Cal. Civ. Code § 38-12-802
Tenant payment - receipts.
Operative Text
Upon receiving any payment made in person by a tenant with cash or a money order, a landlord shall contemporaneously provide the tenant with a receipt indicating the amount the tenant paid and the date of payment. If the landlord receives a payment that is not delivered in person by the tenant with cash or a money order, if requested by the tenant, the landlord shall, within seven days after the request, provide the tenant with a receipt indicating the amount the tenant paid, the recipient, and the date of payment, unless there is already an existing procedure that provides a tenant with a record of the payment received that indicates the amount the tenant paid, the recipient, and the date of payment. A landlord may provide the tenant with an electronic receipt, unless the tenant requests a paper receipt, in which case the landlord shall provide the tenant with a paper receipt. For purposes of this section, a receipt may be included as part of a billing statement.
Colorado Revised Statutes § 38-12-802 establishes rules about when and how landlords must document rent payments. When a tenant pays in person with cash or a money order, the landlord must issue a receipt on the spot, showing the amount and date. For payments made by other means or not delivered in person, a receipt must be provided within seven days of the tenant's request, unless an existing system already generates a payment record with the required details. Receipts may be electronic by default, but a tenant who asks for a paper receipt must receive one, and a receipt can be incorporated into a billing statement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-802, operators who accept in-person cash or money order payments generally maintain a system for issuing receipts at the moment of payment, capturing the amount and date. For non-in-person payments, compliant operators respond to receipt requests within seven days, or they rely on an existing platform—such as an online portal—that already generates records showing the amount paid, the recipient, and the date. Operators also track tenant preferences for paper versus electronic receipts, since a tenant's request for a paper receipt overrides the default option of electronic delivery.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-802 gives Colorado tenants the right to documentation of their rent payments. If you pay in person with cash or a money order, a receipt must be handed to you immediately; for other payment types, you can request a receipt and the landlord has seven days to provide it, unless an existing system already generates that record. Tenants who prefer a paper receipt over an electronic one can request it, and tenant-rights organizations in Colorado can provide general information about how to raise a violation of this section if a landlord does not comply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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