Is Airbnb Legal in Colorado Springs? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

10.2%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $2,500

Listings showing a permit number

0%

Latest rule change

Jun 30, 2025

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every owner who lists a home, or part of one, on a hosting platform for stays of 29 days or less, even if it is rented only a few days a year. Each listing needs its own permit and fee.^1,2,5,13

Issued by

City of Colorado Springs, Planning and Community Development Department

Valid for

One year from the date of issue, renewed each year; there is no grace period for late renewals. The permit belongs to the owner, cannot be moved to another person or address, and expires if the property is sold or transferred.

Processing

City staff review a complete application within 10 business days; incomplete applications are not accepted.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Applicants send the city an emailed link to their listing on the hosting platform, and the permit number must appear in all rental marketing materials.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Owner-occupied: the owner physically lives in the home at least 185 days a year, and the home is a lawful dwelling unit in a zone where residential units are allowed
• Non-owner-occupied (applications after 12-26-2019): not available in the single-family zones R-E, R-1 6 and R-1 9 or single-family planned development zones, and at least 500 feet from another non-owner-occupied rental in other zones
• No new permit for a property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) since June 30, 2025
• The property needs a Certificate of Occupancy and must stay compliant with planning, zoning and building codes
• Taxes owed to the city must be paid before the permit is issued

How to apply

1. 1 Look up the property's zoning on the city's SpringsView map and, for a non-owner-occupied rental, check the 500-foot spacing from other non-owner-occupied rentals.
2. 2 Create an account in the city's electronic permit system through the Applications and Reviews button on the Short Term Rentals page.
3. 3 Submit the checklist and owner acknowledgment, proof of primary residence (two of: driver's license or state ID, vehicle registration, voter registration, dependent's school registration), the signed affidavit, proof of at least $500,000 in liability insurance, an emailed link to the live listing and the $124.95 fee.
4. 4 Wait for staff review, which takes 10 business days once the application is complete, then post the permit and Good Neighbor Guidelines in the unit and use the permit number in all rental marketing.

Permit rules

A permit is required for any platform listing

Any property listed on a hosting platform needs an active Short Term Rental Permit, even if it is rented for only a few days or weeks a year.^5,13

The permit belongs to the owner and ends on sale

The permit is issued to a specific owner and cannot be transferred to another person, entity or address; it expires when the property is sold or transferred. A third party may manage the rental for the owner.^1,5

$124.95 a year per listing

The permit costs $124.95 a year, and each listing needs its own application and fee. Two units on one property, for example a back-yard unit and a room in the house, need two permits.⁵

Valid one year, no grace period to renew

The permit lasts one year and must be renewed without a lapse. A late renewal can bring a Code Enforcement notice and, for a non-owner-occupied rental, loss of the established permit.^1,5

Permit and emergency contact posted in the unit

The city-issued permit and the Good Neighbor Guidelines, filled in with the local emergency contact, the permit number and the valid-through date, must be prominently displayed inside the unit.⁵

Permit number in all rental marketing

The city-issued permit number must be used in all rental marketing materials, which includes the Airbnb listing.²

Applicants send a link to the live listing

The permit application requires proof of the listing on the hosting platform, sent as an emailed link, and Airbnb tells hosts that a city permit is required to host in Colorado Springs.^5,13

Two permit types: owner occupied and non-owner occupied

Since the December 2019 amendment the city issues two kinds of permit, one for owner-occupied rentals and one for non-owner-occupied rentals, and the second kind carries extra limits.⁵ In force since December 26, 2019

Owner-occupied: the owner lives there 185 days a year

An owner-occupied rental is a home the owner physically occupies at least 185 days a year. It is allowed in any lawful dwelling unit in a zone where residential units are permitted, including single-family zones. An active-duty service member stationed in El Paso County gets a waiver of the requirement for up to one year if ordered to a temporary duty station outside the county.⁵

Proof of primary residence with the application

The application includes proof of primary residence, shown with two of: a driver's license or state ID, a vehicle registration, a voter registration or a dependent's school registration. Mail does not count.⁵

Non-owner-occupied rentals are barred from single-family zones

A non-owner-occupied permit cannot be issued in the single-family zones R-E, R-1 6 and R-1 9 or in single-family planned development zones.^2,5 Applies to: Non-owner-occupied rentals · In force since December 26, 2019

500 feet between non-owner-occupied rentals

In every other zone, a non-owner-occupied rental must be at least 500 feet from another non-owner-occupied rental. The city has no waiting list for these permits.^2,5 Applies to: Non-owner-occupied rentals · In force since December 26, 2019

No cap on the number of permits

The city does not cap the number of short-term rentals it approves, but non-owner-occupied rentals face the zoning and spacing limits above.⁵

Listings allowed per property

A single-family zoned property can have one listing, which may be the whole house or one room. R-2 zones allow two listings, multi-family zones up to four, and each owner in a condominium complex up to two.^2,5

No new permits on properties with an ADU

Since June 30, 2025, a property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) cannot get a short-term rental permit under Ordinance 25-45. A property that held both a legal ADU and a legal permit by that date may continue as a nonconforming use until the use changes or the permit expires or ends.⁵ Applies to: Properties with an ADU · In force since June 30, 2025

HOA covenants can add restrictions

The city permit does not override private restrictions: short-term rentals may also be regulated through contracts and homeowners' association covenants, so a host in an association checks the declaration first.¹¹

The permit covers stays of 29 days or less

The city's permit applies to rentals of 29 days or less, in line with the state definition of a short-term rental as a rental of fewer than 30 days.^5,11

At least $500,000 in liability insurance

Applicants show proof of at least $500,000 in liability insurance. The proof can be the hosting platform's contract acknowledging its coverage, and the code waives separate proof when reservations go only through platforms that extend at least $500,000 of coverage.^2,5

Two guests per bedroom plus two, up to 15

Overnight occupancy is limited to two occupants per bedroom plus two more per dwelling unit, with a maximum of 15 occupants per dwelling unit.^2,5

No weddings or large events

Weddings and large social or commercial events cannot be held at a short-term rental. Guests must also follow the city's noise, housing and public health ordinances.^2,5

24-hour contact who responds within one hour

Each rental has a 24-hour point of contact on file with the Planning Department who can respond within one hour in an emergency. The contact can be the owner, a property manager or a Colorado Springs resident, and changes must be reported to the city within three days.^1,2,5

Safety self-inspection and fire and safety ordinances

The application includes a safety self-inspection certification, and the rental must follow the city's noise, housing, public health, fire and safety ordinances at all times.^1,5

City taxes must be paid before the permit is issued

All taxes owed to the city must be remitted before the permit is issued, under Ordinance 19-49.⁵

City sales tax license for direct bookings

Airbnb and other marketplace facilitators collect and remit the city sales tax on their own city licenses. A host who also books guests directly needs a city sales tax license.^5,9

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$165

Taxes on that night (10.2%)

$17

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$182

What the host still handles

• A City of Colorado Springs sales and use tax license (online application) if you also book guests directly instead of through a marketplace such as Airbnb; the city code lists a city sales tax license among the permit standards
• A Colorado sales tax license from the Department of Revenue for rentals you collect tax on yourself
• Payment of any city taxes owed before the permit is issued^{6,7,8,9,10,14}

• Operating without a permit is unlawful, and a conviction in municipal court under the City Code's general penalty carries a fine of up to $2,500, up to 189 days in jail, probation, or a combination.^2,3,4
• Reinspection fees after an unresolved notice and order to abate: $100, then $250, then $500 for each further visit for a first-time offender at a residential property; $250 for a repeat offender and $500 for a chronic repeat offender at each reinspection. Unpaid fees can become a lien on the property with a 25% surcharge.³
• A permit that lapses for lack of renewal can bring a Code Enforcement notice and, for a non-owner-occupied rental, loss of the established permit.⁵
• An owner classified as a repeat or chronic repeat offender, or whose permit was revoked within the past two years, cannot qualify for a permit.²

1. June 30, 2025
   No permits on properties with an ADU

   Under Ordinance 25-45, properties with an accessory dwelling unit cannot get a short-term rental permit; permits legally held on June 30, 2025 continue as nonconforming uses.⁵

2. December 26, 2019
   Owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied permits

   City Council amended the short-term rental ordinance to create the two permit types; new non-owner-occupied rentals are barred from single-family zones and must be 500 feet apart.⁵

Estimate what a Colorado Springs home could earn

1. 1. 7.5.510: Short Term Rental Permit · City Code of Colorado Springs, Unified Development Code
2. 2. 7.3.301: Residential Uses (C. Short Term Rental) · City Code of Colorado Springs, Unified Development Code
3. 3. 7.5.907: Penalties · City Code of Colorado Springs, Unified Development Code
4. 4. 1.1.201: General Penalty · City Code of Colorado Springs
5. 5. Short Term Rentals · City of Colorado Springs, Planning and Community Development
6. 6. Sales Tax · City of Colorado Springs, Sales Tax Office
7. 7. Sales Tax Information · El Paso County Administration, Financial Services
8. 8. Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax grant applications open Wednesday for 2026 · City of Colorado Springs
9. 9. Tax Applications & Returns · City of Colorado Springs, Sales Tax Office
10. 10. Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
11. 11. Short Term Rentals · Colorado General Assembly, Legislative Council Staff
12. 12. Short Term Rentals · El Paso County Planning and Community Development
13. 13. Colorado Springs, CO · Airbnb Help Center
14. 14. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Colorado · Airbnb Help Center