Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
32.6%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Columbine Valley, CO, tenants prevail in roughly 32.6% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
103d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Columbine Valley, CO until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 103 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.0-13.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Columbine Valley, CO costs landlords $3,988 to $13,381 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,994
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Columbine Valley, CO is $1,994 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
2.5%
of households
2.5% of occupied housing units in Columbine Valley, CO are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
0.1%
0.4% unemp.
0.1% of Columbine Valley, CO residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 0.4%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
Dem margin +20.1% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Colorado legislature & governorship
4.7
Economic stress
0.1% poverty · 0.4% unemp.
2.4
Supply constraint
$1,994 average · 2.5% renters
1.8
Rent Control risk
32.7% of income on rent
3.9
Eviction process difficulty
103 days filing → judgment
4.3
Tenant organizing strength
2.5% renters
1.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Columbine Valley and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Columbine Valley compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Arapahoe County
Moderate
#11of 18 cities
#11 of 18 cities in Arapahoe County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Colorado
High
#51of 479 cities
#51 of 479 cities in Colorado for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+4.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
103d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,994/mo. A contested eviction takes 103 days and costs $3,988-$13,381 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
2.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,047 residents, 2.5% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 0.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (Dem margin +20.1% (2024)). State climate at 4.7, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
4.7
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 4.7/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.3, housing court bias 3.7, rent-control risk 3.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
2.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 2.4. Supply constraint: 1.8. The numbers behind those: 0.1% poverty, 0.4% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Columbine Valley sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Columbine Valley · 103d · ~$8.7k all-in ($84/day) · score 6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Columbine Valley, Colorado, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6/10 (ELEVATED tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Columbine Valley is a city of 2,047 residents where 2.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,994/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Columbine Valley eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.3/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Columbine Valley closes 103 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Columbine Valley's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.7/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Columbine Valley runs $3,988 to $13,381 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1-2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 103 days of typical timeline and $1,994/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1.8/10 in Columbine Valley, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3.9/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Colorado, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Columbine Valley: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a ELEVATED tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Colorado's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $13,381 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Columbine Valley
Trap · CRS 13-40 + HB23-1115
The 4.9/10 score weighs nine sub-factors. The most relevant for landlords are court bias, eviction process difficulty, and supply constraint. See the sub-score breakdown above. State-level framework: CRS 13-40 + HB23-1115.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant for any reason in Columbine Valley?
No. While Colorado does not have a statewide "just-cause" eviction law, you must still have a legal reason to evict, such as non-payment of rent, lease violations, or the end of a lease term (with proper notice). You can't evict someone just because you don't like them.
Q2
How long does a tenant have to pay rent after it's due before I can start eviction?
In Columbine Valley, and all of Colorado, if a tenant doesn't pay rent, you can serve a 10-day pay-or-quit notice immediately after the rent is officially late according to your lease. For example, if rent is due on the 1st and considered late on the 2nd, you could serve the notice on the 2nd. The tenant then has 10 days to pay or move.
Q3
What if my tenant claims they lost their job and can't pay?
Sympathy is one thing, but your mortgage needs to be paid. You still need to follow the proper eviction procedure, starting with the 10-day pay-or-quit notice. You can offer a payment plan or "cash for keys" as alternatives, but don't let the process stall. You're running a business.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Columbine Valley?
While not legally required for every step, it's highly recommended, especially given the 4.3 eviction process difficulty score. A lawyer can ensure all notices are correct, court filings are accurate, and represent you in court, saving you time, stress, and potential costly errors.
Q5
What happens if I win the eviction but the tenant leaves their belongings behind?
Colorado law has specific procedures for handling abandoned property. You generally need to store the items for a certain period and provide notice to the tenant before you can dispose of or sell them. Consult with your attorney on the exact steps to avoid liability.
A 6/10 places Columbine Valley in the 90th percentile of Colorado cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has risen sharply since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Columbine Valley (6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
