Can you run a short-term rental in Denver? Yes — but only in your primary residence. Denver licenses short-term rentals (stays of 1–29 nights) only to hosts who live in the home they rent for at least 183 days a year. That single rule is the whole story: investor STRs, second homes, and dedicated non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are banned everywhere in the city. If you live in the property, you can get a license and host. If you don’t, there is no path to a legal short-term rental in Denver.
At a glance
| License required | Yes — Denver Short-Term Rental business license (stays of 1–29 nights) |
|---|---|
| Primary residence required | Yes — you must live in the home ≥183 days/year and prove it |
| Night cap | None while the home remains your licensed primary residence |
| Permit fee | ~$150 initial ($50 application + $100 license); ~$100 annual renewal |
| Lodging tax | Denver Lodger’s Tax 10.75% + Colorado state sales tax (~4.0%) ≈ 14.75% combined |
| Investor / whole-home (non-primary) allowed? | No — banned citywide |
| Last verified | 2026-07-20 |
This page is information, not legal advice. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the City and County of Denver before operating.
Do you need a license?
Yes. Anyone offering lodging for 1 to 29 nights in Denver must hold a Denver Short-Term Rental business license, issued by the Department of Excise & Licenses. The license ties one host to one primary-residence property. Listing on Airbnb or Vrbo without an active license is operating illegally and exposes you to denial, revocation, and penalties. Stays of 30 nights or more are long-term rentals and fall outside the short-term rental rules.
The primary-residence requirement (the big one)
This is the rule that defines Denver. You may only license your primary residence — the home where you actually live for at least 183 days per year. You can hold only one STR license, because you can only have one primary residence.
Denver requires proof. Applicants typically must show a combination of documents tied to the STR address, such as a Colorado driver’s license or state ID, voter registration, motor-vehicle registration, a tax return, and utility bills. Misrepresenting a property as your primary residence is grounds for denial or revocation.
The practical consequence: you cannot legally short-term rent a second home, a pied-à-terre, or an investment property in Denver. This is the opposite of investor-friendly markets like Austin, where a separate non-owner-occupied “Type 2” license exists (even if capped and contested). Denver offers no such category.
Night caps
There is no annual night cap on a licensed Denver primary-residence STR. Because eligibility is anchored to the home being where you live, Denver relies on the primary-residence test rather than a night limit. You may rent your whole home while you travel or rent rooms while you’re present, with no fixed ceiling on nights — provided the property remains your genuine primary residence for the year.
License fees
Budget roughly $150 to get started: a $50 application fee plus a $100 license fee. The license renews annually, with a renewal fee of about $100. Renewal requires re-confirming that the property is still your primary residence. Fee amounts have shifted over the years, so confirm the current schedule with Excise & Licenses before you pay.
Lodger’s tax and state sales tax
Short-term stays in Denver are taxable lodging. Hosts owe the Denver Lodger’s Tax of 10.75% plus Colorado state sales tax (~4.0%), for a combined rate of roughly 14.75% on the rental charge. Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit some of these taxes automatically in many cases, but you remain responsible for any portion a platform does not collect. Verify what your platform remits and register with the city and state as required; the details are set out in Denver Tax Guide Topic 97.
Whole-home vs. hosted
Both formats are allowed — but only at your primary residence. You may rent the entire home while you are away (whole-home) or rent one or more rooms while you live there (hosted). What you may never do is operate either format at a property where you don’t legally reside. The location, not the arrangement, is what determines legality in Denver.
Zoning and HOA rules
Because a Denver STR must be your primary residence, it is permitted in residential zones citywide — the primary-residence license is what makes it allowable, not a special commercial zone. The flip side: second homes and dedicated investment properties are ineligible everywhere, in any zone. Separately, your HOA, condo association, or lease may prohibit or restrict short-term rentals regardless of your city license. Check those private rules before you list; a city license does not override them.
Enforcement and penalties
Denver enforces against unlicensed and misrepresented rentals. Operating without a license or falsely claiming a property as your primary residence can lead to license denial or revocation and penalties. The city monitors listing platforms and requires the license number to appear on listings, which makes unlicensed operations easy to flag. Exact fine amounts vary and are set by ordinance — confirm current penalties with Excise & Licenses rather than assuming a figure.
Primary sources
- City and County of Denver — Short-Term Rentals licensing hub
- Denver Tax Guide Topic 97 — Short-Term Rentals (PDF)
Compare short-term rental rules in other cities
STR rules swing widely from city to city — some ban investors outright, others license them freely. Compare Denver with other markets:
- Short-term rental laws by city (hub)
- Is Airbnb legal in San Diego?
- Austin short-term rental license
- Nashville short-term rental permit
Frequently asked questions
Can I Airbnb a second home or investment property in Denver?
No. Denver only licenses your primary residence. Second homes, vacation properties, and dedicated investment rentals are not eligible for a short-term rental license anywhere in the city. If you don’t live in the home at least 183 days a year, there is no legal way to short-term rent it in Denver — unlike investor-friendly markets such as Nashville, which permit certain non-owner-occupied rentals.
What counts as a primary residence in Denver?
Your primary residence is the home where you actually live for at least 183 days per year. Denver expects supporting proof tied to the address — a Colorado driver’s license or ID, voter registration, vehicle registration, tax returns, and utility bills. You can only have one primary residence, so you can only hold one Denver STR license.
Is there a limit on how many nights I can rent?
No. Denver sets no annual night cap for a licensed primary-residence STR. The safeguard is the primary-residence test itself: the home must genuinely remain where you live for the year, whether you rent it whole while traveling or rent rooms while present.
Last verified: 2026-07-20. Rules change — confirm current requirements with Denver Excise & Licenses before operating.