Summit County, Colorado Eviction Risk: Moderate

Summit County, Colorado eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.4/10 (Moderate) across its 9 cities, placing it at rank 34 of 64 Colorado counties, squarely in the middle third of the state. That positioning means 33 counties are riskier for landlords and 30 are less risky, so operating here is neither a red-flag market nor a free pass. With an average rent of $1,904 and an average rent-burden rate of 35.1%, tenants here are spending a meaningful share of income on housing, which can translate into payment-stress pressure even in a high-amenity resort corridor.

The intra-county score range is narrow, running from 4 to 5, which tells landlords that no single pocket of Summit County is dramatically safer or riskier than any other. Still, fractions of a point add up at scale, and the gap between the county floor and ceiling is wide enough to shift underwriting assumptions. Investors modeling multiple units should treat each city's individual score as a distinct data point rather than defaulting to the county average.

The cities inside Summit County

At the top of the risk range sits Copper Mountain at 5/10, the county's highest-risk city. Its population of 1,216 is small, but the resort-worker rental base can create turnover and income-volatility dynamics that push risk metrics higher than stable bedroom-community markets. Frisco (4/10, pop. 2,825) and Heeney (4.2/10) follow closely, with Dillon (4.4/10, pop. 832) and Copper Mountain (5/10) at the county average.

On the lower end, Blue River scores 4.3/10, the county floor, while Breckenridge (4.4/10, pop. 4,959) and Silverthorne (4.8/10, pop. 4,815) are the two largest cities by population and both sit just one notch above the bottom. That hyper-local variation is meaningful: a landlord operating in Breckenridge and one operating in Keystone face measurably different risk profiles even though both properties are within the same county line.

State-level laws that apply here

Colorado state law under C.R.S. § 38-12 (Tenants and Landlords) governs every tenancy in Summit County. For nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation, landlords must serve a 10-day notice before filing; a substantial violation triggers a shorter 3-day notice. No-fault terminations, such as owner move-in or renovation, require a 90-day notice under HB24-1098. Colorado also requires just cause for most terminations, so landlords cannot end a tenancy simply because a lease expires without a qualifying reason. An uncontested eviction runs 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch 60 to 120 days. Understanding the full Colorado eviction process before placing a tenant is essential for accurate vacancy and cash-flow modeling.

On the cost side, court filing fees range from $105 to $200, sheriff lockout fees from $50 to $200, and attorney fees from $750 to $3,500, so total out-of-pocket exposure on a contested case can reach well above $3,000 before lost rent is counted. Colorado eviction costs at that level make careful tenant screening a direct line-item savings, not just a best practice. Colorado does not currently impose statewide rent caps and does not preempt local rent-control ordinances, meaning local rules can vary. Source-of-income status is a protected class under state law, which affects screening decisions.

With a poverty rate of 10.3% and a renter share of 26.7% across the county, the rental market here is relatively thin but carries real income-stress risk; use the city grid above to compare individual scores before committing to a specific submarket.