El Paso County, Colorado
Colorado Springs, CO vacation rental requirements
Colorado Springs requires a $124.95 yearly permit for each short-term rental listing. Homes you don’t live in are barred from single-family zones and must be 500 feet from another rental elsewhere; homes with an ADU can’t get a new permit. Up to 15 guests, a contact who responds within an hour, and Airbnb collects the city 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.
El Paso 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 Colorado Springs
Check whether your home qualifies
If you live there at least 185 days a year, it can be a rental in any zone that allows homes. If you don’t, it can’t be in the R-E, R-1 6, R-1 9, or single-family PDZ zones, and must be at least 500 feet from another rental. Properties with an ADU can’t get a new permit (since June 30, 2025).Source
Apply for a permit for each listing
Apply online with the checklist and owner acknowledgment, a signed affidavit, two proofs of residence (not mail), proof of $500,000 liability insurance (platform coverage counts), and a link to the listing, and pay $124.95. Any city taxes you owe must be paid first. Review takes up to 10 business days.Source
Renew before it expires
Permits last one year, with no grace period. They can’t be transferred to a new owner.Source
Taxes on each stay
Stays under 30 days owe 8.2% (2.9% state, 1.23% El Paso County, 1% PPRTA, 3.07% city) plus the city’s lodgers and auto rental tax (LART). Airbnb and other platforms collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; for direct bookings, file with the Colorado Department of Revenue. Colorado Springs is a home-rule city; marketplace facilitators like Airbnb collect city sales tax under their own city licenses. For direct bookings, get a city sales tax license and file city sales tax and LART with the city.Source
Fees
$124.95 a year per listing
| STR permit (each listing, yearly) | $124.95 |
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House rules for guests
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
- Short Term Rental Permits and Renewals · City of Colorado Springs Planning and Neighborhood Services
- Sales Tax General Information · City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax
- 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.