Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Denver, CO (2026)

Denver, CO allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Denver Short-Term Rental License) before listing their property. Denver regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Denver.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Denver Short-Term Rental License. Registration fee: $100. Annual renewal: $100 annually. Register through the Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) — Development Services or Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD). Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Denver: 1. All STRs (fewer than 30 consecutive nights) require a Denver Short-Term Rental License 2. Property must be the host's primary residence — only one STR license per person 3. Host must maintain primary residence at the property — cannot be used as investment STR if not primary residence 4. Annual license renewal required 5. Must display Denver STR license number on all listing platforms 6. Platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) must verify Denver license numbers 7. Must maintain liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 8. Maximum 2 guests per bedroom per Denver occupancy standards 9. Must collect and remit Denver lodging tax (if not collected by platform)

• •All STRs (fewer than 30 consecutive nights) require a Denver Short-Term Rental License
• •Property must be the host's primary residence — only one STR license per person
• •Host must maintain primary residence at the property — cannot be used as investment STR if not primary residence
• •Annual license renewal required
• •Must display Denver STR license number on all listing platforms
• •Platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) must verify Denver license numbers
• •Must maintain liability insurance of at least $1,000,000
• •Maximum 2 guests per bedroom per Denver occupancy standards
• •Must collect and remit Denver lodging tax (if not collected by platform)

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Denver: Airbnb: Airbnb collects and remits Denver lodging tax and Colorado state sales/lodging tax on behalf of hosts — approximately 10.75% total VRBO: VRBO collects and remits applicable taxes — host should verify platform tax collection Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Denver: $999 fine per violation for operating without a license; License revocation for repeated violations; Platforms fined for listing unlicensed STRs; Code violations trigger neighborhood complaint-driven enforcement. Denver has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$999 fine per violation for operating without a license
• ⚠License revocation for repeated violations
• ⚠Platforms fined for listing unlicensed STRs
• ⚠Code violations trigger neighborhood complaint-driven enforcement

Frequently Asked Questions