Arapahoe County, Colorado
Centennial, CO vacation rental requirements
Centennial licenses short-term rentals for $50 plus $150 a year. You need a scaled plan of the property showing two off-street parking spaces and the trash area, a 24-hour contact, an owner inspection checklist, and a handout to your neighbors. The city collects its own sales tax.
Checked against official sources November 8, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Colorado
Get a state sales tax license
If you rent rooms or a home for stays under 30 days, Colorado requires a sales tax license from the Department of Revenue. Platforms like Airbnb collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; you file for anything booked directly.Source
Check for home-rule city taxes
Many cities and mountain towns collect their own sales and lodging taxes. Platforms aren’t required by the state to collect these, so you may need a separate city tax license and returns.Source
Get your county or city rental license
Most Colorado mountain counties and towns, and Denver, require a short-term rental license or permit, often with an inspection, an occupancy limit, posted information, and a local responder. Pick your area for the rules.
Arapahoe County, Colorado
Then your town or area
Cities and towns make their own rental rules inside their limits; the county’s rules apply only outside them. Pick your area.
City of Centennial
Draw the premises plan
Make a scaled plan of the property showing the two off-street parking spaces, where trash bins go, and the rental’s occupancy limit.Source
Complete the city forms
Fill out the owner information sheet, owner handout, owner inspection checklist, and renter rules checklist, and sign the ordinance acknowledgment, which lets the city inspect.Source
Apply and notify neighbors
Apply online with proof of ownership, liability insurance, and your 24-hour representative, and pay the $50 application and $150 license fees. Put the license number in every ad and give the Neighborly Handout to the neighbors on each side and behind you.Source
Taxes on each stay
Stays under 30 days owe 2.9% state plus Arapahoe County, RTD, and Centennial city sales taxes. Airbnb and other platforms collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; for direct bookings, file with the Colorado Department of Revenue. Centennial is home-rule and collects its own sales tax: remit it to the city. Ask whether your platform collects it for you.Source
Fees
$200 the first year, $150 a year after
| Application (one time) | $50 |
|---|---|
| License (each property, yearly) | $150 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of Centennial’s published checklist.
- Owner inspection checklistThe city may also inspect.Source
Sources
- Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Sales Tax Guide and Colorado Sales/Use Tax Rates (DR 1002) · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Apply or Renew a STR License · City of Centennial
- Colorado Airbnb market data (active listings) · AirROI
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.