Denver, CO Short-Term Rental License Guide (2026)

Denver short-term rental decision table

Denver is a consolidated city and county, so the ordinary Denver STR path does not add a separate county business-license application. State tax rules can still apply.

The primary-residence rule is the real gatekeeper

Denver’s primary-residence rule makes this page different from a generic Airbnb guide. You cannot normally buy a second home or investment condo in Denver, live somewhere else, and obtain the standard STR license for that property.

Primary residence means the place where your habitation is fixed for the license term and your usual place of return. Denver can consider where you vote, addresses on legal and tax records, motor-vehicle registration, work and income ties, other leaseholds, how often you return, and how much the property is rented.

New applicants need a valid Colorado driver’s license or Colorado ID plus at least two additional forms of residence evidence from Denver’s list, such as vehicle registration, voter registration, current tax returns, financial records, or a recent utility bill. The city can request more proof.

A long-term renter can apply at a genuine primary residence, but Denver requires owner permission and a signed possession-of-property certificate. A lease or HOA can still prohibit STRs even when city licensing would otherwise allow one.

The Denver short-term rental license

The Denver Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection handles the STR business license. The city’s current new-application page lists a $50 application fee and a $100 license fee. The license is annual, and Denver requires renewal before expiration.

The application is filed through Denver’s Online Permitting and Licensing Center. The city’s instructions say to choose the business/occupational area for short-term and residential rental licensing and then start a new application. Denver may conduct additional review, request more records, or require an inspection if there is a question about the dwelling or application.

What to have ready before applying

• Colorado driver’s license or Colorado identification card.
• At least two additional primary-residence documents from Denver’s accepted list.
• Landlord permission and the city’s possession-of-property certificate if you are not the property owner.
• At least $1 million in liability insurance covering STR use, or booking-platform coverage that meets Denver’s requirement.
• Smoke detectors, carbon-monoxide detectors, and a fire extinguisher at the property.
• A local responsible party/general manager who can address problems if you are unavailable.
• The renter brochure required by Denver’s STR ordinance.
• A Denver lodger’s-tax account.

Denver’s main STR page currently warns that application review can take time. Do not build a launch date around the best-case processing time. The practical rule is simpler: submit a complete application and wait for the city to issue the license before you start operating.

For broader Denver licensing context, see BLG’s Denver, CO Business License Guide. If you are deciding whether an LLC, DBA, or license solves a particular compliance problem, see Business License vs LLC vs DBA vs Seller’s Permit. An entity filing does not replace Denver’s STR license or its primary-residence rule.

Zoning, duplexes, and accessory dwelling units

Denver treats an STR as an accessory use connected to a primary residential use. The city FAQ says STRs are allowed as an accessory use where residential uses are allowed, including residential and mixed-use commercial districts, but the dwelling setup matters.

The zoning code says the STR must be operated by the person maintaining the primary dwelling unit as a primary residence, or in an ADU on the same zone lot as that primary residence. For this provision, “person or persons” does not include a corporation, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, or similar legal entity. An LLC therefore does not bypass the host-residency requirement.

Duplexes and ADUs

Each duplex unit is a separate primary dwelling. Living in one unit does not qualify the adjacent unit for your STR license. An ADU can be the STR when the qualifying host lives in the primary structure on the same property. A person whose primary residence is the ADU cannot use that status to short-term-rent the primary structure.

One party at a time

You may rent a bedroom, several bedrooms, or the entire home, but not to separate parties under overlapping contracts. Denver does not set a zoning maximum number of guests per night for the STR use, but the property must remain residential in character and cannot become a commercial event venue.

Use Denver’s official zoning map. If the property has an unusual use history, an unpermitted dwelling, or a proposed change in use, resolve that issue before assuming the STR license will be approved.

Rules that continue after the license is issued

Getting the license is not the end of the compliance path. Denver places operating duties on the host throughout the license term.

Denver also requires the license itself, or a clear image of it, to be displayed. Contact and manager information must be kept current through the city’s amendment process. The city can investigate complaints and may deny, sanction, suspend, or revoke a license when requirements are not met.

Denver and Colorado tax layers

Colorado’s January 2026 Legislative Council issue brief says there is no statewide STR regulatory program. That means there is no separate Colorado STR license that replaces Denver’s local license. State tax rules still apply alongside Denver’s home-rule tax system.

Denver lodger’s tax

Denver’s current tax page lists a 10.75% Denver lodging rate and says lodger’s tax applies to paid lodging of fewer than 30 days. The STR application instructions tell applicants to register for a lodger’s-tax account. Denver also says required local filings remain due even when Airbnb collects lodger’s tax. Use the city’s Business Taxes page and eBiz Tax Center.

Occupational privilege tax

Denver’s STR FAQ describes a $48-per-year occupational privilege tax for STR licensees. The broader Treasury page lists the employer/business portion as $4 per month and has separate employee rules. If you hire workers, use the broader employer guidance rather than assuming the host-only figure covers payroll duties.

Colorado lodging sales tax

Colorado’s Department of Revenue revised its Rooms and Accommodations guidance in February 2026. It says taxable room and accommodation providers generally need a state sales-tax license, subject to marketplace rules and exemptions. Marketplace facilitators can change who collects and remits state-administered taxes, but Colorado does not administer Denver’s municipal lodging tax.

For broader state setup, see BLG’s Colorado Business License Guide.

Real-world Denver examples

You live in your Denver condo and rent it while traveling

This can fit the STR model if the condo is genuinely your primary residence and you meet city licensing, tax, insurance, safety, advertising, HOA, and lease requirements. You do not have to be present during every stay.

You own a Denver condo but live full-time elsewhere

This does not fit the standard STR license. The next question is whether a lodging-facility use is allowed at the address, not how to manufacture primary-residence proof.

You live in the main house and want to Airbnb the ADU

This can fit Denver’s rule when the host’s primary residence is the primary structure on the same zone lot and the ADU is legal. Living in the ADU does not qualify the primary structure for your STR license.

What if the application does not work?

Match the problem to the right office instead of repeatedly resubmitting the same theory.

• Residency: use Denver’s primary-residence criteria and complete records.
• Dwelling or zoning: confirm the legal dwelling type and zone district with Community Planning and Development.
• Tax account: use Denver Treasury and eBiz.
• Non-primary property: research lodging-facility licensing and change-of-use requirements before assuming short-term lodging is possible.

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BusinessLicenseGuide.com is an independent informational website. We explain licensing and permit systems in plain English and link readers to official government sources. We are not the City and County of Denver, the State of Colorado, a law firm, or a filing service.