Denver, CO short-term rental rules
Read from official city pages on 2026-10-23
Denver requires the short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence and tests that claim closely: where you vote, file taxes and register a vehicle all count. The licence costs $150 the first year, runs one year, and lodger's tax adds 10.75%.
Can you run a short-term rental in Denver, CO?
Yes, with a licence — only in your primary residence.
1. Can you operate here?
Primary residence
Required[1]Denver publishes an unusually detailed test, including that a person can have only one primary residence and that a tax-purpose claim elsewhere does not settle the question. Unit limit
One party at a time; an ADU only if you live in the main house[2]Multiple bedrooms may be rented, but only to a single party under one contract, or one at a time with no overlapping bookings. An accessory-dwelling unit can be the short-term rental only if the owner or long-term renter lives in the primary structure — and someone living in the ADU cannot run a short-term rental in the main house. Night limits
No night cap; 30+ day rentals need a different licence[1]Denver regulates by the length of each stay, not by an annual night budget. Stays of 30 days or more fall under the residential rental property licence instead. All 10 figures above are published by the city and linked to the page that states them. These are the figures the city publishes — not a determination that a particular property may operate. Zoning, building occupancy class, lease terms and HOA rules sit outside this page and can bar a rental that otherwise holds a licence.
2. What the licence takes
Licence
Short-term rental license[1] Fee — new
$150[2]$50 application fee plus a $100 annual licence fee. Fee — renewal
$100[3]Late renewal adds 20% in the first 30 days of the grace period and 50% for days 31 to 90. Term
1 year, renewed annually[2]Renewal can be filed as early as 90 days before expiry. 3. What it costs
Occupancy tax
- Denver lodger's tax[2]10.75%
Combined rate10.75%
Denver also charges an occupational privilege tax of $48 a year, which is a business tax rather than a lodging tax, so it is not folded into the percentage. Lodger's tax accounts are renewed every odd year. Platform-collected tax does not remove the filing obligation.If you operate without one
Revocation or sanction, plus 20%–50% late-renewal penalties[3]A licence can be revoked or sanctioned, and a new or renewal application denied, if the unit is found to be adversely affecting public health or safety. Operating on an expired licence is unlawful unless a complete renewal is pending. Other rules that apply
Liability insurance
At least $1 million in liability insurance covering short-term rental use, or listing only through platforms that provide it.[3]
Primary residence test
The director weighs where the applicant votes, files, works and keeps vehicles, how often they return, and whether they hold an STR licence elsewhere. The burden is on the applicant.[1]
Owner permission
A non-owner host needs the property owner's permission before operating.[1]
Operating while renewal is pending
A host with a complete pending renewal may keep operating until the city decides.[1]
Sources, and the wording behind the key figures
Each bracketed number above points to the entry below. Where a sentence is quoted it is the city's own wording — the exact text the figure was read from. Figures whose sentence is not reproduced here still carry a bracketed reference — follow it to the source page for the exact wording.
If you rent a property to guests for fewer than 29 nights at one time, a short-term rental license is required.
If you only rent for 30-plus days at a time, a residential rental property license is required.
The property being rented must be your primary residence.
Do I need a short-term rental license? If you rent a property to guests for fewer than 29 nights at one time, a short-term rental license is required.
An application fee of $50 and an annual license fee of $100 will be assessed for individual short-term rental license applications. Short-term rental licenses are for one year and must be renewed on time to avoid fines.
Short-term rental licensees must pay lodger's tax (10.75%), occupational privilege tax ($48 a year), and any other applicable taxes or fees.
Short-term rental licenses are for one year and must be renewed on time to avoid fines.
Short-term rental hosts cannot rent simultaneously to more than one party under separate contracts.
If a figure above differs from the page it cites, the official page is correct and this page is out of date. Report it to
[email protected].
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