diff --git a/yamllint/rules/colons.py b/yamllint/rules/colons.py
index 4d644aa..3e23ea0 100644
--- a/yamllint/rules/colons.py
+++ b/yamllint/rules/colons.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import yaml
 
-from yamllint.errors import LintProblem
+from yamllint.rules.common import max_spaces_after, max_spaces_before
 
 
 ID = 'colons'
@@ -27,20 +27,12 @@ CONF = {'max-spaces-before': int,
 
 def check(conf, token, prev, next):
     if isinstance(token, yaml.ValueToken):
-        if (prev is not None and
-                prev.end_mark.line == token.start_mark.line and
-                conf['max-spaces-before'] != - 1 and
-                (prev.end_mark.pointer + conf['max-spaces-before'] <
-                 token.start_mark.pointer)):
-            yield LintProblem(token.start_mark.line + 1,
-                              token.start_mark.column,
-                              'too many spaces before colon')
+        problem = max_spaces_before(conf['max-spaces-before'], token, prev,
+                                    next, 'too many spaces before colon')
+        if problem is not None:
+            yield problem
 
-        if (next is not None and
-                token.end_mark.line == next.start_mark.line and
-                conf['max-spaces-after'] != - 1 and
-                (next.start_mark.pointer - token.end_mark.pointer >
-                 conf['max-spaces-after'])):
-            yield LintProblem(token.start_mark.line + 1,
-                              next.start_mark.column,
-                              'too many spaces after colon')
+        problem = max_spaces_after(conf['max-spaces-after'], token, prev, next,
+                                   'too many spaces after colon')
+        if problem is not None:
+            yield problem
diff --git a/yamllint/rules/common.py b/yamllint/rules/common.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77ea7d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/yamllint/rules/common.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright (C) 2016 Adrien Vergé
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+from yamllint.errors import LintProblem
+
+
+def max_spaces_after(nb, token, prev, next, description):
+    if (next is not None and token.end_mark.line == next.start_mark.line and
+            nb != - 1 and
+            next.start_mark.pointer - token.end_mark.pointer > nb):
+        return LintProblem(token.start_mark.line + 1, next.start_mark.column,
+                           description)
+
+
+def max_spaces_before(nb, token, prev, next, description):
+    if (prev is not None and
+            prev.end_mark.line == token.start_mark.line and
+            nb != - 1 and
+            prev.end_mark.pointer + nb < token.start_mark.pointer):
+        return LintProblem(token.start_mark.line + 1, token.start_mark.column,
+                           description)
diff --git a/yamllint/rules/hyphens.py b/yamllint/rules/hyphens.py
index 1231762..335f92c 100644
--- a/yamllint/rules/hyphens.py
+++ b/yamllint/rules/hyphens.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import yaml
 
-from yamllint.errors import LintProblem
+from yamllint.rules.common import max_spaces_after
 
 
 ID = 'hyphens'
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ CONF = {'max-spaces-after': int}
 
 def check(conf, token, prev, next):
     if isinstance(token, yaml.BlockEntryToken):
-        if token.end_mark.line == next.start_mark.line:
-            if (next.start_mark.pointer - token.end_mark.pointer >
-                    conf['max-spaces-after']):
-                yield LintProblem(token.start_mark.line + 1,
-                                  next.start_mark.column,
-                                  'too many spaces after hyphen')
+        problem = max_spaces_after(conf['max-spaces-after'], token, prev, next,
+                                   'too many spaces after hyphen')
+        if problem is not None:
+            yield problem