Arapahoe County, Colorado Eviction Risk: Elevated

Arapahoe County carries an average eviction-risk score of 6.4/10 (Elevated) across its 18 cities, placing it third out of 64 Colorado eviction laws counties, meaning only two counties in the state present greater landlord risk. That ranking reflects a market where rent collection and lease enforcement require consistent diligence. With an average rent of $1,882 per month and a rent-burden rate of 33.1%, a meaningful share of the county's renters are already stretched thin, which translates directly into nonpayment exposure for landlords.

The intra-county spread runs from 5 to 6.7, a range wide enough that two landlords operating in the same county can face materially different risk environments. A score at the lower end of that band, closer to 5, suggests a more stable renter pool, while a score at 6.7 indicates conditions that warrant tighter screening and more active lease management. Understanding exactly where a specific property sits within Colorado's landscape is the starting point for any sound acquisition or management decision.

The cities inside Arapahoe County

The highest-risk addresses in the county cluster in Englewood and Four Square Mile, both scoring 6.7/10, tied also with Peoria at the same mark. Englewood, with a population of 34,129, is a densely rented suburban core where eviction filings tend to run higher relative to its size. Sheridan and Holly Hills follow at 6.6/10, rounding out a tier of smaller communities where financial stress among renters is most pronounced. Landlords acquiring in any of these submarkets should price in the real possibility of contested proceedings and the carrying costs that come with them.

Aurora, the county's largest city at 394,432 residents, scores 6.5/10, only marginally below the highest-risk tier. Its scale means that even a modestly elevated per-unit risk rate produces a high absolute volume of eviction activity county-wide. At the more favorable end of the spectrum, Centennial scores 5.9/10 and Greenwood Village scores 5.8/10. Cherry Hills Village, at 5.7/10, is the most landlord-friendly city in the dataset. The message for investors is straightforward: risk in Arapahoe County is hyper-local, and a few miles of distance can shift expected outcomes significantly.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Colorado state law, specifically C.R.S. § 38-12 (Tenants and Landlords), landlords must serve a 10-day notice for nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation before filing, and a 3-day notice for substantial violations. No-fault terminations for owner move-in or renovation require a 90-day notice under HB24-1098, one of the longer notice requirements in the region. Colorado also requires just cause for termination in many circumstances, which adds a procedural layer that landlords unfamiliar with recent statutory changes can run afoul of. Reviewing the full Colorado eviction process before filing is not optional; a defective notice restarts the clock entirely.

Court filing fees run $105 to $200, sheriff lockout fees add another $50 to $200, and attorney fees for a contested case typically range from $750 to $3,500. An uncontested eviction resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 60 to 120 days. There is no statewide rent cap, and Colorado does not preempt local rent control ordinances, so local municipality rules may add additional constraints. Understanding Colorado eviction costs in full, including the realistic attorney-fee range for your submarket, is essential before projecting returns on any Arapahoe County rental.

With a county poverty rate of 9.2% and 35.6% of residents renting rather than owning, the tenant pool across Arapahoe County carries real financial vulnerability, a factor that shows up clearly in the city-by-city risk grid above.