Colorado · Boulder

Boulder

Name: Boulder short-term rental regulations
Creator: RuleGrid
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

city Allowed with registration Needs review · last verified 2026-07-15

Legal only in an owner's licensed principal residence with a City of Boulder Short-Term Rental License (rentals of 29 days or less); four-year license term, $215 to start ($190 license fee + $25 one-time business license fee) / $190 renewal / $20 annual affidavit, plus a 7.50% city accommodations tax (12.835% total with state/county/RTD).

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

city Short-Term Rental License Required

Fee: $215 / per 4-year term (new application) · Renewal: Four-year term; renewal is the same process as the initial application ($190). A valid license must be issued before advertising or renting. · Applies to: Any dwelling unit in the City of Boulder rented for 29 days or less at a time · official page ↗
city Principal residence requirement Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Certified annually via the Short-Term Rental Annual Affidavit. · Applies to: STR license applicant / owner · official page ↗
city Ownership form and share requirement Required

Fee: — · Renewal: N/A (eligibility condition) · Applies to: STR license applicant · official page ↗
city Proof of principal residence Required

Fee: — · Renewal: N/A · Applies to: STR license applicant · official page ↗
city Short-Term Rental Annual Affidavit Required

Fee: $20 / annual · Renewal: Filed every year by the anniversary date; failure to file (certifying principal residency) results in revocation of the license. · Applies to: All licensed STR operators · official page ↗
city Two local contacts requirement Required

Fee: — · Renewal: N/A · Applies to: STR license applicant · official page ↗
city License number and occupancy in advertisements Required

Fee: — · Renewal: N/A · Applies to: All STR listings/advertisements · official page ↗
city Sales/use and accommodations tax remittance Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Ongoing tax filing via the Boulder Online Tax System. · Applies to: All licensed STR operators · official page ↗

Taxes

Tax	Rate	Administered by	Airbnb remits	Vrbo remits
City of Boulder Accommodations Tax (applies to short-term rentals)	7.5%	City of Boulder Tax & Licensing Division (self-collecting home-rule city; Boulder Online Tax System)	—	—
Colorado State Sales Tax (accommodations)	2.9%	Colorado Department of Revenue	—	—
Boulder County + RTD district taxes (accommodations)	2.435%	Colorado Department of Revenue (county 1.335% + RTD 1.10%)	—	—

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~12.8%) on a stay in Boulder. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Nightly rate ($) Nights

Operating rules

Primary residence: Yes
Min stay (nights): —
Max nights / year: —
Max occupancy: All advertisements must disclose the maximum allowed unrelated occupancy, and operators must follow the city's occupancy limits. The SPECIFIC number of unrelated persons permitted was NOT quote-anchored to an official page in this pass, and web search surfaced City Ordinance No. 8651 (adopted March 6, 2025) that repealed a prior occupancy section — so the current numeric occupancy limit is unverified and needs_review.
Zoning-restricted: No
Cap on licenses: No

Grandfathering: None identified.

Zoning: No separate STR-specific zoning district restriction identified; STRs are permitted citywide provided the unit is the operator's licensed principal residence. Permanently affordable units are not eligible.

Because each STR must be the operator's principal residence and the operator must hold >=50% ownership, an operator is effectively limited to one STR; no separate numeric citywide license cap was found.
Permanently affordable / deed-restricted affordable units cannot be licensed as short-term rentals — official application page: 'The property may not be a permanently affordable unit.'
'Short-term' is defined as rentals of 29 days or less at a time; no minimum-night requirement and no annual maximum-night cap were found in the official pages.
NEEDS_REVIEW: the exact current unrelated-occupancy number is unverified; Ordinance 8651 (Mar 6, 2025) and other 2025-2026 ordinances (8715, 8743) may have altered occupancy provisions — confirm against the current Boulder Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3 before relying on any specific number.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Boulder?

Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Boulder?

Yes — Boulder requires: Short-Term Rental License; Principal residence requirement; Ownership form and share requirement. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.

What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Boulder?

City of Boulder Accommodations Tax (applies to short-term rentals) (7.5%), Colorado State Sales Tax (accommodations) (2.9%), Boulder County + RTD district taxes (accommodations) (2.435%) — roughly 12.8% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

reference Rental Licensing: Short-Term ↗
reference Rental Housing Licensing Short-Term Application ↗
reference Tax Rates & Types ↗
reference Short-Term Rental Annual Affidavit ↗
reference US Census Bureau Geocoder ↗
reference Boulder, CO Occupancy Tax Collection ↗

Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.