Colorado STR Regulations by Town: Where You Can Still Get a License

The short version

Summary of publicly available rules as of October 2026, for orientation only. Rules change often and can differ block to block. Verify the exact address with the town or county before you buy.

Denver metro: the city line is everything

The City and County of Denver only licenses a short-term rental in the host's own primary residence, one per person. If you're buying a pure investment property, Denver proper is off the table, and false primary-residence claims have led to real legal trouble.

The suburbs are a different story. Arvada and Golden allow non-owner-occupied STRs with a license, and unincorporated Jefferson County is more permissive still. Lakewood and Wheat Ridge allow them with conditions, so the specific zone and property matter. Aurora, Westminster, Boulder and others each set their own rules, from primary-residence-only to outright bans. More detail on the Denver metro market page.

Foothills and the 285 corridor

Evergreen and Conifer sit in unincorporated Jefferson County, and Bailey sits mostly in Park County. Neither has resort-town license caps, which is a big part of why this corridor works for investors who want something close to Denver.

The risk here is physical, not legal. Septic design capacity can cap your legal occupancy, a hot tub can raise water questions on a well, winter access matters for bookings, and wildfire exposure affects insurance cost. See the Foothills market page for how I underwrite those.

Summit County and Breckenridge: buy the license, not the house

Summit County has the deepest ski demand in the state and the tightest rules. Breckenridge splits the town into four zones. The Resort Zone has unlimited licenses and Zone 1 has a high cap that still has room. Zone 2 is over its cap, and Zone 3 (mostly single-family neighborhoods) is far over, with multi-year waits.

The part that catches buyers: licenses don't transfer on sale in Breckenridge. A home that has been rented for a decade doesn't come with a license for you. Breckenridge also charges an annual per-bedroom regulatory fee on top of the business license, so it belongs in your pro forma.

In unincorporated Summit County, the Resort Overlay Zone (Keystone, Copper Mountain, Tiger Run) has no cap. Neighborhood licenses are capped by basin, mostly at or over the limit, and come with a cap on rental nights. Frisco and Silverthorne cap licenses too, while Dillon has historically been more open. Full breakdown on the Summit County page.

Grand County and Winter Park: still open

Grand County is where a lot of investors priced out of Summit end up, for a good reason: no license caps. Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake and unincorporated Grand County all license short-term rentals, and ownership type doesn't matter.

What you do have to plan for: registration before you list, a fire and life-safety inspection in Winter Park, local contacts who can respond within an hour, and occupancy limits, which are tied to septic capacity on septic-served homes. Fees vary a lot by town. More on the Grand County page.

Statewide: taxes and what's coming

Colorado STRs are generally still taxed as residential property. In 2024, a bill (SB24-033) proposed taxing many STRs at the much higher lodging rate. It was cut back to a study after heavy pushback, but the idea hasn't gone away. On the guest side, you're responsible for state and local sales and lodging taxes; the big platforms collect some of them, not always all.

Questions investors ask

Can I run an investment Airbnb in Denver?

Not in the City and County of Denver. Denver only licenses short-term rentals in the host's primary residence. Investors look at nearby cities that allow non-owner-occupied rentals, such as Arvada and Golden, or at unincorporated Jefferson County.

Does an STR license transfer when I buy a property in Colorado?

Usually not. In Breckenridge and several Summit County jurisdictions the license stays with the owner and ends at sale, so the buyer has to apply again and may land on a waitlist. Always confirm whether a license is available to you before you write an offer.

Where in Colorado can I still get an STR license without a waitlist?

As of October 2026: Grand County towns like Winter Park and Fraser have no license cap, Summit County's Resort Overlay Zone (Keystone, Copper Mountain, Tiger Run) is uncapped, Breckenridge's Resort Zone and Zone 1 are open, and unincorporated Jefferson and Park counties are generally permissive.

Are short-term rentals taxed as commercial property in Colorado?

Not today. STRs are generally still assessed as residential property. A 2024 bill (SB24-033) that would have taxed many STRs at the much higher lodging rate was cut back to a study, but the idea comes back often, so it belongs in your risk planning.

Covest LLC is a licensed Colorado real estate brokerage. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Confirm current requirements with the town or county and your own advisors before you buy.