Military Lease Termination in Colorado (SCRA)
If you’re in the military and orders are about to move you, your lease shouldn’t trap you where the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marines, or Coast Guard no longer needs you to be — and federal law makes sure it doesn’t. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) gives active-duty servicemembers a right to terminate a residential lease early in specific situations. This applies in Colorado like everywhere else, because it’s federal law. Here’s how it works, in plain English. This is educational, not legal advice.
Who can use it
SCRA lease termination is available to a servicemember (and generally their dependents on the lease) in a few situations:
- You enter active-duty military service while already holding the lease, or
- You receive military orders for a permanent change of station (PCS), or
- You receive orders to deploy with a military unit, or in support of a contingency operation, for a period of 90 days or more.
A stop-movement order tied to certain events can also qualify. The common thread is that the military is moving you or your obligations in a way you don’t control.
How you terminate
The process is specific, and following it is what makes the termination valid:
- Give written notice to your landlord (or the landlord’s agent) that you’re terminating the lease under the SCRA.
- Include a copy of your military orders — the PCS or deployment orders (or, for entry to active duty, your orders to report).
- Deliver it properly. You can hand-deliver it, use a private carrier, send it by U.S. mail with return receipt requested, or deliver it electronically in a way reasonably calculated to reach the landlord.
When it takes effect
Termination isn’t instant, but it’s close and it’s defined. For a lease where you pay rent monthly, the termination is effective 30 days after the first date your next rent payment is due following the date you deliver the notice. In practice: give proper notice, pay the rent that comes due in that window, and the lease ends about a month later — you’re not on the hook for the remaining term.
Get your command’s help — it’s free
You don’t have to navigate this alone or pay for it. Your installation’s legal-assistance office handles SCRA questions routinely and can review your orders, help you word the notice, and make sure it’s delivered correctly. You can find your nearest office through the Armed Forces Legal Assistance locator. Because a small mistake in the notice or timing can create a dispute, a quick visit is well worth it.
The bottom line
The SCRA lets active-duty servicemembers end a residential lease early when military service or qualifying orders — entry to active duty, a PCS, or a deployment of 90 days or more — take you away. You terminate by giving written notice with a copy of your orders; for a monthly lease, it’s effective 30 days after your next rent due date. Use your installation’s legal-assistance office to get the notice right, and confirm the details for your specific orders.
Not sure what your lease itself says about early termination? A plain-English Lease Risk Report pulls out those clauses so you can see them alongside your SCRA rights.
LeaseCheck is an educational lease-risk screening tool. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Colorado rental laws change; confirm specifics for your situation.