Key takeaways
- Investors can't run an STR inside the City and County of Denver. Denver only licenses a short-term rental in the host's own primary residence, and a person can only have one.
- A Denver STR license costs a $50 application fee and a $100 annual fee, plus 10.75% lodger's tax on bookings, and every listing has to show the license number.
- Fines can reach $999 per incident, and the city can deny or revoke a license that isn't the operator's primary residence.
- Investors near Denver buy in Arvada or Westminster, which allow non-owner-occupied STRs with a license, or in unincorporated Jefferson County, which caps investment STRs at 1% per fire district.
What Denver allows
Denver's rule is simple: if the property isn't your primary residence, it can't get a short-term rental license. The city defines primary residence as the place your habitation is fixed for the term of the license, and you can only have one. Claiming it as your residence with another agency doesn't prove it to Denver on its own.
- Who can get a license: a person renting out their own primary residence, or a renter doing the same with their landlord's written permission.
- Cost: a $50 application fee and a $100 annual license fee, plus 10.75% lodger's tax on bookings.
- Advertising: every listing has to show the license number. Platforms have a field for it.
- Enforcement: fines can reach $999 per incident, and the city can deny or revoke a license that isn't the operator's primary residence.
A non-owner-occupied property would need a lodging facility license instead, which is limited to certain zone districts and may require zoning and building changes. For a house in a residential neighborhood, that's not a realistic path.
Where investors buy instead
| Market | Investor STR? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Arvada, Westminster | Yes | Non-owner-occupied STRs allowed with a city license. Year-round metro demand. |
| Golden | Conditions | Owner must live there in residential zones. Investor "Tourist Home" licenses only in commercial zones. |
| Unincorporated Jefferson County (Evergreen, Conifer) | Yes | County STR license now required under Zoning Resolution Section 46, adopted December 16, 2025. Investment STRs capped at 1% per fire district. Septic, well and wildfire drive the deal. |
| Lakewood, Wheat Ridge | Conditions | Allowed in some cases with zone, cap or spacing rules. Check the exact address. |
| City of Denver | No | Primary residence only. |
Suburban STRs earn on a different curve than mountain rentals. Nightly rates are lower, but demand runs all year (families visiting, medical stays, events, people between homes), so the bookings are steadier. More detail on the Denver metro page and the Foothills page.
My rule: I confirm the license path for the exact address, plus any HOA restrictions, before a client writes an offer. A few blocks can move a property from one city's rules to another's.
Questions investors ask
Can I buy a second home in Denver and rent it on Airbnb?
No. Denver only licenses short-term rentals in the host's primary residence, and a person can only have one primary residence. A second home or investment property in Denver can't be licensed as an STR.
Can I rent out my own Denver home on Airbnb?
Yes, if it's your primary residence. You need a Denver short-term rental license ($50 application fee, $100 a year), a lodger's tax account, and your license number on every listing.
Where near Denver can I buy an investment Airbnb?
Arvada and Westminster allow non-owner-occupied short-term rentals with a license (Golden only in commercial zones), and unincorporated Jefferson County (Evergreen, Conifer) licenses them under rules adopted in December 2025. Lakewood and Wheat Ridge allow them only in some cases.
What happens if I run an unlicensed STR in Denver?
The city can fine up to $999 per incident and can deny or revoke a license. False primary-residence claims have led to enforcement, so it's not a risk worth taking on an investment property.
Sources
- City and County of Denver, Short-term rental FAQ
- City and County of Denver, Short-term rental laws, rules and regulations
- Jefferson County, Short-Term Rentals
Want Covest to check a specific address?
Send me the property and I'll tell you whether it can be licensed, what it should earn, and whether I'd buy it.
Book a CallCovest 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 city or county before you buy.