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Colorado · Denver

Denver

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

Short-term rentals (lodging accommodations to guests for a period of less than 30 consecutive days) are legal in the City and County of Denver ONLY in the operator's primary residence, and require (1) a city Short-Term Rental business license from the Department of Excise and Licenses and (2) a Lodger's Tax license from the Department of Finance. STRs are governed by Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC) Chapter 33 (Lodging), Article III, Secs. 33-46 through 33-54. Denver adopted its STR licensing system via Council Bill CB16-0262 (effective January 1, 2017); the Department's STR Rules took effect April 10, 2019 (adopted January 25, 2019); CB20-0240 (Series of 2020, committee approval March 11, 2020; effective April 1, 2020) modernized the primary-residence definition, added causes for denial, and set the current fee schedule ($50 application fee + $100/year license fee under DRMC 32-110); and CB20-1229 (effective February 1, 2021) prohibits booking/hosting platforms from processing transactions for unlicensed listings. Core limits: the STR must be the host's primary residence (a person can have only ONE primary residence); the license is non-transferable (DRMC 33-51); the host must maintain at least $1,000,000 aggregate liability insurance, or conduct each transaction through a hosting platform that provides equal or greater coverage (STR Rules Sec. 3.2); and each unit must have a functioning smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher on the premises during each occupancy (DRMC 33-49(a)). Denver imposes NO cap on the number of licenses issued and NO annual night limit; the primary-residence requirement is the sole gating restriction (the city's own CB20-0240 findings state STRs 'do not decrease the housing supply in Denver at a rate significant enough to impact housing prices'). Taxes: Denver Lodger's Tax of 10.75% plus a Colorado state-collected sales tax on lodging of 4% (comprising the 2.9% state rate plus state-collected RTD/SCFD district taxes), for a total of 14.75% per Denver Tax Guide Topic 97.

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

Requirements checklist

  • city Short-Term Rental License (Business License) Required
    Fee: $50 / one-time application · Renewal: Annual (per-year license fee $100); license is non-transferable (DRMC 33-51). Note: the specific renewal-window length (commonly cited as 60 days before expiration) was NOT quote-confirmed in the fetched official sources and should be treated as needs_review. · Applies to: Any person who offers, provides, or operates a short-term rental (lodging <30 consecutive days) in their primary residence in the City and County of Denver · official page ↗
  • city Denver Lodger's Tax License Required
    Fee: $50 / 2 years · Renewal: Every 2 years (2-year license period beginning Jan 1 of each even-numbered year) · Applies to: Vendors of short-term lodging in Denver — Hosts, and Lodging Platforms that are the merchant of record (a vendor as defined in Tax Guide Topic 97 B.2.b) · official page ↗
  • city Primary residence requirement Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR licensees; the licensed premises must be the applicant's primary residence, and a person may hold only one primary residence · official page ↗
  • city Liability insurance (min. $1,000,000 aggregate) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Maintained in full force and effect for the term of the license · Applies to: All STR licensees; must maintain liability coverage for the STR use in full force for the license term, OR conduct each transaction through a hosting platform providing equal or greater coverage · official page ↗
  • city Safety equipment (smoke detector, CO detector, fire extinguisher) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every short-term rental, on the licensed premises during each short-term rental occupancy · official page ↗
  • city License number in advertisements Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR advertising/listings · official page ↗
  • city Local responsible party (General Manager) and guest brochure Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every STR must designate a local responsible party and provide an on-site brochure with contacts and neighborhood information · official page ↗
  • state Colorado sales tax license / account (lodging) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Hosts acting as vendor of lodging must register with and remit Colorado state-collected sales tax on lodging; a marketplace facilitator (e.g., Airbnb/Vrbo) that is the merchant of record may collect and remit on the host's behalf · official page ↗
  • city Denver Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT) registration Conditional
    Fee: $4 / month · Renewal: Ongoing monthly filing/remittance · Applies to: Hosts engaged in the business of short-term rentals must register for and remit the Denver OPT · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Denver Lodger's Tax — — — —
Colorado state-collected sales tax on lodging — — — —
Combined lodging tax rate (Denver STR) — — — —
Denver Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT) — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
—
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
—
Zoning-restricted
—
Cap on licenses
—

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Denver?
Short-term rentals (lodging accommodations to guests for a period of less than 30 consecutive days) are legal in the City and County of Denver ONLY in the operator's primary residence, and require (1) a city Short-Term Rental business license from the Department of Excise and Licenses and (2) a Lodger's Tax license from the Department of Finance. STRs are governed by Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC) Chapter 33 (Lodging), Article III, Secs. 33-46 through 33-54. Denver adopted its STR licensing system via Council Bill CB16-0262 (effective January 1, 2017); the Department's STR Rules took effect April 10, 2019 (adopted January 25, 2019); CB20-0240 (Series of 2020, committee approval March 11, 2020; effective April 1, 2020) modernized the primary-residence definition, added causes for denial, and set the current fee schedule ($50 application fee + $100/year license fee under DRMC 32-110); and CB20-1229 (effective February 1, 2021) prohibits booking/hosting platforms from processing transactions for unlicensed listings. Core limits: the STR must be the host's primary residence (a person can have only ONE primary residence); the license is non-transferable (DRMC 33-51); the host must maintain at least $1,000,000 aggregate liability insurance, or conduct each transaction through a hosting platform that provides equal or greater coverage (STR Rules Sec. 3.2); and each unit must have a functioning smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher on the premises during each occupancy (DRMC 33-49(a)). Denver imposes NO cap on the number of licenses issued and NO annual night limit; the primary-residence requirement is the sole gating restriction (the city's own CB20-0240 findings state STRs 'do not decrease the housing supply in Denver at a rate significant enough to impact housing prices'). Taxes: Denver Lodger's Tax of 10.75% plus a Colorado state-collected sales tax on lodging of 4% (comprising the 2.9% state rate plus state-collected RTD/SCFD district taxes), for a total of 14.75% per Denver Tax Guide Topic 97.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Denver?
Yes — Denver requires: Short-Term Rental License (Business License); Denver Lodger's Tax License; Primary residence requirement. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Denver?
Denver Lodger's Tax, Colorado state-collected sales tax on lodging, Combined lodging tax rate (Denver STR), Denver Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT). Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

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