Sewer Backup in a Rental in Greeley

Sewage coming up in a Greeley rental is stressful for everyone. Here’s what tenants should do in the first 30 minutes, how fast Colorado law expects landlords to act, who pays and how a camera check finds the cause. Call any time for a local sewer pro.

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Sewage backing up in your rental? Start here

Stop using water, keep away from the sewage and tell your landlord in writing right away. In Colorado, a problem that endangers health or safety, like sewage in the home, generally has to be worked on within 24 hours after the landlord gets notice. A camera check then shows what caused it.

The clock on a sewage backup in a Colorado rentalTimeline for a sewage backup in a rental. The tenant stops using water and gives the landlord written notice. For a condition that endangers life, health or safety, Colorado law says the landlord must start fixing it within 24 hours, and the problem should be fixed within about 7 days. Other habitability problems get 72 hours to start and about 14 days to fix. If the landlord does not act, a tenant may have repair-and-deduct options after written notice of 48 hours for a health or safety issue or 10 days otherwise. General information, not legal advice.HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE, LIKE SEWAGE IN THE HOME1Backuphappens2Tenant giveswritten notice3Landlord startswithin 24 hours4Camera findsthe cause5Fixed, about7 daysStop using waterText or email,plus photosHotel or unit if thetenant asksRoots, break,or a clog?Unless there’sa good reasonThe 24-hour clock starts at noticeTenantStop water, stay clear ofthe sewage, tell the landlordin writing and take photos.LandlordRespond fast, send a sewerpro, and offer a room orunit if the tenant asks.Other problems72 hours to start and about14 days to fix. General info,not legal advice.

This page is general information about Colorado rental law, not legal advice. For your own situation, talk to a lawyer or a legal aid group.

On this page 9 sections
  1. Tenants: what to do in the first 30 minutes
  2. How fast does a landlord have to fix a sewage backup in Colorado?
  3. Can a tenant hire a plumber and take it out of the rent?
  4. Who pays for a sewer backup in a rental?
  5. Greeley landlords: what to do when a tenant reports a backup
  6. Should landlords camera the sewer line between tenants?
  7. Can a landlord retaliate for a repair request?
  8. Renting near UNC
  9. Frequently asked questions

Tenants: what to do in the first 30 minutes

Stop every faucet, toilet, shower and washer in the unit so you don’t add to the backup. Keep kids and pets away from the water. Then send your landlord or property manager a text or email with photos, and call their emergency line if they have one.

  • 1 Stop all water use, and ask roommates to do the same.
  • 2 Stay out of the sewage. Don’t try to clean it with bare hands.
  • 3 Take photos and video of the water, the drain it’s coming from and anything damaged.
  • 4 Tell your landlord in writing. A text or email gives you a record with the time.
  • 5 Keep a log of every call and message, and any reply.
  • 6 If the landlord asks you to call a plumber, or you can’t reach anyone, call us for a local Greeley sewer pro.

More help: basement floor drain backing up and emergency sewer repair.

How fast does a landlord have to fix a sewage backup in Colorado?

Under Colorado’s warranty of habitability law (C.R.S. 38-12-503), a landlord must start fixing a condition that materially affects a tenant’s life, health or safety within 24 hours after notice. Other problems that make a unit unlivable get 72 hours. A sewage backup in the home is usually treated as a health issue.

  • 24 hours to start For a health or safety problem. If the tenant asks, the landlord must offer a comparable unit or a hotel room at no cost to the tenant.
  • About 7 days to fix A health or safety problem should be fixed within about 7 days, unless the landlord has a good reason it can’t be.
  • 72 hours and 14 days Other habitability problems get 72 hours to start and about 14 days to fix.

The tenant still owes rent during a temporary move, and the landlord’s cost for a hotel is limited to what the law allows. Plumbing in good working order and a working sewer connection are part of what makes a Colorado rental livable under C.R.S. 38-12-505.

Can a tenant hire a plumber and take it out of the rent?

Sometimes. Colorado law (C.R.S. 38-12-507) lets a tenant hire a professional and deduct the cost from rent if the landlord doesn’t fix the problem after written notice. The notice is 10 days, or 48 hours when the tenant believes in good faith that the problem affects life, health or safety.

  • The professional can’t be a relative and must give an estimate in line with normal rates.
  • The tenant has to give the landlord a receipt or invoice for the work.
  • A deduction made in bad faith can cost the tenant double the amount.

Because the steps are strict, it’s smart to talk to legal aid or a lawyer before you deduct anything. Either way, a written quote and camera video from a sewer pro help everyone see what’s needed.

Who pays for a sewer backup in a rental?

It depends on the cause. With rental property sewer problems in Greeley, a broken pipe, tree roots or an old line wearing out is usually the landlord’s to fix. If the tenant, a guest or someone in the household substantially caused it, for example by flushing wipes or grease, Colorado law says it isn’t a habitability breach.

Chart of who usually pays for a sewer backup in a rental in Greeley, by cause: roots, old line, flushed wipes or a blocked City main
What caused the backup decides who usually pays. A camera check settles it.

That’s why the camera matters. Video of roots in a joint or a cracked pipe looks very different from a wad of wipes. See tree roots in a sewer line and clogged main sewer line. For damaged belongings, check your renters policy and our page on what insurance may cover.

Need a sewer pro at the rental tonight?

Call any time. A local sewer pro can clear the line, find the cause with a camera and explain the cost before work starts.

Call (970) 771-0141

Greeley landlords: what to do when a tenant reports a backup

Treat a sewage backup in a Greeley rental property as an emergency. Reply to the tenant fast, get a sewer pro out to clear the line, and offer a hotel room or another unit if the tenant asks. Then have the line checked with a camera so you fix the real cause, not just the clog.

  • 1 Reply to the tenant in writing so the time is on record.
  • 2 Tell everyone in the building or house to stop using water.
  • 3 Send a sewer pro to clear the line and run a camera.
  • 4 If the tenant asks to move out while it’s fixed, offer a comparable unit or hotel room.
  • 5 Arrange cleanup of the affected area, then repair the cause.
  • 6 Keep the video, invoices and messages in the property file.

Have a cleanout? It makes clearing and camera work faster. See sewer cleanout installation.

Should landlords camera the sewer line between tenants?

It’s one of the best times to do it. The unit is empty, so a camera check won’t disrupt anyone, and it can catch roots, a sag or a cracked joint before the next tenant moves in. The video also gives you a record of the line’s condition at move-in.

Start with a sewer camera inspection. If the line needs work, a spot repair or hydro jetting between tenants is easier than an emergency call later.

Can a landlord retaliate for a repair request?

No. Colorado law (C.R.S. 38-12-509) bars a landlord from raising rent, cutting services, ending or not renewing a lease, threatening eviction or adding fees because a tenant asked for a repair. A tenant who proves retaliation can recover up to three months’ rent or three times their actual damages, whichever is more, plus attorney fees.

Renting near UNC

The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley had 8,807 students in fall 2025, and many live in apartments and shared houses around campus. In a roommate house, one backup affects everyone, so it helps to agree on who reports problems and to keep the landlord’s emergency contact handy.

In older buildings, more than one unit can drain through one line, so an apartment sewer backup in Greeley may start in another unit. A camera check shows where the problem is and helps sort out who caused it before anyone argues about the bill.

Frequently asked questions

Stop all water use, stay away from the sewage, take photos and tell your landlord in writing right away. Call their emergency line if they have one.

For a problem that affects health or safety, Colorado law says the landlord must start within 24 hours after notice and fix it within about 7 days, unless there’s a good reason. General information, not legal advice.

In some cases, after written notice of 10 days, or 48 hours for a health or safety issue, if the landlord doesn’t act. The rules are strict, so talk to legal aid first.

If the tenant, a guest or household member substantially caused it, such as by flushing wipes, Colorado law says it isn’t a habitability breach. A camera check shows the cause.

For a health or safety problem, the landlord must offer a comparable unit or hotel room at no cost if you ask. You still owe rent during that time.

It’s a smart time to do it. A camera check in an empty unit can catch roots, a sag or cracks before the next tenant moves in.

Call about a sewer backup in a rental

Sewage backup in a rental in Greeley, CO? Tenant or landlord, call any time. A local sewer pro can clear the line, find the cause with a camera and explain the price before work starts. Or start with our guide to sewer line repair in Greeley.

Call (970) 771-0141