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Colorado · Summit County

Summit County

county Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term vacation rentals in UNINCORPORATED Summit County (a residential dwelling unit, or any room therein, "available for lease or exchange for a term of less than thirty (30) consecutive days") are legal only with a license issued by the Summit County Planning Department under Ordinance No. 20-C, "A Revised and Restated Ordinance for Short-Term Vacation Rental Regulations" (adopted Feb 15, 2023; regulations effective Feb 15, 2023). Status is "restricted" rather than simple registration because the county imposes hard numeric license caps per basin and, as of January 2026, is NOT accepting new non-owner-occupied ("Type II") applications (waitlist only). Two overlay zones apply: (1) the Resort Overlay Zone (uncapped "Resort" licenses, higher occupancy allowances, "no annual limit" on bookings — §3.1.b, §4.1); and (2) the Neighborhood Overlay Zone, where non-owner-occupied "Type II" licenses are capped per basin (Lower Blue 550, Snake River 130, Ten Mile 20, Upper Blue 590 — §4.2.b) and limited to "no more than 35 bookings per year, as calculated from October 1 through September 30" (§3.2.b.ii). Owner-occupied "Type I" (Qualified Occupant) licenses are an exception to the basin CAP and remain available (§4.2.a) — but Type I is ALSO limited to 35 bookings/year (§3.2.a.v); it is NOT unlimited. No person or entity may advertise or operate an STR without a valid license (§2.2). Licenses expire September 30 of the calendar year following initial issuance and require annual renewal (§2.7). Annual license fees (per the county license page): Resort $295, Type I $240, Type II $360 ("License fees cannot be prorated and are non-refundable"). This record covers unincorporated county only; incorporated towns (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Blue River, Montezuma) administer their own STR rules.

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

Requirements checklist

  • county Short-Term Vacation Rental License (Type I / Type II / Resort) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Annual. Per §2.7.a a license 'shall expire on September 30 of the calendar year following the year of initial license issuance, or when title... transfers to a new owner, whichever occurs first.' Per §2.7.b a renewal application 'shall be submitted within the renewal period established by the Review Authority' (the draft's 'at least 30 days prior to expiration' is NOT in the ordinance and was removed). · Applies to: Any residential dwelling unit, or any room therein, in unincorporated Summit County offered for lease/exchange for a term of less than 30 consecutive days; the license is issued in the property owner's name and is non-transferable (a new license is required on any change of ownership, §2.7-2.8). · official page ↗
  • county Type I Exception License (Qualified Occupant / owner-occupied) Conditional
    Fee: $240 / annual · Renewal: Annual; expires Sep 30 of the year following issuance (§2.7.a). · Applies to: Neighborhood Overlay Zone properties that are the primary residence (at least 9 months/year) of a Qualified Occupant — the owner OR a long-term renter who 'resides and is employed within the County year round, an average of at least 30 hours per week on an annual basis' (§1.1.d, §3.2.a.i). Type I licenses are an exception to the basin numeric CAP and remain available (§4.2.a), BUT Type I is still limited to 35 bookings/year, Oct 1-Sep 30 (§3.2.a.v). Correction: the draft implied Type I is broadly 'uncapped'; it is exempt from the license-count cap only, not from the booking limit. · official page ↗
  • county Responsible Agent designation (24/7 local contact) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Maintained continuously; owner must keep the information updated (§5.1.c). NOTE: the draft's 'changes reported within 5 days' is NOT stated in Ordinance 20-C and has been downgraded/removed as unverified. · Applies to: Every STR owner must designate a Responsible Agent (may be the owner) available 24/7 who can affirmatively respond to complaints within one hour of notification (§5.1). Owner 'shall keep all property management and Responsible Agent information updated in the established STR system' (§5.1.c). · official page ↗
  • state State and local sales tax license(s) + personal property tax declaration Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Per Colorado Department of Revenue requirements. · Applies to: Application must include 'Proof of all required state and local sales tax licenses' (§6.2.j). Platform-remitted rentals (Airbnb/VRBO) may rely on the platform's license; self-managed/other bookings require an individual Colorado sales tax license. A personal property tax declaration is also part of the county application/tax process (per county tax page), though it is not stated in ordinance §6.2.j. · official page ↗
  • county Self-Compliance Affidavit + health/safety, parking & waste plans, Good Neighbor Guidelines Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Reviewed at initial application and each renewal. · Applies to: Owner must file a Self-Compliance Affidavit signed under penalty of perjury (§6.2.d), plus a parking plan (§6.2.h / §7.2.a), a waste disposal plan (§6.2.i / §7.2.b), and certify they have read the Good Neighbor Guidelines (§6.2.k). Health/safety standards (§7.1) require smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers 'installed and operable per CRS 38-45-104' (§7.1.c). · official page ↗
  • county License number in all advertising Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every STR advertisement must display the Summit County STR license number along with permitted occupancy, bedroom count, and parking limitations (§9.2). A notice inside the unit must include the Responsible Agent's current contact information (§8.2). · official page ↗
  • county Property taxes current with County Treasurer Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Ongoing. · Applies to: All property taxes assessed against the STR unit must be paid to the Summit County Treasurer before license approval and kept current thereafter; non-compliance may cause suspension, revocation, non-renewal, or denial (§10.1). · official page ↗
  • county OWTS (septic) pumping every 3 years Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Pumping report reviewed at each renewal; a report within 3 years of inspection accepted at initial application. · Applies to: STRs connected to an On-site Wastewater Treatment System (septic) must have the tank pumped by a Summit County Licensed System Cleaner every 3 years (or more often as determined by Environmental Health); a malfunctioning OWTS blocks license issuance (§7.1.l.i). · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Combined state-collected sales tax (unincorporated Summit County) — — — —
Summit County Short-Term Rental Lodging Tax — — — —
Approximate combined tax on STR receipts — — — —

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 Summit County?
Short-term vacation rentals in UNINCORPORATED Summit County (a residential dwelling unit, or any room therein, "available for lease or exchange for a term of less than thirty (30) consecutive days") are legal only with a license issued by the Summit County Planning Department under Ordinance No. 20-C, "A Revised and Restated Ordinance for Short-Term Vacation Rental Regulations" (adopted Feb 15, 2023; regulations effective Feb 15, 2023). Status is "restricted" rather than simple registration because the county imposes hard numeric license caps per basin and, as of January 2026, is NOT accepting new non-owner-occupied ("Type II") applications (waitlist only). Two overlay zones apply: (1) the Resort Overlay Zone (uncapped "Resort" licenses, higher occupancy allowances, "no annual limit" on bookings — §3.1.b, §4.1); and (2) the Neighborhood Overlay Zone, where non-owner-occupied "Type II" licenses are capped per basin (Lower Blue 550, Snake River 130, Ten Mile 20, Upper Blue 590 — §4.2.b) and limited to "no more than 35 bookings per year, as calculated from October 1 through September 30" (§3.2.b.ii). Owner-occupied "Type I" (Qualified Occupant) licenses are an exception to the basin CAP and remain available (§4.2.a) — but Type I is ALSO limited to 35 bookings/year (§3.2.a.v); it is NOT unlimited. No person or entity may advertise or operate an STR without a valid license (§2.2). Licenses expire September 30 of the calendar year following initial issuance and require annual renewal (§2.7). Annual license fees (per the county license page): Resort $295, Type I $240, Type II $360 ("License fees cannot be prorated and are non-refundable"). This record covers unincorporated county only; incorporated towns (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Blue River, Montezuma) administer their own STR rules.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Summit County?
Yes — Summit County requires: Short-Term Vacation Rental License (Type I / Type II / Resort); Type I Exception License (Qualified Occupant / owner-occupied); Responsible Agent designation (24/7 local contact). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Summit County?
Combined state-collected sales tax (unincorporated Summit County), Summit County Short-Term Rental Lodging Tax, Approximate combined tax on STR receipts. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In Colorado

Cities in this county Breckenridge · Frisco

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