Colorado Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 29 jurisdictions across Colorado. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

8 Active 15 Restricted 4 Pending 2 None

Colorado Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Colorado encompasses 29 tracked jurisdictions: 8 with active regulations, 15 with restrictions, 4 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 83% of tracked jurisdictions in Colorado require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 20 of 29 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Denver, Breckenridge, Telluride. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors Colorado STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Governed by Park County Ordinance 2026-01. Applications must be submitted online via Cloudpermit with floor plans, septic design/inspection, tax clearance, and …

The Town of Blue River has implemented an emergency freeze on all new short-term rental license applications and renewals, effective immediately through Decembe…

Application must include: Colorado driver's license or state ID showing property address as applicant's address; sworn statement of principal residency; certifi…

Licenses are tied to the owner, NOT the property, and are non-transferable; a buyer does not inherit the prior owner's license. HOA rules may be more restrictiv…

Colorado Springs

Permits valid one year; must be renewed annually. City conducts audits of existing STR permits to verify primary residence compliance; permits revoked for confi…

Two license types: (1) Primary Occupancy License — owner must occupy unit 6+ months/year; (2) Unlimited License — subject to zoning and concentration limits. Pr…

First enacted 2016, updated 2019. Initial applications generally reviewed within ~30 days (specialist reviews up to 90 days). Requires working smoke alarms, CO …

Durango has regulated vacation rentals (STRs) since 1989 under its Land Use and Development Code. Operators must obtain a Limited Use Permit (LUP) and a Lodger'…

Ordinance 16-21 (adopted Oct 26, 2021) placed a moratorium on the residential vacation home waitlist — new residential-zone STR applications are NOT being accep…

Highlands Ranch

Most properties are in a PD zone where Douglas County prohibits STRs unless explicitly allowed by the neighborhood's plan. Additionally, the Highlands Ranch Com…

Strict quiet hours, trash container requirements, parking limits, and operators must distribute a "Good Neighbor" handout to surrounding neighbors.

Two separate regulatory frameworks apply depending on whether the property is within the City of Ouray or in unincorporated Ouray County. City: Resolution 12, S…

Salida requires STR owners to maintain their properties as primary residences and has amended its policies to enforce this rule more strictly, with enhanced ver…

Steamboat Springs

Each STR must have a designated local responsible party who responds to complaints within 1 hour; a visible interior notice with 24-hour contact info and STR ru…

Owner representative on call 24/7 during occupancy; contact info filed with Town Clerk and posted inside the property. Random inspections plus an annual self-in…

Arapahoe County (Unincorporated)

Only property owners or long-term lessees residing at the property as primary residence may apply; proof of residency required. Licenses are not transferable.

Operators must: (1) Post the STR permit visibly within the property; (2) Provide guests with a city-issued 'Good Neighbor Guide' outlining noise, trash, trespas…

STR Ordinance effective March 31, 2017 (Fort Collins City Code Article XVIII, Section 15). License must be physically posted inside the STR. A local contact mus…

Page exists; detailed research pending.

Page exists; detailed research pending.

HB 25-1247 raises local lodging tax cap to 6% with voter approval.

Requires a designated local representative within 60 minutes, available 24/7, who must resolve complaints within 60 minutes (30 minutes between 11 PM–7 AM). Fir…

STR Policy originally adopted March 16, 2021 (Ordinance 552); penalties amended March 29, 2022 (Ordinance 574); affordable housing fee added (Ordinance 605); Fi…

Arapahoe County

Arapahoe County is proposing new STR regulations applicable to properties listed on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Community input is being gathered via public…

Aspen is proposing enforcement initiatives against unregistered short-term rentals operating 'under the table.' Policies under consideration include requiring l…

Buena Vista's Board of Trustees is actively rewriting its STR licensing framework following a January 2026 moratorium on new permits (running through September …

All advertisements must display the STR license number and occupancy capacity

Eagle County has opted not to require short-term rental licensing in its unincorporated areas, including El Jebel. This means STR hosts in unincorporated Eagle …

Eagle County (unincorporated)

Eagle County has decided not to require short-term rental registration or licensing in unincorporated areas, including El Jebel in the Roaring Fork Valley, at l…