LicensedRental

Larimer County, Colorado

Estes Park, CO vacation rental requirements

Estes Park caps vacation homes in its residential zones at 322, with a short waitlist filled by lottery; commercial zones have no cap. A license costs $200 plus $50 per bedroom plus a $1,500 workforce housing fee each year, after a compliance and life-safety inspection. Stays pay 14.45%, all collected by the state, so Airbnb collects it all.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

Only when this town’s rules, fees, or forms change. Unsubscribe anytime.

Market
About 1,380 Airbnb listings
Ranked 12th in Colorado; about $58,800 average yearly revenue (AirROI).Source
Cap
322 in residential zones
22 on the waitlist (October 2026). No cap in commercial zones.Source
Yearly fee
$200 + $50 per bedroom + $1,500
The workforce housing fee rises to $1,550 in 2027.Source
Guests
2 per bedroom + 2, up to 8
Local representative
20 to 30 minute response
Must live in the Park R-3 School District or the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District.Source
Taxes
14.45%
2.9% state, 1.05% county, 5% town, 5.5% marketing district.Source

The town page still mentions a 2021 moratorium on the residential waitlist alongside the 2025 lottery process. Ask the Clerk where the waitlist stands before you buy.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Colorado

  1. 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

    MyBiz Colorado →

  2. 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

  3. 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.

Larimer County, Colorado

  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.

Town of Estes Park

  1. Check your zone and the waitlist

    In residential zones (RE, RE-1, E, E-1, R, R-1, R-2, RM) new licenses come off a waitlist; when it drops to ten or fewer after the January 31 renewal deadline, the town holds a lottery to refill it to 30. Commercial-zone homes are licensed as applications arrive. Check the town zoning map.Source

  2. Get a state sales tax account

    You need a Colorado sales tax account number to apply. Estes Park is a statutory town, so the state collects every tax on the stay.Source

  3. Apply and pass the inspections

    Submit the online application with proof of ownership, your sales tax account number, and a $200 deposit. Code enforcement does an initial compliance inspection, and the home must pass a life-safety inspection before the license is issued.Source

    Estes Park vacation home licensing →

  4. Renew by January 31

    Pay the base fee, the per-bedroom fee, and the workforce housing linkage fee every year by January 31. Renewal notices go out in early December.Source

  5. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 30 days owe 14.45%: 2.9% state, 1.05% Larimer County, 5% town, and the 5.5% Estes Park Local Marketing District tax. Airbnb and other platforms collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; for direct bookings, file with the Colorado Department of Revenue. All of these are state-administered, so Airbnb and Vrbo collect them on their bookings. For direct bookings, file the sales tax and the marketing district tax (form DR 1490) with the state.Source

Fees

A three-bedroom home pays $1,850 for 2026

Application deposit (credited to the license fee)$200
Annual base fee$200
Per bedroom, yearly$50
Workforce Housing Regulatory Linkage Fee, yearly$1,500 (2026); $1,550 (2027)

Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Town of Estes Park’s published checklist.

  • Initial compliance inspectionBy the town code enforcement officer.Source
  • Life-safety inspectionBefore the license is approved; requirements are on the town’s building forms page.Source

House rules for guests

Guests
2 per bedroom + 2, up to 8
Nine or more only for licenses applied for before March 31, 2017, on at least an acre.Source
Responder
20 to 30 minutes
Source

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.