LicensedRental

Summit County, Colorado

Unincorporated Summit County, CO vacation rental requirements

Outside town limits, Summit County licenses every short-term rental. In resort overlay areas like Copper Mountain there’s no cap; in neighborhood areas new licenses are capped by basin and limited to 35 paid bookings a year. Every application needs a parking plan, and the owner signs a self-inspection affidavit. Stays owe 6.375% sales tax plus the county’s 2% lodging tax.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

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

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County license
Required, renews by September 30
$290 resort overlay, $235 Type I, $355 Type II (2025 renewal fees).Source
Caps
Neighborhood areas only
Basin caps: Upper Blue 18%, Lower Blue 15%, Ten Mile 6%, Snake River 5%; all over cap in 2023. Local workers are exempt.Source
Booking limit
35 paid bookings a year in neighborhood areas
Drawings
Parking plan
Submitted with the application and posted for guests.Source
Local agent
24/7, respond within one hour
Taxes
6.375% sales + 2% county lodging tax

Keystone is now a town with its own license; see the Keystone page.

Outdoor wood-burning (non-gas) fire pits are no longer allowed at short-term rentals.

The county’s STR page confirms the license and the February 2023 rules but doesn’t list fees or standards; the details above come from a 2021 ordinance copy posted by a tax firm, 2023 news, and the county’s 2025 renewal bulletin. Confirm current rules with the county.

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.

Summit County, Colorado

  1. Get a state sales tax license

    You need a Colorado sales tax license for stays under 30 days unless a platform collects everything for you. The state, county, transit, and housing taxes are filed with the Department of Revenue.Source

  2. Then your town or area

    Each town licenses its own short-term rentals and collects its own taxes; outside town limits the county’s rules apply. Pick your area.

Summit County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Find your zone

    Resort overlay areas (about 63% of county rentals, including Copper Mountain) have no cap or booking limit. In neighborhood areas new licenses are capped by basin and full-time county workers and long-time county retirees are exempt from the cap; licenses can pass to close family.Source

  2. Draw the parking plan

    Show the parking spaces on the property: at least one, no more than five cars outside. Guests can’t park on county roads or landscaping. Give the plan to guests and post it in the unit. You also need a trash plan.Source

  3. Apply or renew online

    Apply through the county’s Host Compliance portal with the signed self-compliance affidavit. Licenses expire September 30 each year; missing the deadline loses the license.Source

    Summit County STR portal →

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays under 30 days owe 2.9% state, 2% county, 0.75% transit, and 0.725% housing sales tax, plus the 2% county lodging 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 are state-administered, so platforms collect them.Source

Fees

$235 to $355 a year

Resort Overlay Zone license$290
Type I license$235
Type II license$355

In effect since October 1, 2025. Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Summit County (unincorporated areas)’s published checklist.

  • Smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers
  • Wood fireplaces cleaned yearly; electrical panel labeled
  • Phone service that can call 911
  • Septic pumped every three yearsSeptic capacity can lower your occupancy.Source
  • No outdoor wood-burning fire pitsGas fire pits only.Source
  • Self-compliance affidavitSigned under penalty of perjury; no routine county inspection.Source

House rules for guests

Guests
2 per bedroom + 2 in neighborhood areas
The older county ordinance allowed 2 per bedroom + 4 or 1 per 200 sq ft; ask which applies to your license type.Source
Posted inside
Contacts, address, license, occupancy, parking plan, trash rules
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.