LicensedRental

Colorado county rules

Boulder County, CO vacation rental rules and taxes

Boulder County holds the City of Boulder, one of Colorado’s top-earning rental markets, plus the mountain towns of Nederland and Lyons. Every one of them, and the county outside town limits, limits rentals mostly to the owner’s own home; the county allows a capped number of whole-home vacation rentals only in its mountain zones.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026
Market
About 1,400 Airbnb listings
Boulder 893, Longmont 231, Lafayette 103, Nederland 86, Lyons 80, Allenspark 44 (AirROI).Source
County licenses
Short-term rental and vacation rental
Vacation rental licenses capped at 277, mountain zones only.Source

What to do

  1. 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.

Towns

Full guide

Boulder

In the City of Boulder, only the owner’s principal residence can be a short-term rental, owned by a person or trust (not an LLC), and never a home with an ADU. The license costs $215 and lasts four years with a $20 yearly affidavit. There’s no inspection; you self-certify smoke and CO alarms. The city collects its own accommodations tax.

Full guide

Lyons

Lyons licenses short-term rentals in homes the owner lives in at least nine months a year, or units in its commercial districts. The license is $125, then $50 a year. Up to eight guests, self-inspection, and a 5% town lodging tax filed monthly.

Full guide

Nederland

Nederland licenses short-term rentals in your primary residence (up to 180 nights a year while you’re away) or, for homes you don’t live in, only in its downtown and commercial zones. You self-inspect, and pay the town’s lodging tax of $4 per bedroom per night.

Full guide

Unincorporated Boulder County

Outside town limits, Boulder County licenses short-term rentals in the owner’s primary residence ($350, then $250 to renew), and whole-home vacation rentals only in its Forestry and Mountain Institutional zones, capped at 277 licenses. Applications need a floor plan marking exits and alarms, a property map with parking, $500,000 insurance, and a local manager who can arrive within an hour.

Sources

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 Spot something out of date?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.