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

License required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

14.75%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $999

Listings showing a permit number

73%

Latest rule change

Jul 28, 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

Anyone who advertises or rents a home to guests for fewer than 30 consecutive days (one to 29 nights) at a time. Stays of 30 days or more need a residential rental property license instead.^4,5,6,8,19

Issued by

City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection

Valid for

One year. Renewal can be filed online up to 60 days before expiration, and it is unlawful to operate on an expired license unless a complete renewal application is pending.

Processing

Initial review up to 30 days; a specialist review can take up to 90 days from the date a complete application is received.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Denver monitors the major platforms for unlicensed listings. Airbnb asks for the number in its Registration/License Number field, and a platform that takes payment for an unlicensed Denver rental risks a $1,000 fine per violation per day.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The home must be the applicant's primary residence, the place where the applicant's habitation is fixed and the usual place of return; a person can have only one
• Property owners and long-term renters can apply; a renter must upload the landlord's signed possession-of-property certificate
• A valid Colorado driver's license or Colorado identification card, plus at least two of: vehicle registration, voter registration, a tax return or financial document, a utility bill
• A Denver lodger's tax account, liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 (or a platform that provides it), working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher
• A named local responsible party (general manager) who can address problems at the home, and notice to the homeowners association if there is one

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the home is your primary residence and, if you rent, get the owner's signed permission; notify your homeowners association and your insurer.
2. 2 Register a lodger's tax account with the Denver Department of Finance through the eBiz Tax Center.
3. 3 Create an account in Denver's Permitting and Licensing Center and upload your Colorado ID and two proof-of-residence documents (a computer is needed; the application cannot be completed on a phone or tablet).
4. 4 Name a local responsible party, prepare the renter brochure, and pay the $50 application fee and $100 license fee online.
5. 5 Wait for the city's review; once approved the license is emailed to you.
6. 6 Enter the license number in the Registration/License Number field of your Airbnb listing.

Permit rules

A city license is required

Every short-term rental in Denver must have a license, and the host must live in the home. The license is issued by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.^4,7 In force since January 1, 2017

License number in every advertisement

It is unlawful to advertise a short-term rental without displaying the city business file number. On Airbnb it goes in the Registration/License Number field so the listing is not blocked.^5,19

Platforms cannot take payment for unlicensed rentals

Since February 1, 2021, booking services may not process transactions for properties that are not licensed as short-term rentals, and face a $1,000 fine per violation per day.^7,15 Applies to: Booking platforms · In force since February 1, 2021

Annual renewal

Licenses expire after one year. A host can keep operating while a complete renewal application is pending, but operating on an expired license without one is unlawful.^5,6

No state permit

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 regulation to local governments and homeowners associations.¹⁴

Advertised price must include mandatory fees

Since May 12, 2025 a federal rule covers short-term lodging: platforms and hosts must show the total price, including mandatory fees, when they advertise a price. Taxes and government charges may be shown separately.^2,17 In force since May 12, 2025

Primary residence only

Denver licenses only the place where the host's habitation is fixed and where they usually return. A person can have only one primary residence, and claiming a home for tax or other purposes does not by itself meet the city's definition.^4,5 In force since April 1, 2020

A home that is always booked may stop qualifying

If the host does not usually return to the home because it is rented, it likely would not qualify as their primary residence; returning only to clean between stays does not count.⁴

Second homes need a lodging facility license

A property that is not the host's primary residence cannot be licensed as a short-term rental. The only route is a lodging facility license, which is limited to certain zone districts and can require building and zoning changes.⁵

The host does not have to be present

A license holder can rent the home while on vacation or while it is otherwise unoccupied, as long as it remains the host's primary residence.⁵

Tenants need the owner's permission

A renter can hold a license for the home they live in, but must have the property owner's permission and upload the landlord's signed possession-of-property certificate with the application.^4,6 Applies to: Tenants

Allowed wherever homes are allowed

Short-term rentals are an accessory use of a primary residence in every zone district that allows residential use, including mixed-use commercial districts.^1,5

Accessory dwelling units: only by the occupant of the main home

An owner or long-term renter who lives in the main house can rent an accessory dwelling unit on the lot. Someone living in the accessory unit cannot rent out the main house.⁵

Duplexes: each side licenses its own residents

The primary resident of each duplex unit can be licensed, but a resident of one unit cannot license the adjacent unit because it is not their primary residence.⁵

HOAs can prohibit short-term rentals

A homeowners association can ban short-term rentals through its covenants, and applicants must tell the association of their plan before getting a license.^5,8 Applies to: HOA and condominium homes

Under 30 days is a short-term rental

The license covers rentals of one to 29 days. Hosts who rent only for 30 days or more need a residential rental property license instead.⁴

One booking at a time

A host can rent one bedroom, several bedrooms or the whole home, but only under one rental contract at a time. Rooms are rented together to the same party or one at a time with no overlap.^1,5

The host sets the guest limit

Denver does not set a maximum number of guests; the host chooses it, and the overall character of the property must stay residential.^1,5

No parties or weddings for pay

Renting a dwelling for commercial events, including parties and weddings, is not a short-term rental under the zoning code.⁵

Local responsible party and renter brochure

The application names a general manager or local responsible party who is available when the host is out of town, and hosts leave a brochure in the home with contact details and instructions on city services.^5,6

$1,000,000 liability insurance

The license holder must keep at least $1,000,000 of liability insurance covering short-term rental use, or list only through platforms that provide that cover. The host must also tell their insurer the home is a short-term rental.^6,8 In force since April 10, 2019

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguisher

The home must have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher before the license is applied for.⁶

Inspection if the unit's status is unclear

The city can require an in-person inspection when there is a question about the status of the dwelling unit, and refusing the inspection means the application is denied.⁵

Keep a one-year record of nights rented

A license holder must keep records for the past year of the total nights the home was rented and the dates of each rental. The city publishes a list of all licensed short-term rentals.³ In force since February 1, 2021

Lodger's tax account is required

Hosts need a Denver lodger's tax account before the license is issued, and must file returns on time even when Airbnb collects all the tax. The account is renewed every odd year.^6,10

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$150

Taxes on that night (14.75%)

$22

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$172

What the host still handles

• A Denver lodger's tax account with the Department of Finance (through the eBiz Tax Center), required before the license is issued and renewed every odd year; returns are still filed when Airbnb collects the tax
• A Denver occupational privilege tax account ($4 a month per owner)
• A Colorado sales tax license from the Department of Revenue, which says anyone who offers rooms or accommodations for rent must hold one
• Lodger's tax collection and returns for any bookings made outside Airbnb or through platforms that do not collect Denver's tax^{9,10,11,13,18}

• Hosts: the director can levy fines of up to $999 per incident, suspend or revoke the license, or call a show-cause hearing for breaking the short-term rental rules or any local or state law.⁵
• Booking platforms: a fine of $1,000 per violation per day for each transaction at an unlicensed short-term rental.¹⁵
• A license can be denied or revoked if the home is found not to be the applicant's or licensee's primary residence, or if it adversely affects the health, safety or welfare of the neighborhood.⁵
• Letting liability insurance lapse is cause for automatic suspension of the license until coverage is reinstated.⁸

1. July 28, 2025
   Code updated to name the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection

   Ordinance 1003-25, adopted July 28, 2025, amended the short-term rental sections of the Denver Revised Municipal Code; the code now names the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and its manager as the licensing authority.³

2. May 12, 2025
   Federal total-price rule covers short-term rentals

   The FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees began applying to short-term lodging, requiring advertised prices to include mandatory fees.¹⁷

3. February 1, 2021
   Platforms barred from processing unlicensed bookings

   Council Bill CB20-1229, adopted November 23, 2020, bars booking services from processing transactions for unlicensed short-term rentals and sets a $1,000 fine per violation per day; it took effect on February 1, 2021.^7,15

4. April 1, 2020
   Primary residence test tightened and fees set at $50 plus $100

   Council Bill CB20-0240, adopted March 31, 2020, modernized the primary residence requirement and increased licensing fees; it took effect on April 1, 2020.⁷

5. April 10, 2019
   Licensing rules adopted, including $1,000,000 insurance

   The department's Rules Governing Short Term Rental Licenses, adopted January 25, 2019, took effect on April 10, 2019 and set the insurance, HOA notice and local-responsible-party requirements.^7,8

6. January 1, 2017
   Denver's short-term rental ordinance takes effect

   City Council adopted Council Bill CB16-0262 on June 13, 2016, creating the license; it took effect on January 1, 2017.⁷

Estimate what a Denver home could earn

1. 1. Short-Term Rentals: Denver Zoning Code Provisions (revised 07/25/19) · City and County of Denver
2. 2. 16 CFR Part 464 - Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
3. 3. Denver Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 33, Article III, Short-Term Rentals (sections 33-46 to 33-55) · City and County of Denver (Municode)
4. 4. Short-term rentals · City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
5. 5. Short-term rental frequently asked questions · City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
6. 6. New short-term rental application · City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
7. 7. Short-term rentals laws, rules, and regulations · City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
8. 8. Rules Governing Short Term Rental Licenses (effective April 10, 2019) · City and County of Denver, Department of Excise and Licenses
9. 9. Tax Guide Topic No. 97, Short-Term Rentals (revised 04/2026) · City and County of Denver, Department of Finance, Treasury Division
10. 10. Short Term Rental Taxation Information (revised 03/2026) · City and County of Denver, Department of Finance
11. 11. Denver Combined Tax Rates, effective 1-1-2025 · City and County of Denver, Department of Finance, Treasury Division
12. 12. Tax Guide Topic No. 52, Lodger's Tax · City and County of Denver, Department of Finance, Treasury Division
13. 13. Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
14. 14. Short Term Rentals · Colorado General Assembly, Legislative Council Staff
15. 15. File #20-1229, ordinance on booking service providers and short-term rentals · City and County of Denver, City Council (Legistar)
16. 16. City of Denver Short Term Rental Licenses · Colorado Information Marketplace (data published by the City and County of Denver)
17. 17. The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions · Federal Trade Commission
18. 18. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Colorado · Airbnb Help Center
19. 19. Denver, CO · Airbnb Help Center