Mountain cabin in the forest near Evergreen, Colorado
Colorado STR Markets · Foothills · Unincorporated Jefferson County

Evergreen STR Investing

Evergreen Lake · Bergen Park · Kittredge · Upper Bear Creek

Evergreen is unincorporated, so it runs on Jefferson County's rules, not a town ordinance. Since February 2026 that means a county STR license with real limits on investment properties.

By , licensed Colorado broker (license IR.100066325) · Published · Updated

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Investment STRs
Allowed
One per owner, county-wide
Fire-District Cap
1%
Of dwelling units, investment STRs
Spacing
750 ft
From another permitted STR
Transfers on Sale
No
License ends at conveyance

Rules: Jefferson County Zoning Resolution Section 46, adopted December 16, 2025, effective February 2, 2026. Nightly rate and occupancy figures for Evergreen are coming; I only publish market numbers I can source and date.

Key takeaways

  • Most of Evergreen is unincorporated Jefferson County. Since February 2, 2026, every STR needs an annual county license under Zoning Resolution Section 46, and investment properties can qualify.
  • An owner can hold an interest in only one investment STR in unincorporated Jeffco. Investment STRs are capped at 1% of dwelling units in each fire protection district.
  • A new investment STR can't be within 750 feet of another permitted STR. Applications are first come, first served with no waitlist, and the license ends on any sale.
  • Covest checks the fire district's standing against its cap, nearby permitted STRs, septic capacity and wildfire defensible space, which drive both the license and the insurance quote.
Is an Airbnb Legal in Evergreen?

Yes. Under a New
County License.

Most of Evergreen sits in unincorporated Jefferson County, which adopted Zoning Resolution Section 46 on December 16, 2025. It took effect February 2, 2026, and every STR now needs an annual county license approved by the Planning & Zoning Director.

There are two license classes. A Primary Residence STR is your own home. An Investment Property STR is everything else, and that's where the limits sit: an owner can hold an interest in only one investment STR in all of unincorporated Jeffco, investment STRs are capped at 1% of the dwelling units in each fire protection district, and a new one can't be within 750 feet of another permitted STR. Applications are first come, first served, with no waitlist: a denied application goes to the back of the line.

So Evergreen is still open to investors, but it's no longer "no caps." The spacing and fire-district math decide whether a given cabin can be licensed, and that has to be checked address by address.

The Rulebook

Evergreen STR Rules,
Line by Line.

Jefferson County Section 46, as it applies to an investor.

County STR license
Annual license, reviewed administratively by the Planning & Zoning Director. Adopted with the county's Vacation Rental Services Ordinance.
Required
Primary residence
Not required. Investment Property STRs are their own license class.
Investor OK
One per owner
An owner can hold an interest in only one Investment Property STR across all of unincorporated Jefferson County.
Limit: 1
Fire-district cap
Investment STRs are limited to 1% of dwelling units within each fire protection district, first come, first served.
1% cap
750-foot spacing
No new investment STR within 750 feet of another permitted STR, tested at initial application.
Spacing
Primary residence class
Owner lives there at least nine months a year, with two proofs of residency. Exempt from the cap and the spacing rule.
Exempt
Fee
$600 administrative review per license (2026 county fee schedule). Licenses last one year.
$600
Occupancy and parking
Two guests per bedroom, or the septic system's limit if lower, and never more than 10. ADUs max 3. One off-street parking space per bedroom.
Max 10
Septic
A septic use permit, with an inspection within 90 days of applying and every year after.
Annual
Listings
Every listing must show the county license number. Platforms take down invalid listings within seven days, with fines of $500 and then $1,000 a day.
License #
Wildfire
Homes in the Wildland-Urban Interface overlay need defensible-space compliance before operating, recertified every three years.
WUI
On a sale
The license terminates automatically on any conveyance (Section 46.G). The buyer applies fresh, without the seller's spacing exemption.
No transfer
Summarized from Jefferson County Zoning Resolution Section 46, checked October 2026. The county restated its Zoning Resolution in July 2026 and is rewriting its land use code, so section numbers may change. The county doesn't publish how many investment licenses each fire district has left; confirm with Planning & Zoning for a specific address.
Market Numbers

Evergreen Numbers
Are Coming.

I don't have a market data pull for Evergreen yet that I can source and date, so I'm leaving the numbers off rather than guessing. Sourced asking-rate and occupancy ranges will go here.

The demand story is well known: Denver is about 35 minutes away, and Evergreen Lake, Mount Blue Sky and the surrounding open space pull weekend guests year-round without the ski-traffic slog of I-70.

For a specific cabin, I'll pull the comp set for that address directly.

Before Any Offer

What I Check in Evergreen

Most of the risk in Evergreen is in the land and the license math, not the listing photos.

  • Whether you already hold an interest in an investment STR anywhere in unincorporated Jeffco.
  • Which fire protection district the address is in, and where that district stands against its 1% cap.
  • Whether a permitted STR sits within 750 feet.
  • Septic design capacity, since it can set legal occupancy below two per bedroom.
  • Wildfire exposure and defensible space, which drive both the license and the insurance quote.

Looking at an Evergreen cabin?

Send me the address. I'll check the fire district, the 750-foot spacing, the septic and the wildfire picture, then tell you if it can be licensed and what it should earn.

Send Me an Address
Evergreen STR FAQ

Questions Investors Ask Us

Q.Can you run an investment Airbnb in Evergreen, Colorado?
Yes. Evergreen is mostly unincorporated Jefferson County, which licenses Investment Property STRs under Zoning Resolution Section 46, effective February 2, 2026. An owner can hold an interest in only one investment STR in unincorporated Jeffco.
Q.Is there a cap on STRs in Jefferson County?
For investment properties, yes. Investment STRs are limited to 1% of dwelling units within each fire protection district, and a new one can't be within 750 feet of another permitted STR. Primary-residence STRs are exempt from both limits.
Q.Does a Jefferson County STR license transfer when you buy?
No. Under Section 46.G the license terminates automatically on any conveyance of ownership, and the buyer applies fresh without the seller's spacing exemption.
Q.How many guests can an Evergreen STR host?
Two per bedroom, or the on-site wastewater system's limit if that's lower, and never more than 10. Accessory dwelling units are limited to 3.

Sources

Covest LLC is a licensed Colorado real estate brokerage. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Jefferson County Planning & Zoning before you buy.

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Fire district, spacing, septic, wildfire. One call and we'll know if a cabin can be licensed.

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