Colorado county rules
Garfield County, CO vacation rental rules and taxes
Garfield County’s largest rental market is Glenwood Springs, which caps and inspects rentals. Carbondale and New Castle set their own rules; we haven’t yet confirmed rules for unincorporated areas.
Checked against official sources November 8, 2026Rifle voters rejected a lodging tax measure in November 2025.
What to do
Get a state sales tax license
Needed for any rental unless a platform covers all your taxes.Source
Then your town or area
Towns set their own rental licenses and collect their own taxes, and the county’s rules cover only areas outside town limits. Pick your area.
Towns
Carbondale
Carbondale licenses short-term rentals mainly for owners who live in the home at least 183 days a year; licenses for homes that aren’t a primary residence are limited to 50, with a waitlist. Every rental gets a town building inspection. Stays owe a 6% town STR tax plus the 2% lodging tax and sales taxes.
Full guideGlenwood Springs
Glenwood Springs caps short-term rentals at a share of homes (7% outside downtown, 18% downtown), spaces them 250 feet apart outside downtown, and inspects each rental for fire safety before every two-year permit. A responder must be within 30 minutes.
Sources
- Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Colorado Airbnb market data (active listings) · AirROI
- Colorado voters approve new lodging taxes impacting short-term rentals (November 2025) · Avalara MyLodgeTax
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 Spot something out of date?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.