Colorado county rules
Mesa County, CO vacation rental rules and taxes
Mesa County’s main rental market is Grand Junction, which licenses short-term rentals and caps whole-home rentals by neighborhood. Fruita and Palisade set their own rules.
Checked against official sources November 8, 2026Mesa County publishes a short-term rental worksheet; we haven’t yet confirmed the county’s rules for unincorporated areas.
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
Fruita
Fruita requires a short-term rental permit (renewed each year by December 1) and a $30 city business license. Downtown is capped at 65 rentals, most newer neighborhoods have HOAs that bar them, and permitted rentals must be rented at least 45 days a year. Stays owe 8.27% sales tax plus a 6% city lodging tax.
Full guideGrand Junction
Grand Junction requires a yearly short-term rental license ($275 to apply). Whole-home rentals are capped at 7% of residential lots downtown and 3% elsewhere; renting a room or an accessory unit counts separately. All licenses renew in January.
Full guidePalisade
Palisade allows only 24 short-term vacation rentals in town: 12 for residents renting their own home and 12 for investors. The permit is $350 a year, applications are taken only in January and February, and you need a fire department inspection, a site plan showing parking, and certified-mail notice to neighbors within 150 feet.
Sources
- Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Colorado Airbnb market data (active listings) · AirROI
- Short-Term Rentals · City of Grand Junction
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 Spot something out of date?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.