Short-term rentals laws, rules, and regulations

In 2016, Denver City Council adopted an ordinance regulating short-term rentals. Key features of Denver's short-term rental laws, rules, and regulations include:

All short-term rentals must have a license.
Any short-term rental must be the host's primary residence.
All advertisements must display the host's business license number.
All short-term rental hosts must follow rules related to safety, taxes, zoning, and insurance.
Hosts who do not follow the rules could be fined or could lose their license.

Read more about Denver's short-term rental laws, rules, and regulations below.

Short-term rental ordinance

Short-term rental rules(PDF, 568KB)

Short-term rental taxation information(PDF, 252KB)

Short-term rental zoning provisions(PDF, 428KB)

Short-term rental ADU questions and answers(PDF, 175KB)

Short-term rental policy development

Denver City Council

As short-term rentals were becoming more popular, the Denver City Council Neighborhoods and Planning Committee met to discuss neighborhood issues and policy options associated with the growing industry. Below are the links to those meetings.

Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: April 22, 2015
Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: Sept. 2, 2015
Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: Dec. 9, 2015
Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: Jan. 13, 2016
Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: March 30, 2016
Neighborhoods and Planning Committee meeting: April 13, 2016

On June 13, 2016, Denver City Council adopted Council Bill CB16-0262, creating the short-term rental ordinance. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.

Council Bill No. CB16-0262(PDF, 154KB)

On March 31, 2020, Denver City Council adopted Council Bill CB20-0240, modernizing the primary residence requirement and increasing licensing fees. It went into effect upon signature of former Mayor Michael Hancock on April 1, 2020.

BIZ Committee meeting: March 11, 2020
Council Bill No. CB20-0240(PDF, 324KB)

On Nov. 23, 2020, Denver City Council adopted Council Bill CB20-1229, prohibiting booking service providers from processing transactions for accommodations at properties not properly licensed as short-term rentals and imposing fines for infractions. It went into effect on Feb. 1, 2021.

BIZ Committee meeting: November 4, 2020
Council Bill No. CB20-1229(PDF, 339KB)

Lean more about Denver City Council.

Denver Planning Board

In 2016, the Denver Planning Board adopted an amendment to the Denver Zoning Code to include provisions related to short-term rentals.

Planning Board redline draft: March 8, 2016
Public hearing presentation and video: March 16, 2016

Learn more about the Denver Planning Board.

Denver Department of Excise and Licenses

The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses protects the public's health, safety and welfare by serving through the regulation of businesses.

On Jan. 25, 2019, the Department adopted the Rules governing short-term rental licenses(PDF, 568KB). The rules went into effect on April 10, 2019.

Public hearing presentation(PDF, 300KB): Jan. 9, 2019.

Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee

Denver has worked tirelessly to assess laws and regulations to find the right balance between protecting neighborhoods and housing supply and fostering innovation in this newer industry.

In 2016, the Department formed the Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee (STRAC), made up of community members, elected officials, hosts, and platform representatives. The group discussed short-term rental policy and provided recommendations to the Department through 2023.

Visit Denver's STR public meetings playlist for videos of Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee meetings held between 2020 and 2023.

Getting Involved

Want to receive the latest news and updates about short-term rentals in Denver? Sign up for our short-term rental bulletin.

Questions about short-term rentals? If you can't find the answer to your questions on our FAQ page, you can contact us at licenses@denvergov.org.

Having conflict with your neighbor or an illegal short-term rental? Refer to our short-term rental complaint page for guidance and resources.

Want to weigh in on policy development? We welcome and encourage citizens to share their thoughts with us. You can send written comments to licenses@denvergov.org. Include the phrase "public comment" in the subject line. You can also sign up for public comment at a public STRAC meeting. Refer to our STRAC page for more information about the committee.