$2,175/month.
• 71st Ordnance Group: Responsible for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and conventional munitions disposal; supports both Fort Carson units and has deployed extensively to Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 10th Combat Support Hospital: The Army’s forward deployable hospital; experienced hundreds of deployments to combat zones since 2001. Medical personnel (Army doctors, nurses, medics, and administrative staff) contribute to healthcare sector rental demand in Colorado Springs.
• 43rd Sustainment Brigade and 43rd Area Support Group: Logistics and support formations responsible for sustainment operations across the 4ID’s area of responsibility.

Fort Carson’s economic footprint

Fort Carson’s annual economic impact on El Paso County is estimated at approximately $2.2 billion annually. This figure encompasses military and civilian payroll, contractor spending, and indirect multiplier effects. Fort Carson is the Army’s most modern base by average age of facilities — significant infrastructure investment was made in the 2000s and 2010s that extended the installation’s strategic value and reduced BRAC closure risk. The installation’s southernmost positioning near Fountain CO (immediately adjacent to the Fort Carson main gate) drives the rental market in the Security/Widefield/Fountain corridor — the most affordable and most military-concentrated submarket in Colorado Springs.

BAH and the Fort Carson rental demand floor

The Basic Allowance for Housing creates an unparalleled rental demand floor in Colorado Springs. Unlike private-sector employers whose hiring contracts and can lay off workers in recessions, the U.S. Army is perpetually stationed at Fort Carson, and its approximately 18,000 active-duty soldiers receive BAH as non-taxable compensation that must be spent on housing in or near Colorado Springs. This creates a structural rental demand that is recession-proof, pandemic-proof, and independent of the broader Colorado economy:

BAH rates are 2026 estimates for Colorado Springs / Fort Carson area. Rates are adjusted annually by DoD; withoutdependents rates apply to single servicemembers; with-dependents rates apply to servicemembers with qualifying dependents (spouse, children). BAH is non-taxable income.

Peterson Space Force Base — NORAD, USNORTHCOM, and the strategic heart of Colorado Springs

Peterson Space Force Base — co-located with Colorado Springs Airport (COS) on the eastern edge of the city — is one of the most strategically significant military installations in the United States. Peterson is the headquarters of two of the most critical commands in the U.S. military, giving Colorado Springs an outsized role in national defense that extends far beyond its regional size.

NORAD: North American Aerospace Defense Command

NORAD — the North American Aerospace Defense Command — is a binational U.S.-Canadian command headquartered at Peterson SFB. NORAD’s primary mission is aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America: detecting and tracking ballistic missile launches, bombers, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons directed at the United States and Canada. NORAD also provides maritime warning for North American coastal approaches. The command is led by a U.S. four-star general who simultaneously commands USNORTHCOM — a dual-hatted arrangement that makes Peterson SFB’s commanding general one of the most senior officers in the U.S. military.

NORAD was established in 1958 at the height of the Cold War, initially headquartered in the underground Cheyenne Mountain complex (which serves as an alternate command center today). The joint U.S.-Canadian character of NORAD means that Canadian Forces personnel are permanently assigned to Peterson SFB, creating a small but distinct Canadian military tenant population in Colorado Springs. SCRA protections do not automatically apply to Canadian Forces members, though bilateral agreements govern their status.

USNORTHCOM: U.S. Northern Command

U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), also headquartered at Peterson SFB, is the geographic combatant command responsible for the land defense of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 2002 in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, USNORTHCOM coordinates Department of Defense support to civilian authorities during domestic emergencies (natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism) under the National Response Framework. USNORTHCOM also operates Joint Task Force North (counter-narcotics), Joint Task Force Alaska, and coordinates with NORAD on continental defense.

Peterson SFB employment and rental impact

Peterson SFB has approximately 8,500 military and DoD civilian personnel, including:

• Space Delta 10: Missile Warning and Tracking; operates the sensors, satellites, and ground systems that detect ballistic missile launches worldwide; Space Force Guardians in this mission typically hold technical specialties and earn E-5 through O-5 pay grades
• Air Force Reserve Command units: Multiple reserve units co-located at Peterson SFB, including traditional reservists who may live throughout El Paso County and commute for drill weekends and extended active duty periods
• 302nd Airlift Wing: C-130H Hercules transport aircraft; one of the largest Air Force Reserve airlift wings in the United States; aircrew, maintenance, and support personnel live throughout the Colorado Springs metro
• DoD civilians and contractors: Peterson SFB’s defense contractors include Boeing (satellite operations), Northrop Grumman (missile warning systems), L3Harris (communications), and dozens of smaller defense support contractors; civilian contractor employees earn market wages and contribute to mid-to-upper rental demand in the Powers Corridor and Stetson Hills areas

Peterson SFB’s rental footprint concentrates most heavily in the Powers Corridor (along CO-83 / Powers Boulevard), Stetson Hills, and Nor’Wood subdivisions — all within 10–20 minutes of Peterson’s main gate on Peterson Road. The 1BR range in these areas reflects mid-grade military pay: $1,000–$1,600 in the Powers Corridor and $1,100–$1,800 in Stetson Hills.

Schriever Space Force Base — controlling the GPS constellation from Colorado

Schriever Space Force Base, located approximately 17 miles east of Colorado Springs on Highway 94, is one of the most quietly consequential military installations in the world. From Schriever, Space Force Guardians and contractors operate the ground-control systems for the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation — meaning that every GPS device on Earth — every smartphone, every car navigation system, every aviation instrument, every precision-guided munition — depends on operations conducted at Schriever.

GPS operations: the global infrastructure mission

GPS (Global Positioning System, officially NAVSTAR GPS) consists of approximately 31 operational satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO), maintained and controlled primarily from Schriever SFB through the Master Control Station (MCS) and its worldwide network of ground antennas and monitoring stations. The 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) at Schriever is the unit responsible for day-to-day GPS satellite operations. The GPS civilian signal (L1 C/A) underpins the global economy: timing signals from GPS are embedded in every financial transaction, every cellular network, every air traffic control system. The military GPS signal (P(Y) and M-code) provides the precise navigation capability on which every U.S. and allied precision-guided weapon depends.

Additional Schriever missions

Beyond GPS, Schriever SFB hosts additional critical national security missions:

• Space Operations Command (SpOC) Headquarters: SpOC is the Space Force’s primary operational command, responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Space Force units assigned to combatant commands. SpOC headquarters at Schriever employs senior Space Force officers and civilian intelligence professionals at O-5 to O-9 pay grades.
• Missile warning satellites: Advanced overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors detect ballistic missile launches worldwide in real-time; data processed at Schriever feeds directly into the NORAD missile warning mission at Peterson SFB.
• Space situational awareness: Schriever operates systems that track approximately 27,000 objects in orbit — active satellites, dead satellites, rocket bodies, and debris — and provides collision avoidance warnings to commercial satellite operators and international space agencies.

Schriever employment and rental geography

Schriever SFB has approximately 1,500 Space Force Guardians plus approximately 2,200 DoD civilians and defense contractors, for a total installation population of approximately 3,700. Because Schriever is 17 miles east of Colorado Springs on Highway 94, personnel stationed there tend to live in eastern Colorado Springs (Powers Corridor, Stetson Hills, Cimarron Hills) rather than the more westerly or northern corridors. The Highway 94 corridor is increasingly developed with new residential construction serving both Peterson SFB and Schriever personnel who want to minimize commute time.

U.S. Air Force Academy — 10,000 employees and Colorado Springs’ northern anchor

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located approximately 10 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs on I-25, is one of three U.S. military service academies and the institutional anchor of the northern Colorado Springs rental market. USAFA’s approximately 10,000 total employees — including faculty (military officers and civilian professors), permanent party military staff, DoD civilians, and contractors — create sustained rental demand in the Monument, Palmer Lake, Briargate, and northern Colorado Springs corridors.

The Academy’s academic mission and scale

USAFA enrolls approximately 4,400 cadets drawn from every Congressional district in the United States plus merit-based appointments. The Academy offers accredited bachelor’s degrees in more than 30 academic disciplines, with particular strength in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, astronautics, computer science, and cyber operations — fields directly applicable to the Space Force missions at Peterson and Schriever. The Cadet Chapel (designed in 1963 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; aluminum and glass spires rising 150 feet; National Historic Landmark) is one of Colorado Springs’ most recognized architectural landmarks and a major visitor attraction.

The 2026 USAFA graduating class produced approximately 1,000 new second lieutenants commissioned into the Air Force and Space Force. Many of these newly commissioned officers delay their first permanent duty station assignment for advanced schooling at USAFA or in Colorado Springs, creating short-term rental demand in the northern corridor.

USAFA faculty and permanent party: the landlord’s tenant profile

USAFA’s faculty is divided between military officers (typically O-3 to O-5 on 3-year rotational tours who live off-base in Colorado Springs) and civilian professors (tenured and non-tenured academics who typically buy homes after several years). The military faculty rotation creates a consistent stream of new professional-class tenants every 2–3 years, many of whom use BAH to pay rent in Monument, Palmer Lake, Rockrimmon, and Briargate. An Air Force Captain (O-3) with dependents receives approximately $2,175/month in BAH, targeting 1BR or 2BR rentals in the $1,500–$2,000 range north of the Academy.

Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station — the underground fortress

Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station — the iconic underground command center built inside Cheyenne Mountain on Colorado Springs’ southwestern side (at approximately 9,565 feet altitude) — is one of the most recognizable military installations in the United States. Built beginning in 1961 and operational since 1966, the Cheyenne Mountain complex was engineered to withstand the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and overpressure effects of a nearby nuclear weapon detonation. The main operational area is housed in fifteen freestanding buildings mounted on 1,319 springs, each weighing approximately 1,000 pounds, that allow the structures to move rather than transmit blast force.

Cheyenne Mountain currently serves as the NORAD alternate command center — hardened continuity-of-government infrastructure that can assume NORAD and USNORTHCOM command and control functions if Peterson SFB becomes unavailable. The installation employs approximately 1,000 military and civilian personnel, many of whom live in the Broadmoor, Rockrimmon, and Southwest Colorado Springs neighborhoods due to their proximity to the Cheyenne Mountain entrance on the Colorado Springs west side. Because Cheyenne Mountain personnel are co-assigned with or work closely with Peterson SFB commands, their tenant profile largely mirrors that of Peterson SFB personnel.

Colorado Springs non-military employer anchors

While the military dominates Colorado Springs’ economic identity, the city has a substantial and growing civilian employer base that provides rental demand across a range of income levels, from the $1,000–$1,600 range of entry-level healthcare and services to the $1,600–$2,500 range of defense contractor and technology professionals.

1. UCHealth Memorial Hospital — 1400 E. Boulder St, Colorado Springs, CO 80909 — approximately 5,000 employees; Level II trauma center; largest health system in El Paso County. UCHealth Memorial anchors healthcare employment in Colorado Springs. Nursing staff, technicians, and administrative employees create demand in the $1,100–$1,800 range in the central and eastern Colorado Springs corridors. UCHealth acquired Memorial Health System in 2012 and has since expanded to a multi-campus system in Colorado Springs.
2. AdventHealth (formerly Centura Health) Penrose–St. Francis — approximately 4,500 employees across multiple Colorado Springs campuses. AdventHealth is the Catholic health system partner bringing extensive hospital and outpatient services to El Paso County alongside UCHealth. Healthcare workers from both systems represent a significant and steady component of Colorado Springs rental demand.
3. USAA Insurance — Briargate campus, Colorado Springs — approximately 2,500 employees at the Colorado Springs location. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a financial services company exclusively serving military members, veterans, and their families. Its Colorado Springs presence is logical given the city’s military concentration. USAA employees — many of them veterans or military spouses — earn competitive financial services salaries and concentrate in Briargate, where USAA’s campus is located, and surrounding northern Colorado Springs neighborhoods.
4. Lockheed Martin Space — Colorado Springs presence — approximately 1,500–2,000 employees in Colorado Springs (the company’s primary Colorado Space operations hub is in nearby Littleton, CO, but Colorado Springs has substantial satellite operations, integration, and mission solutions staff in proximity to Peterson SFB and Schriever SFB). Lockheed Martin Space professionals earn $90,000–$160,000+ and contribute to higher-end rental demand in the Powers Corridor and eastern Colorado Springs.
5. Northrop Grumman — approximately 800 employees in Colorado Springs; Space Systems division; satellite ground systems and space situational awareness programs supporting Schriever SFB contracts. Engineers and program managers from Northrop Grumman’s COS presence earn $85,000–$150,000, targeting 1BR and 2BR rentals in the $1,300–$2,000 range.
6. L3Harris Technologies — approximately 900 employees in Colorado Springs; communications systems and classified DoD programs at facilities near Peterson SFB and Schriever SFB. L3Harris is a major supplier of tactical radio systems, SIGINT equipment, and satellite communications infrastructure to the U.S. military.
7. Boeing Defense — approximately 600 employees in Colorado Springs; defense and space programs including satellite operations support, missile defense systems integration, and classified programs. Boeing’s Colorado Springs presence is closely tied to its contracts at Schriever and Peterson SFBs.
8. Colorado Springs Utilities — approximately 2,200 employees; integrated municipal utility providing electric, gas, water, and wastewater services to Colorado Springs. As a city enterprise, CSU employees are stable long-term residents whose salaries span from $45,000 (entry-level technicians) to $130,000+ (engineers, executives).
9. City of Colorado Springs — approximately 4,000 employees including public safety, parks, planning, and administration. As Colorado Springs’ second-largest employer after Fort Carson in the public sector, the City’s workforce provides stable mid-income rental demand across central and western Colorado Springs.
10. El Paso County government — approximately 3,500 employees across county departments including the Sheriff’s office, the assessor, clerk, courts, and human services. El Paso County is the most populous county in Colorado with a population approaching 800,000, requiring a substantial public-sector workforce.
11. Raytheon Intelligence & Space — some Colorado Springs presence; missile defense programs including Patriot system support and THAAD-related contracts that draw from the Peterson and Schriever defense community.
12. University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) — approximately 13,000 students; 1,400 faculty and staff; located on a hilltop campus in northeast Colorado Springs. UCCS creates modest student-driven rental demand in the north-central corridor, though the student population skews heavily toward local commuters rather than relocating renters.

Colorado Springs 2026 neighborhood rent map

Colorado Springs’ rental market is fundamentally shaped by proximity to its military installations, school district quality, and altitude/view premiums. None of these submarkets has any form of rent control or rent stabilization — C.R.S. §38-12-301, notwithstanding SB 23-184, leaves Colorado Springs entirely free of any rent cap.

Ranges reflect typical asking rent for unfurnished 1BR apartments in 2026. New luxury units (2015–2024 vintage) are at the top of or above each range. Pre-2000 stock falls in the lower half. Military BAH creates a structural rent floor in all corridors adjacent to Fort Carson, Peterson SFB, Schriever SFB, and USAFA that does not exist in comparable non-military suburban markets.

Colorado landlord-tenant law — key provisions for Colorado Springs landlords

Colorado’s landlord-tenant framework has been significantly updated since 2021 through two major pieces of legislation: HB 21-1121 (Residential Tenants Health and Safety Act) and SB 21-173 (security deposit and fee provisions). While there is no rent cap to calculate, these provisions carry real financial exposure that Colorado Springs landlords operating near Fort Carson — with high tenant turnover from PCS moves — must understand precisely.

Security deposit rules (C.R.S. §38-12-101 to §38-12-103)

No deposit amount cap: Colorado imposes no statutory limit on the amount of a security deposit. A landlord may require 2×, 3×, or even more of the monthly rent as a security deposit, subject only to market competition and the practical reality that military tenants comparison-shop on total move-in costs. In practice, the competitive Colorado Springs market near Fort Carson and Peterson SFB limits most deposits to 1× or 1.5× monthly rent.

Return timeline — the 30/60-day rule: C.R.S. §38-12-103(1) requires the landlord to return the security deposit within 30 days after all three conditions are met: (1) the tenancy has ended; (2) the landlord has possession of the unit; and (3) the tenant has provided a forwarding address. If the landlord is withholding a portion of the deposit for damages, the landlord has 60 days to return the remaining balance with an itemized written statement of all deductions. This two-tier system is distinctive: the 60-day window is not a blanket extension — it applies only when the landlord actually provides an itemized statement with deductions. If the landlord returns the full deposit, the 30-day deadline applies.

Itemization requirement: The written itemization must identify each item of claimed damage and the specific cost of repair or replacement. General statements without line-item support are vulnerable in El Paso County Court. Best practice: document every room with timestamped photographs at move-in and move-out; retain receipts from licensed Colorado contractors for any repair work.

Triple damages (C.R.S. §38-12-103(3)): If a landlord wrongfully withholds any portion of the security deposit — either by missing the 30/60-day deadline or by making deductions not justified by actual damage — the tenant may recover three times (3×) the amount wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant’s reasonable attorney fees. Colorado’s 3× penalty is among the most severe in the United States:

For Fort Carson-area landlords with high PCS-driven tenant turnover, the triple-damage provision is a significant risk. A sergeant (E-5) vacating due to PCS orders who leaves a $1,500 deposit behind may recover $4,500 plus attorney fees if the landlord misses the 30-day deadline or makes unjustified deductions. The 30-day clock begins when the tenant provides a forwarding address — which may occur via email; best practice is to acknowledge receipt in writing and set a calendar deadline immediately.

HB 21-1121: Residential Tenants Health and Safety Act (2021)

Colorado HB 21-1121, enacted in 2021, significantly strengthened tenant habitability protections across the state. Key provisions for Colorado Springs landlords:

• 24-hour advance notice for non-emergency entry: The landlord must provide at least 24 hours’ advance notice before entering a residential unit for non-emergency maintenance, inspections, or showings. Emergency entry (fire, flood, gas leak) may occur without advance notice. This is a shorter notice period than Arizona’s 48-hour rule but a binding requirement that many Colorado Springs landlords with large portfolios sometimes overlook.
• Repair-and-deduct remedy: If the landlord fails to address a habitability defect within a reasonable time after written notice from the tenant, the tenant may hire a licensed contractor to perform the repair and deduct the cost from rent. The deduction is capped at the greater of the cost of repair or one month’s rent. Colorado’s repair-and-deduct remedy is broader than that of many states, and Colorado Springs landlords should respond promptly to written maintenance notices to avoid triggering it.
• Domestic violence early termination: Tenants who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking may terminate a lease early upon providing 90 days’ written notice and documentation (a police report, court order, or statement from a licensed healthcare provider or domestic violence advocate). The landlord cannot impose early termination fees. In Colorado Springs, with its large military population, this provision is practically important: domestic violence incidents in military households are addressed through both civilian Colorado law and military-specific programs at Fort Carson, Peterson, and USAFA.
• Habitability standards: The unit must have functioning heat (capable of maintaining at least 68°F when outdoor temperature is below 55°F — critical in Colorado’s cold winters), hot water, waterproofing, plumbing, and electrical systems. Colorado Springs’ altitude (approximately 6,035 feet) and Front Range climate mean that heating system failures in winter are particularly serious habitability concerns.

SB 21-173: late fee caps and application fee limits

Colorado SB 21-173 (2021) imposed specific financial limits on landlord fees:

• Late fee cap: The maximum late fee for residential tenants is the greater of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent amount. For a $1,400/month rental unit in the Powers Corridor, the maximum late fee is $70 (5% × $1,400). For a $2,000/month Briargate unit, the maximum is $100. Lease provisions purporting to charge late fees above these caps are unenforceable in Colorado courts.
• Application fee disclosure: Landlords must provide tenants with an itemized accounting of actual application screening costs (credit check, background check, income verification). Application fees that exceed actual screening costs, or that are not refunded when unused, violate SB 21-173. In the competitive Colorado Springs rental market — particularly near Fort Carson where military families may apply for multiple units simultaneously due to short PCS notice windows — application fee compliance is important.

Eviction procedure (C.R.S. §§13-40-101 to 13-40-123)

Colorado Springs evictions are filed in El Paso County Court (4th Judicial District), located at 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. The Colorado Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) procedure:

• Non-payment notice: 10 days to pay or quit (C.R.S. §13-40-104(1)(d)). This is notably longer than Arizona’s 5-day notice. The 10-day period gives military tenants who may have had a BAH payment delay more time to resolve payment issues before the landlord must file.
• Lease violation notice: 10 days to cure or quit (C.R.S. §13-40-104(1)(e)). The tenant has the full 10 days to cure a curable lease violation. If the same violation recurs within 6 months, the landlord may give a 10-day quit notice with no cure opportunity.
• Month-to-month termination without cause: 21 days before the end of a rental period (C.R.S. §13-40-107). Colorado’s 21-day no-cause termination notice is relatively short by national standards — shorter than Arizona’s 30 days and California’s 30 or 60 days depending on tenancy length.
• SCRA check before filing: Before filing any FED action in El Paso County Court, the landlord must verify the tenant’s active-duty military status at the DoD SCRA portal (scra.dmdc.osd.mil). El Paso County Court judges are highly familiar with SCRA and will require SCRA verification from landlords in a community this militarily concentrated.

Colorado Springs 2026 rental market trajectory

2019 baseline: stable military-anchored market

Before the pandemic era, Colorado Springs was a steadily-appreciating but not dramatically overheated rental market. Fort Carson, Peterson AFB, USAFA, and Schriever AFB provided a structural demand floor; Colorado Springs Utilities, UCHealth, and a growing defense-contractor base added civilian demand. The typical 2019 1BR median was approximately $1,000–$1,100 citywide, with the military-adjacent corridors (Security/Fountain, Powers) at the lower end and Briargate and Monument at the upper end.

2020–2022: pandemic-era in-migration and appreciation surge

The COVID-19 pandemic drove significant in-migration to Colorado Springs from Denver (60 miles north), the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Colorado Springs offered dramatically lower costs than Denver (approximately 20–30% lower rents), 300 days of sunshine, access to outdoor recreation on Pikes Peak and in the San Isabel National Forest, and a comparatively lower sales and income tax burden. Remote workers who could work from anywhere increasingly chose Colorado Springs as a Denver alternative with mountain access.

The military-anchored demand floor, combined with the COVID in-migration surge, drove Colorado Springs rent appreciation of approximately 25–35% from 2019 to 2022 — significant, though less dramatic than Phoenix metro’s 35–45% surge over the same period. New supply lagged demand in Colorado Springs, where the mountainous terrain, water resource constraints, and relatively conservative city government approach to new multifamily zoning made it harder to rapidly add supply than in flat, permit-friendly Phoenix.

2023–2025: moderation and stabilization

By 2023, the remote-work migration wave had crested. Rising interest rates dampened for-sale home purchases, pushing some would-be buyers into rentals but also slowing the construction of new rental supply (higher construction loan costs reduced developer economics). Colorado Springs rent appreciation moderated to approximately 3–6% annually in 2023–2024. The military demand floor — Fort Carson’s BAH-backed 18,000 servicemembers, Peterson SFB’s 8,500, Schriever’s 3,700, and USAFA’s 10,000 employees — continued to provide stability that purely civilian rental markets in comparable-sized cities lack.

2026 outlook: steady growth, Space Force expansion, defense spending

The 2026 Colorado Springs rental market is characterized by:

• Space Force expansion: The Space Force, the newest U.S. military branch, has been steadily growing its personnel base at Peterson and Schriever SFBs. The transition of formerly Air Force units to Space Force billets has brought new personnel to Colorado Springs, and the Space Force’s focus on satellite operations, cyber, and electronic warfare aligns with the technical expertise concentrated in the Colorado Springs defense-contractor community. Additional Space Force missions and personnel are anticipated through 2026–2028.
• Defense budget trajectory: The FY2025 and FY2026 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) maintained or increased Army end strength and Space Force investment, supporting Fort Carson and Peterson/Schriever headcounts at or above current levels. BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) is not anticipated in the near term; Fort Carson, Peterson, and Schriever are all considered high-priority installations with limited closure risk.
• Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman growth: Space Systems contracts for next-generation GPS satellites (GPS III Block II and GPS IIIF), missile warning satellites (Next-Generation OPIR Block 0 and 1), and communications satellites are driving contractor hiring in Colorado Springs across Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and L3Harris.
• New supply moderation: Colorado Springs has added modestly fewer new multifamily units than Phoenix or Denver, maintaining lower vacancy rates and supporting 3–5% annual appreciation in the military-adjacent corridors and 2–4% in outer suburbs.

8-state rent control comparison: Colorado Springs vs. regulated markets

Colorado Springs has no rent control. Understanding how the city compares to rent-controlled jurisdictions illuminates the legal landscape for landlords and tenants who own or rent properties in multiple states:

The contrast is stark: a landlord with a unit in Saint Paul faces a 3% cap and significant administrative compliance obligations; a landlord with a comparable unit in Colorado Springs faces no cap, no administrative filing, and no compliance cost for rent increases. The only substantive legal obligations in Colorado Springs are Colorado’s deposit return timeline (30/60 days), the 3× triple-damage penalty, HB 21-1121’s habitability and entry notice requirements, and SB 21-173’s late-fee caps.

SCRA compliance guide for Colorado Springs landlords

Given Colorado Springs’ extraordinary military concentration, SCRA compliance is not an optional best practice — it is an operational necessity for any landlord renting in El Paso County. The key SCRA provisions every Colorado Springs landlord must know:

Early lease termination by servicemembers

A servicemember may terminate any residential lease by:

1. Providing the landlord with written notice of termination
2. Attaching a copy of the deployment or PCS orders to the notice
3. The termination is effective 30 days after the date on which the next rental payment is due following the delivery of notice

Example: An E-6 Sergeant First Class at Fort Carson receives PCS orders to Fort Wainwright, Alaska on April 15, 2026. She delivers written notice with a copy of her orders to her landlord in the Security/Widefield area on April 20, 2026. Her next rent payment is due May 1. The lease terminates on June 1, 2026 (30 days after the May 1 due date). The landlord may not charge an early termination fee, a lease-breaking fee, or any rent beyond June 1. If the landlord deducts these from the security deposit, the deductions violate SCRA and the landlord faces both state triple-damage exposure and potential federal SCRA criminal liability.

SCRA eviction protections

A landlord may not evict a servicemember or their dependents from a residential premises during a period of military service if the monthly rent is at or below the SCRA threshold ($4,454.31 in 2026, indexed annually) without first obtaining a court order. If the servicemember demonstrates that their ability to pay rent is materially affected by military service, the court must stay the eviction for up to 90 days. The 2026 SCRA threshold far exceeds any standard El Paso County residential rent, meaning that virtually all Colorado Springs eviction cases involving active-duty servicemembers require court review under SCRA.

Verifying military status before filing

Before filing any FED complaint at El Paso County Court, Colorado Springs landlords should verify the tenant’s military status at the DoD SCRA website (scra.dmdc.osd.mil). A search result of “Active Duty” means SCRA applies; “Not on Active Duty” means standard Colorado FED procedure applies. Retain a printed copy of the SCRA search result in the tenant file for every eviction proceeding. El Paso County Court judges familiar with the local military community will expect this documentation.

SCRA and the deposit refund

When a military tenant terminates early under SCRA, the Colorado deposit rules still apply: the landlord has 30 days (or 60 days with itemized deductions) to return the deposit after the tenant vacates and provides a forwarding address. The SCRA early termination itself does not justify deposit retention; lawful deductions are limited to actual damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent through the SCRA termination date, and other lease-authorized deductions. Early termination fees are not a lawful deduction from a military tenant’s deposit.

Colorado Springs landlord compliance checklist 2026

Colorado Springs has no rent cap, but the deposit rules, notice requirements, and habitability obligations — combined with SCRA for military tenants — carry real financial exposure. Every Colorado Springs landlord should verify the following:

1. Confirm no local rent stabilization ordinance applies: As of 2026, Colorado Springs City Council has enacted no rent stabilization ordinance under SB 23-184. Confirm this status annually; if the Council were to act in the future, the new ordinance would apply to covered units. Check the City of Colorado Springs Municipal Code website at the start of each lease year. No such ordinance exists as of the date of this page.
2. Verify SCRA status of all tenants before any adverse action: Before serving any eviction notice, termination notice, or taking any adverse action against a tenant who may be military, verify active-duty status at scra.dmdc.osd.mil. Print and retain the verification result. This step is mandatory for any Colorado Springs landlord given the city’s military concentration.
3. Understand PCS/deployment early termination rights: Include an SCRA early termination acknowledgment clause in your lease that specifies the procedure (30-day notice + orders) and confirms no early termination fee. A well-drafted lease clause reduces disputes with military tenants exercising SCRA rights and can specify the specific forwarding-address procedure for deposit return.
4. Complete move-in inspection with written condition report: Colorado has no mandatory statutory move-in inspection form requirement (unlike Georgia, whose §44-7-33 requires a specific form). However, a detailed written and photographic move-in inspection — signed by both landlord and tenant — is the primary defense against inflated move-out damage claims. Given Fort Carson’s frequent PCS turnover, landlords may conduct 3–5 or more full unit turnovers per year per property; a systematic inspection process protects both parties.
5. Track the 30/60-day deposit return deadline from forwarding address receipt: The Colorado deposit clock runs from when the tenant provides a forwarding address after vacating — not from the lease end date. Set a calendar alert the day the tenant vacates and provides a forwarding address. If deductions are to be taken, you have 60 days to provide itemized documentation; if returning the full deposit, you have only 30 days. Do not conflate these two timelines.
6. Verify late fees comply with SB 21-173 caps: The maximum late fee is $50 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is greater. Review your lease form to confirm any late fee provision does not exceed this limit. A lease provision purporting to charge a flat $150 late fee on a $1,400/month unit (where the maximum is $70) is unenforceable and may create a pattern of unlawful fee collection.
7. Provide 24-hour advance notice before non-emergency entry (HB 21-1121): Document all non-emergency entry notices in writing — email is acceptable if your lease authorizes email notices. Retain copies with timestamps. Entry without notice can expose the landlord to lease termination by the tenant for breach of the quiet enjoyment covenant.
8. Respond promptly to written maintenance notices to avoid repair-and-deduct: Under HB 21-1121, a tenant who has delivered written notice of a habitability defect and not received a timely landlord response may hire a contractor and deduct the repair cost from rent. In Colorado Springs, with its cold winters and altitude, heating system failures and water heater failures are the most common repair-and-deduct trigger. Schedule preventive maintenance of heating systems each September before the first cold spell.

Frequently asked questions — Colorado Springs rent increase 2026