LicensedRental

Colorado county rules

Ouray County, CO vacation rental rules and taxes

Ouray County caps short-term rental permits outside the City of Ouray and Town of Ridgway, with a waitlist, and added a 6% lodging tax there in 2026. Ouray and Ridgway license rentals under their own rules.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026
Market
About 295 Airbnb listings
Ouray 184, Ridgway 111 (AirROI).Source
County permits
Capped, with a waitlist

What to do

  1. Get a state sales tax license

    Needed for any rental unless a platform covers all your taxes.Source

  2. 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

Full guide

Ouray

The City of Ouray caps short-term rental licenses at 120, with a waitlist, and allows them only in the R-2 and commercial zones. A new license is $825 after a building inspection, and $400 a year to renew. Stays owe about 28% in taxes, including a 15% city excise tax, which owners file monthly.

Full guide

Ridgway

Ridgway requires a short-term rental license ($500 new, $400 to renew, good for two years) and a town inspection each time. Homes must have two off-street parking spaces and a local agent within 20 minutes. Owners file town sales and lodging taxes monthly.

Full guide

Unincorporated Ouray County

Outside Ouray and Ridgway, a short-term rental needs a county permit, and permits are capped (50 Type 1, 50 Type 2, and 25 Type 3) with a waitlist. Since January 2026 stays owe a 6% county lodging tax on top of 5.45% sales tax.

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 Spot something out of date?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.