Colorado · Steamboat Springs

Steamboat Springs

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

city Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals in the City of Steamboat Springs are legal but heavily regulated under Chapter 12, Article IX (Short-Term Rental Licensing) of the Steamboat Springs Revised Municipal Code, enacted by City Council on June 7, 2022 via Ordinances 2856/2857/2858 (Short-Term Rental Overlay Zone + Licensing program), with mandatory-license enforcement beginning January 1, 2023. It is unlawful to advertise or operate an STR without a license (Sec. 12-571(d)). Licenses are classified by the Overlay Zone: an Unrestricted license is required for STRs in Zone A (unlimited), and a Restricted license is required for STRs in Zone B or Zone C; Hosted and Temporary short-term rentals are separately defined license/use categories. Licenses expire one (1) year after issuance (Sec. 12-576) and are non-transferable (Sec. 12-577). The current published license/renewal fee is $350. Zone A is unlimited; Zone B has hard subzone caps allocated via waiting list (B1=5, B2=20, B3=18, B4=17, B5=12, B6=10 per the city's current Rules & Regulations page); Zone C prohibits new STRs except Hosted/Temporary STRs and grandfathered legal-nonconforming or permitted Vacation Home Rental properties. Occupancy is capped at 1 per 150 sq ft of net floor area (minimum 2, maximum 16). Operating without a license is punishable by a fine up to $2,650 per violation per day plus a two-year ban on licensing the property. Separately, voters approved a 9% short-term rental tax on November 8, 2022 (Ballot Measure 2A; city-collected; applies to reservations on/after January 1, 2023; dedicated to affordable/attainable workforce housing; sunsets December 31, 2042), on top of the standard 9.4% accommodations tax load, for a combined 18.4% (or 20.4% inside the Local Marketing District).

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

Requirements checklist

city Short-Term Rental License (Unrestricted / Restricted / Hosted / Temporary) Required

Fee: $350 / year · Renewal: Annual — license expires one (1) year after issuance (Sec. 12-576); a renewal application and fee must be filed before expiration or a new license is required (and, in capped subzones, the waiting list may apply) · Applies to: All short-term rentals, hosted short-term rentals, and temporary short-term rentals (dwelling units rented for less than 30 consecutive days) within city limits · official page ↗
city One-year license term Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Renew annually before expiration · Applies to: All STR licenses · official page ↗
city Licenses non-transferable Required

Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR licenses · official page ↗
city Designated Local Responsible Party Required

Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every licensed short-term rental · official page ↗
city Self-inspection checklist (smoke/CO detectors, fire extinguishers) Required

Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All short-term rentals and hosted short-term rentals; affidavit of completed self-inspection required with application · official page ↗
city Parking and snow storage plan Required

Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR license applications · official page ↗
city City Sales Tax License (for tax collection/remittance) Required

Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: STR operators must collect and remit city sales, accommodations, and STR taxes; Steamboat Springs is a home-rule self-collecting municipality (SUTS Jurisdiction ID 280049) · official page ↗

Taxes

Tax	Rate	Administered by	Airbnb remits	Vrbo remits
City Short-Term Rental Tax	9%	City of Steamboat Springs (home-rule, self-collected)	—	—
City Accommodations Tax	1%	City of Steamboat Springs (home-rule, self-collected)	—	—
City Sales Tax	4.5%	City of Steamboat Springs (home-rule, self-collected)	—	—
State of Colorado Sales Tax	2.9%	Colorado Department of Revenue	—	—
Routt County Tax	1%	Colorado Department of Revenue (state-collected for county)	—	—
Local Marketing District (LMD) Accommodations Tax	2%	Colorado Department of Revenue (remit to State)	—	—

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~20.4%) on a stay in Steamboat Springs. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Nightly rate ($) Nights

Operating rules

Primary residence: No
Min stay (nights): —
Max nights / year: —
Max occupancy: 1 occupant per 150 sq ft of net floor area, minimum 2, maximum 16 occupants; overnight vehicle parking outside a garage capped at 6 vehicles
Zoning-restricted: Yes
Cap on licenses: Yes

Grandfathering: Yes. Properties registered as lawfully nonconforming STR uses or permitted Vacation Home Rentals prior to the overlay's effective date may obtain Restricted licenses in Zone C and may exceed the Zone B subzone caps; such properties are exempt from the caps/prohibition so long as they hold an active STR license. Grandfathered status is forfeited if a license is revoked (two-year ban).

Zoning: STR Overlay Zone (adopted June 7, 2022) creates three zones on the Official Zone Map. Zone A: unlimited STRs (Unrestricted license). Zone B: six capped subzones (Restricted license, waiting-list allocation). Zone C: new STRs prohibited except Hosted/Temporary STRs and grandfathered legal-nonconforming or permitted Vacation Home Rental properties.

Standard (non-hosted, non-temporary) STR licenses do NOT require the owner to occupy the property as a primary residence.
Hosted STR requires the owner/permanent resident to be present in the dwelling (one guestroom, max 400 sq ft) per the official Licensing page.
Temporary STR is limited to a maximum of 2 occurrences and 30 cumulative days per calendar year per the official Licensing page.
There is no minimum-night stay requirement; an STR is by definition a rental of less than 30 consecutive days.
Zone B subzone caps confirmed on the city's current Rules & Regulations page: B1=5, B2=20, B3=18, B4=17, B5=12, B6=10. NUMBERS are quote-anchored; the subzone NAMES (Sunlight, Old Town, Fairway/Clubhouse, Walton Creek/Whistler, Walton Creek/Village/Columbine, Alpenglow) are from the draft and were not independently re-verified. The original June 2022 draft ordinance listed different B3/B4 caps that were subsequently amended; the current published page governs.
Licenses are non-transferable (Sec. 12-577); a new owner must apply for a new license, and in capped subzones may be subject to the waiting list unless a listed transfer exemption applies.

Enforcement

Active enforcement: unknown
Fines: —
Notes: License required before advertising or operating; enforcement began Jan 1, 2023.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Steamboat Springs?

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

Yes — Steamboat Springs requires: Short-Term Rental License (Unrestricted / Restricted / Hosted / Temporary); One-year license term; Licenses non-transferable. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.

What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Steamboat Springs?

City Short-Term Rental Tax (9%), City Accommodations Tax (1%), City Sales Tax (4.5%), State of Colorado Sales Tax (2.9%), Routt County Tax (1%), Local Marketing District (LMD) Accommodations Tax (2%) — roughly 20.4% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

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