Local Airbnb rules2026 12 sources cited

Is Airbnb Legal in Boulder? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Airbnb is legal in Boulder for owners renting their own principal residence with a city license ($215 new, four years, no night cap); second homes and tenants are not eligible. Taxes total 12.835%.^1,2,3,8,12

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Rules checked October 17, 2026

From 10 official sources and 2 Airbnb help pages. Not legal advice.

The short answer

Boulder Airbnb Rules in Brief

License required before advertising: $190 plus a one-time $25 business license for a new application, valid four years; renewal $190 and a $20 affidavit each year.
Principal residence only, owned by a person, trust or nonprofit with at least 50% ownership, and one license per owner.
No cap on nights for a whole home; an accessory unit is limited to 120 days a year and no new licenses go to properties with an ADU.
Taxes total 12.835% (city 7.5%, state 2.9%, county 1.335%, RTD 1.10%); municipal court fines run $500 to $2,000 per violation.

Browse the live Boulder Airbnb market Search by revenue, occupancy and neighborhood on an interactive map See Every Boulder Listing

Revenue, occupancy and nightly rates are in the Boulder Airbnb market report .

At a glance

Boulder Airbnb Rules at a Glance

License required: Yes
Taxes on a stay: 12.835%
Yearly night cap: 120 nights
Fine for hosting without a permit: $2,000
Active Airbnb listings: 911
Next rule change: Jan 11, 2027

The rules in brief

The rules a Boulder host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.

Boulder Airbnb Rules at a Glance
Topic	Rule
Permit	Short-term rental license required^1,2
Who can host	Principal residence only^1,2,3
Where	No new licenses for properties with an ADU^1,2,3
Building rules	Tenants and second homes cannot hold the license^1,2
Night cap	No cap on nights for a whole home²
Minimum stay	Short-term means 29 days or fewer²
Guests	Occupancy follows the Property Maintenance Code¹
Listing display	License number and occupancy in every ad^1,2,8
Platforms	License field on Airbnb¹²
Safety	Self-certified smoke and CO detectors^1,2
Neighbors	Two local contacts within 60 minutes¹

Your home

Can You Host an Airbnb in Boulder? It Depends on the Home

Whether you can host in Boulder turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.

Your own home, rented whole while you're away

Allowed with conditions

Allowed with a short-term rental license. The home must be your principal residence, and there is no cap on nights for a whole home.^1,2

A second home or investment property you don't live in

Not allowed

Not eligible for the standard license, which is for the owner's principal residence only, and the city does not license LLC-owned homes. The one exception is the Festival Lodging Rental License, usable only from January 11 to February 9, 2027.^2,3,4

A rented home or apartment (tenant hosting)

Not allowed

Short-term rentals are allowed only in owner-occupied homes, so a tenant cannot list on Airbnb even with the landlord's approval. Tenants can apply for the festival license with the landlord's permission.^2,4

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or guest house

Not allowed

New short-term licenses are not issued for a property with an ADU. A unit and main home legally established and licensed by February 1, 2019 can renew, with the ADU limited to 120 days a year.^1,2,3

A condominium or home in an HOA

Allowed with conditions

The city license is separate from the association's rules. Covenants can restrict short-term rentals, so check the declaration before applying.⁷

Permit

Do You Need a Permit for Airbnb in Boulder?

Yes. Short-term rental hosts in Boulder need the short-term rental license from the City of Boulder, Planning & Development Services (Rental Housing Licensing). It costs $215 in the first year (A new license costs $215 ($190 plus the one-time $25 business license) and lasts four years. With the $20 affidavit on the first three anniversaries, a host pays $275 over the first four years, then $190 to renew.) and $190 a year to renew and lasts Four years.^1,2,3,8,12

Who needs it: Every owner renting a home for 29 days or fewer at a time inside Boulder city limits. Homes outside city limits in unincorporated Boulder County need a county license instead.^1,2,3,8,12
Issued by: City of Boulder, Planning & Development Services (Rental Housing Licensing)
Valid for: Four years; the license ends early if the property is sold or the annual principal-residence affidavit is not filed by the anniversary date.
Processing: The city emails next steps within two weeks of an online application; mailed applications take longer.
On listings: The number must appear on every listing
Platform checks: Airbnb has a License or registration number field for Boulder (formats RHL-01234 and RHL2016-12345), and the city treats a missing license number in an advertisement as a code violation.

Fees

Fees
Fee	Amount	When
Rental license (new application, four years)Rental license fee for a new short-term license, paid in the city's Customer Self-Service Portal after the application is processed.	$190	every 4 years
City business licenseOne-time business license fee required with a new license; not charged on renewal.	$25	one-time
Annual affidavitFiled with the principal-residence affidavit each year by the license anniversary, except in the renewal year.	$20	annual
Renewal applicationRenewal follows the same process as a first application, without the business license fee.	$190	every 4 years

Who qualifies

The home is the owner's principal residence, shown with a Colorado driver's license or ID card carrying the property address
The owner is a natural person, trust or nonprofit named on the deed with at least 50% ownership; no LLC, corporation or limited partnership
One short-term license per owner, and no long-term rental license on the same home
The property has no accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and is not a permanently affordable unit
Two local contacts who can reach the home within 60 minutes and a smoke and carbon monoxide detector certification

How to apply

Confirm you own the home in your own name (or through a trust or nonprofit), live there, and have a Colorado driver's license or ID card with the address; the property cannot have an ADU.
Submit the online Rental License Short-Term Application with the sworn principal-residence statement, the detector certification and two local contacts.
Pay the $190 rental license fee and $25 business license fee in the Customer Self-Service Portal when the city emails instructions, within about two weeks.
Open a City of Boulder tax account in the Boulder Online Tax System for the accommodations tax, and a Colorado sales tax license for bookings outside Airbnb.
Put the RHL license number and maximum occupancy in every listing, and file the $20 annual affidavit by each anniversary.

Applications go through the official application page .

Permit rules

No state permit; local licensing: Colorado has no statewide short-term rental permit. State law defines a short-term rental as a rental of fewer than 30 days and leaves licensing to counties, cities and towns.⁷
Short-term rental license required: An owner needs a City of Boulder short-term rental license before advertising a home. Renting without one is prohibited.^1,2
Four-year license: A short-term license is issued for four years. It ends early if the property is sold or the annual affidavit is not filed.²
Annual affidavit and $20 fee: Each year, by the license anniversary, the owner files an affidavit that the home is still their principal residence and pays $20. The affidavit is not required in the renewal year, and missing it revokes the license.^1,2
License number and occupancy in every ad: Every advertisement must show the city's rental housing license (RHL) number and the maximum allowed occupancy. Not showing the number is a code violation.^1,2,8
License field on Airbnb: Airbnb has a License or registration number field in the listing's Location settings, and accepts Boulder numbers in the formats RHL-01234 and RHL2016-12345.¹²
Festival Lodging Rental License for Sundance 2027: A separate Festival Lodging Rental License lets homeowners and tenants rent for up to 29 days a year during a city-approved festival. The only approved festival is the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, and the license may be used only from January 11 to February 9, 2027.^1,4 Takes effect January 11, 2027

Who can host

Who Can Host an Airbnb in Boulder, and Where

Colorado state law applies on top of Boulder's own rules: the Colorado short-term rental regulations page covers the state license and what cities and counties can and can't regulate.

Principal residence only: The home must be the owner's principal residence. The license application needs a Colorado driver's license or ID card showing the property address and a sworn statement that the home is the applicant's principal residence.^1,2,3
Owner must be a person, trust or nonprofit: The name on the license must match the deed. The owner must be a natural person, a trust or a nonprofit, hold at least 50% of the property, and cannot own through an LLC, corporation or limited partnership.^2,3
One short-term license per owner: The city issues no more than one short-term rental license to any applicant, and a home holds either a short-term or a long-term rental license, never both.¹
Tenants and second homes cannot hold the license: A renter cannot list a home on Airbnb in Boulder even with the landlord's approval, because short-term rentals are allowed only in owner-occupied homes. Second homes and investment properties do not qualify either.^1,2
No new licenses for properties with an ADU: A property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is not eligible for a short-term rental license. Only an ADU and main home legally established, and licensed, by February 1, 2019 can keep renewing.^1,2,3 In force since February 1, 2019
Permanently affordable homes excluded: The city does not license a permanently affordable unit as a short-term rental.^1,3
Festival license allows second homes and tenants: Unlike the standard license, the festival license does not require the owner to live in the home. Tenants can apply with the landlord's permission, and spare bedrooms are covered. A home that already has a short-term license cannot also hold one.⁴
HOA and condo rules apply on top: A city license does not override private restrictions: associations can limit short-term rentals through their covenants, so condo and HOA owners check the declaration first.⁷

Operating rules

Operating Rules for Boulder Short-Term Rentals

Short-term means 29 days or fewer: Boulder treats a rental of 29 days or fewer at a time as a short-term rental that needs the short-term license.²
No cap on nights for a whole home: A principal residence can be rented whole for any number of nights a year. Only an accessory unit has a limit: 120 days a year, and no more than 29 days at a time.²
ADU limited to 120 days a year: A grandfathered ADU licensed for short-term rental may be rented at most 120 days in a calendar year; only the ADU or the main home may be rented, not both.¹
Occupancy follows the Property Maintenance Code: Occupancy of a short-term rental may not exceed the limit set by the city's Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 10-2), and guests cannot be required or encouraged to sleep in a room that is not habitable.¹
Self-certified smoke and CO detectors: Short-term rentals have no city inspection. The owner certifies that the home has working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and any other life-safety equipment the city requires.^1,2
Two local contacts within 60 minutes: The application lists two contacts, who may be permanent residents on the property, who can respond to the home within 60 minutes.¹
City business license: A one-time $25 city business license is issued with the first short-term license; it is not charged on renewal.^2,3
Unincorporated Boulder County has its own license: Homes outside city limits in unincorporated Boulder County are licensed by the county, not the city; the county does not license homes inside Boulder city limits.⁹ Applies to: Unincorporated Boulder County

Taxes

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Boulder?

12.835% on the nightly price and cleaning fee: 7.5% city accommodations tax, 2.9% state sales tax, 1.335% Boulder County and 1.10% RTD sales taxes.

12.835% in all

How the 12.835% on a Boulder stay splits between the taxes in the table below

Median nightly rate, booked nights: $225
Taxes on that night (12.835%): $29
Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees: $254

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Boulder?
Tax	Rate	Collected by
City of Boulder short-term rental accommodations tax 7.5% of the listing price, including the cleaning fee and guest fees, for stays of 29 nights or fewer	7.5%^5,11	Airbnb
Colorado state sales tax 2.9% of the price, including the cleaning fee, for stays of 29 nights or fewer	2.9%^5,6,11	Airbnb
Boulder County sales tax 1.335% since January 1, 2026 (1.185% before)	1.335%^5,6	Airbnb
Regional Transportation District (RTD) sales tax Regional Transportation District; remitted through the Colorado Department of Revenue	1.1%^5,6	Airbnb

Total on a stay 12.835% · All by Airbnb

At Boulder's median booked rate of $225 a night, the taxes collected on a booking come to about $29 a night.

What the host still handles

A City of Boulder business license ($25, paid once with the first short-term rental application)
A City of Boulder tax account in the Boulder Online Tax System to file the accommodations tax return on stays Airbnb does not collect; the city requires sales tax licenses from both the city and the state
A Colorado sales tax license from the Department of Revenue for any bookings made outside a marketplace such as Airbnb^4,5,6,11

Fines

How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Boulder

Fines in Boulder fall on hosting without the short-term rental license, or outside the rules above. With it in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.

Renting without a valid license, or breaking the rental license chapter, is punishable in municipal court by a fine of $500 to $2,000 per violation, up to 90 days in jail, or both; violating a court order carries up to $4,000 per violation.¹
Administrative civil penalties run $150 for a first violation of a provision, $300 for a second and $1,000 for a third, and the city can also revoke the license or issue compliance orders.¹
After a license is revoked, the city accepts no new application for the same home for at least six months, and charges $250 for each investigative inspection.¹
An unlicensed rental found by the city leads to legal action, and a missing license number in an advertisement is a reportable code violation.⁸
Missing the annual principal-residence affidavit by the anniversary date revokes the short-term rental license.²

Changes

What's Changed in Boulder's Airbnb Rules, and What's Next

One change is scheduled after October 20, 2026; the most recent rules are listed first.

January 11, 2027 Upcoming
Festival lodging window for Sundance 2027 opens
Festival Lodging Rental Licenses may be used from January 11 to February 9, 2027, around the Sundance Film Festival in Boulder (January 21 to 31, 2027); the license cannot be used for other events.⁴
April 2, 2026
Festival license opened to tenants and long-term-licensed homes
Ordinance 8743 let tenants (with the owner's consent) and owners of homes with a long-term rental license apply, and added a one-year festival license for $75.⁴
October 9, 2025
City Council creates the Festival Lodging Rental License
Ordinance 8715 created a festival license for homeowners that does not require the home to be their principal residence and is limited to city-approved festivals and 29 days a year.⁴
March 6, 2025
Occupancy section of the rental license chapter repealed
Ordinance 8651, adopted March 6, 2025, repealed section 10-3-20 of the rental license chapter, which dealt with occupancy; the short-term rental section now ties occupancy to the Property Maintenance Code.¹

Listing data

What Boulder's Listings Show

AirROI, a short-term-rental data firm, counted 911 active Airbnb listings in Boulder over the 12 months to September 2026. 57% of them displayed a permit, license or registration number.

Minimum stay set on Boulder listings

Share of active listings by the shortest stay they accept

14%

29%

20%

11%

19%

Minimum stay in numbers

Minimum stay set on Boulder listings
Shortest stay accepted	Share of listings
1 night	14%
2 nights	29%
3 nights	20%
4–6 nights	7%
7–29 nights	11%
30+ nights	19%

What officials report

902: Short-term rental licenses issued · as of October 2026The city's rental housing license map lists 902 licenses of the Short Term Rental type with status Issued in October 2026, and 61 more pending with the applicant.¹⁰
600: Festival lodging rental licenses issued · as of October 2026The same layer lists 600 Festival Lodging Rental licenses with status Issued in October 2026, ahead of the Sundance Film Festival in January 2027, and 273 pending with the applicant.¹⁰

Earnings

What Could a Boulder Short-Term Rental Earn?

The rules shape the numbers: a license that costs $215 in the first year, a cap of 120 nights a year and taxes of 12.835% that Airbnb adds to guests' bills. For a specific address, the short-term rental calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.

Estimate what a Boulder home could earn

FAQ

Boulder Airbnb Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in Boulder?

Yes, if you own the home and live in it. Boulder allows rentals of 29 days or fewer only with a city short-term rental license, and only in the owner's principal residence.^1,2

Do I need a permit for Airbnb in Boulder?

Yes. Owners must get a short-term rental license from the city's Planning & Development Services before advertising, and renting without one is prohibited. Unincorporated Boulder County outside city limits has a separate county license.^1,2,9

How much is the Boulder short-term rental license?

A new license costs $215: a $190 rental license fee plus a one-time $25 business license. It lasts four years, a $20 affidavit fee is due on each anniversary except the renewal year, and renewal is $190.^2,3

Can I rent a home I don't live in?

No. The standard license is for the owner's principal residence only, and LLC-owned homes do not qualify. The one exception is the Festival Lodging Rental License, usable only from January 11 to February 9, 2027, for Sundance.^2,3,4

Is there a limit on how many nights I can host in Boulder?

No. A principal residence rented whole has no limit on nights a year. A grandfathered accessory unit is limited to 120 days a year, and every stay must be 29 days or fewer.^1,2

Does Airbnb collect hotel or occupancy tax in Boulder?

Yes. Airbnb collects the 7.5% Boulder short-term rental accommodations tax on stays of 29 nights or fewer, along with the 2.9% Colorado sales tax. Hosts still hold a city business license and, for bookings outside Airbnb, tax accounts with the city and state.^5,6,11

What is the total tax on an Airbnb stay in Boulder?

The city's rate table gives 12.835% for accommodations: 7.5% city, 2.9% state, 1.335% Boulder County and 1.10% RTD. The tax applies to the listing price including the cleaning fee and guest fees.^5,11

What is the fine for renting an Airbnb in Boulder without a license?

Municipal court fines run $500 to $2,000 per violation, with up to 90 days in jail, and violating a court order carries up to $4,000. The city can also impose civil penalties of $150, $300 and $1,000 and revoke the license.¹

Can I rent out my ADU or guest house on Airbnb in Boulder?

Generally not. A property with an accessory dwelling unit cannot get a new short-term license. Units and homes legally established and licensed by February 1, 2019 can renew, with the ADU limited to 120 days a year.^1,2,3

Can a tenant list an apartment on Airbnb in Boulder?

No. Short-term rentals are allowed only in owner-occupied homes, so a landlord's approval does not make it legal. Tenants can apply for the festival license with the landlord's permission, for use during Sundance 2027 only.^2,4

What is Boulder's Festival Lodging Rental License?

It is a separate license for up to 29 days a year during a city-approved festival, with no principal-residence requirement. It costs $190 plus the $25 business license ($75 for a one-year license on a home with a long-term rental license), and is valid January 11 to February 9, 2027, around Sundance.⁴

Do I have to show my license number on my Airbnb listing?

Yes. Every advertisement must show the city's rental housing license (RHL) number and the maximum allowed occupancy, and Airbnb has a License or registration number field for it.^2,8,12

How many Boulder Airbnbs are registered?

Short-term rental licenses issued: 902 as of October 2026¹⁰. In AirROI's listing data, 57% of the 911 Boulder Airbnb listings active in the 12 months to September 2026 displayed a permit, license or registration number. A number on a listing shows the host entered one; it doesn't confirm the permit is valid.

How much does an Airbnb make in Boulder?

The average Boulder listing earned $47,000 in the 12 months to September 2026, according to AirROI, averaged across every active listing including those booked for only part of the year. The Boulder Airbnb market report breaks it down by month, property size and neighborhood.

Method

How These Rules Were Checked

Each rule on this page was checked in October 2026 against the official source cited beside it: the ordinance or statute, the permit office's own pages and the tax authority. Airbnb's help pages are cited on their own only for what Airbnb itself does, such as the taxes it collects and the permit checks it runs, and otherwise only beside an official source; news reports only for when a change was announced. Rules that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out. The Boulder Revised Code chapter on Municode was read in a browser.

Rules change with council votes, court rulings and new state laws, so the page is rechecked every three months and whenever a scheduled change takes effect. It summarizes the rules for information and is not legal advice; the local authority has the final word on any application.

Listing figures come from AirROI's tracking of 911 active Boulder Airbnb listings over the 12 months to September 2026.

Sources

Each rule above links to the source it comes from. Official ordinances, statutes and government pages come first, then Airbnb's own help pages.

1. Chapter 3, Rental Licenses (Title 10, Structures), Boulder Revised Code · City of Boulder (Municode)
2. Rental Licensing: Short-Term · City of Boulder, Planning & Development Services
3. Rental Housing Licensing Short-Term Application · City of Boulder, Planning & Development Services
4. Rental Licensing: Festival Lodging Rental License · City of Boulder, Planning & Development Services
5. Tax Rates & Types · City of Boulder, Tax & Licensing
6. Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
7. Short Term Rentals · Colorado General Assembly, Legislative Council Staff
8. Planning and Development Code Concerns · City of Boulder
9. Short-Term and Vacation Rental Licensing · Boulder County, Community Planning & Permitting
10. Rental Housing Licenses (RentalHousingLicenses map service, layer 0) · City of Boulder GIS
11. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Colorado · Airbnb Help Center
12. Boulder, CO · Airbnb Help Center