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Colorado · Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

city Allowed with registration Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals (rentals of 29 days or less) are permitted citywide but require an annual Short Term Rental Permit issued by the City Planning Department (Colorado Springs City Code, Short Term Rentals). City Council amended the STR ordinance on 12-26-2019 to establish two permit types: (1) owner-occupied, where the owner physically occupies the property no less than 185 days per year, and (2) non-owner-occupied. Non-owner-occupied permit applications submitted after 12-26-2019 are NOT permitted in single-family zoning districts (R-E, R-1 6, R-1 9, and Single-Family PDZs) and must be located 500 feet from another STR in all other zoning districts. There is no citywide cap on the total number of STR permits, though per-property density limits and a 500-ft spacing rule apply to non-owner-occupied units. The permit fee is $124.95 annually, valid for one year, with no grace period for late renewal. Maximum overnight occupancy is two occupants per bedroom plus two additional per dwelling unit, capped at fifteen per dwelling unit. STR operators must pay lodging/sales taxes: the City's 2% Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax (LART) applies to STRs 'similar to other transient lodging including hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts,' and all taxes owed to the City must be remitted before the STR permit is issued (Ordinance 19-49). City sales tax (3.07%) plus state-collected taxes (State 2.9%, El Paso County 1.23%, PPRTA 1%) total 8.20% combined. Marketplace facilitators (Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia) collect and remit the City sales tax on their own licenses; hosts who book directly must obtain a City Sales Tax License. Per Ordinance 25-45 (approved 4/8/2025, effective 6/30/2025), a short-term rental is PROHIBITED on any property that also has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU); properties that held both a permitted ADU and a permitted STR on or before 6/30/2025 may continue as legal non-conforming uses until the STR permit expires, is withdrawn, or the use changes. Underlying ordinances cited by the City: 18-112 (program adoption), 19-49 (sales tax), 19-82 (occupancy limits), 19-101 (non-owner-occupied regulations), 25-45 (ADU).

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

Requirements checklist

  • city Short Term Rental Permit (owner-occupied or non-owner-occupied) Required
    Fee: $124.95 / annual · Renewal: Annual; must renew before the expiration date. No grace period for late applications. All taxes owed to the City must be remitted prior to issuance of the permit. · Applies to: Any dwelling unit rented to guests for 29 days or less within the City of Colorado Springs · official page ↗
  • city Owner-occupancy requirement (owner-occupied permit type) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: A signed Short Term Rental Affidavit is a required application document; the City STR page does not describe how the 185-day owner-occupancy is verified or enforced (verification mechanism unverified). · Applies to: Properties permitted under the owner-occupied STR permit type · official page ↗
  • city City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax License Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: STR hosts who book directly (do not exclusively use a marketplace facilitator such as Airbnb, VRBO, or Expedia) · official page ↗
  • state Colorado Sales Tax License (rooms and accommodations) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Persons renting taxable rooms/accommodations in Colorado; not required if renting exclusively through a marketplace or exclusively exempt (30+ consecutive day) stays · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax 3.07% City of Colorado Springs (home-rule, self-collected) — —
Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax (LART) - lodging portion 2% City of Colorado Springs — —
Colorado State Sales Tax 2.9% Colorado Department of Revenue (state-collected) — —
El Paso County Sales Tax 1.23% Colorado Department of Revenue (state-collected) — —
Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) Sales Tax 1% Colorado Department of Revenue (state-collected) — —

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~10.2%) on a stay in Colorado Springs. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Operating rules

Primary residence
No
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
Two (2) occupants per bedroom, plus an additional two (2) occupants per dwelling unit; maximum fifteen (15) occupants per dwelling unit.
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
No

Grandfathering: Non-owner-occupied single-family-district restrictions apply only to applications submitted AFTER 12-26-2019 (units permitted before that date were effectively grandfathered — inference from ordinance wording). Separately, per Ordinance 25-45, properties that held BOTH a permitted ADU and a permitted STR on or before 6/30/2025 may continue as legal non-conforming uses until the STR permit expires, is withdrawn, or the use changes.

Zoning: Non-owner-occupied STR permit applications submitted after 12-26-2019 are prohibited in single-family zoning districts (R-E, R-1 6, R-1 9, and Single-Family PDZs) and must be located 500 feet from another STR in all other zoning districts. Owner-occupied STRs are allowed in single-family districts. Evidence: 'Non-owner occupied short term rental unit permit applications submitted after 12-26-2019 are not permitted in single-family zoning districts (R-E, R-1 6. R-1 9, and Single-Family PDZs).' and 'Non-owner occupied short term rental units submitted after 12-26-2019 must be 500' from another in all other zoning districts.'

  • There is no citywide cap on the total number of STR permits. Evidence: 'There is not a cap on the number of short term rentals being approved; however, limitations are in place for non-owner occupied properties.'
  • No minimum-stay requirement and no annual night cap; an STR is defined by the City as a rental of '29 days or less'. Colorado state sales tax exempts stays of at least 30 consecutive days by a permanent resident.
  • Primary residence is not universally required, but the owner-occupied permit type requires the owner to physically occupy the property no less than 185 days/year; the non-owner-occupied type does not.
  • Per-property density/listing limits confirmed on the City STR page: one listing in single-family zones, two in R-2, up to four in multi-family, and a maximum of two per owner in condominiums.
  • Per Ordinance 25-45 (approved 4/8/2025, effective 6/30/2025), a short-term rental is PROHIBITED on any property that also has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). This is a prohibition, not merely an 'added provision' as the draft phrased it.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Colorado Springs?
Short-term rentals (rentals of 29 days or less) are permitted citywide but require an annual Short Term Rental Permit issued by the City Planning Department (Colorado Springs City Code, Short Term Rentals). City Council amended the STR ordinance on 12-26-2019 to establish two permit types: (1) owner-occupied, where the owner physically occupies the property no less than 185 days per year, and (2) non-owner-occupied. Non-owner-occupied permit applications submitted after 12-26-2019 are NOT permitted in single-family zoning districts (R-E, R-1 6, R-1 9, and Single-Family PDZs) and must be located 500 feet from another STR in all other zoning districts. There is no citywide cap on the total number of STR permits, though per-property density limits and a 500-ft spacing rule apply to non-owner-occupied units. The permit fee is $124.95 annually, valid for one year, with no grace period for late renewal. Maximum overnight occupancy is two occupants per bedroom plus two additional per dwelling unit, capped at fifteen per dwelling unit. STR operators must pay lodging/sales taxes: the City's 2% Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax (LART) applies to STRs 'similar to other transient lodging including hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts,' and all taxes owed to the City must be remitted before the STR permit is issued (Ordinance 19-49). City sales tax (3.07%) plus state-collected taxes (State 2.9%, El Paso County 1.23%, PPRTA 1%) total 8.20% combined. Marketplace facilitators (Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia) collect and remit the City sales tax on their own licenses; hosts who book directly must obtain a City Sales Tax License. Per Ordinance 25-45 (approved 4/8/2025, effective 6/30/2025), a short-term rental is PROHIBITED on any property that also has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU); properties that held both a permitted ADU and a permitted STR on or before 6/30/2025 may continue as legal non-conforming uses until the STR permit expires, is withdrawn, or the use changes. Underlying ordinances cited by the City: 18-112 (program adoption), 19-49 (sales tax), 19-82 (occupancy limits), 19-101 (non-owner-occupied regulations), 25-45 (ADU).
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Colorado Springs?
Yes — Colorado Springs requires: Short Term Rental Permit (owner-occupied or non-owner-occupied); Owner-occupancy requirement (owner-occupied permit type); City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax License. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Colorado Springs?
City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax (3.07%), Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax (LART) - lodging portion (2%), Colorado State Sales Tax (2.9%), El Paso County Sales Tax (1.23%), Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) Sales Tax (1%) — roughly 10.2% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

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