DenverShort-term rental rules
Largest 50 cities / Colorado
Denver licenses short-term rentals only at the host's own primary residence, so an investor cannot buy a non-owner-occupied unit here and legally run it as a whole-home STR.
Research reviewed . Original city review.
- Does the operating permit transfer?
- New application
By code, no license may be transferred from one person or location to another; the buyer must apply fresh and independently prove their own primary residency to get a new license.
- Can the land-use approval continue?
- Verify the property approval
The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
- Can this buyer obtain approval?
- Non-owner-occupied STRs are not allowed in any zone; even a corporation or LLC is barred from holding the license, which is capped at one per person.
- License or registration
- Excise and Licenses issues a single primary-residence STR license for a $50 application fee plus $100 a year.
- Application availability
- Confirm current availability
Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
- Timing to verify
- No sale-specific deadline was established in this summary. Ask the issuing office about filing, renewal and any interruption in operation.
- Changes and uncertainty
- The primary-residence rule is unchanged since 2017; a 2025 amendment touched six sections but not this one.
What this means for the appraisal
- Obtain the buyer application requirements and confirm the earliest approved operating date before assuming continuity of rental income.
- Verify the property’s land-use approval and continuation conditions. Research finding: Verify the property approval.
- Check the proposed buyer against the recorded requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are not allowed in any zone; even a corporation or LLC is barred from holding the license, which is capped at one per person.
- In the assignment analysis, identify the evidence supporting the proposed rental use, any operating interruption and any unresolved assumptions.
Use these prompts to plan the property review. The appraiser must evaluate the evidence and reach the assignment-specific conclusions.
Record the property evidence in a worksheetRequest documents from the owner or agent
Copy this market-specific request, add the property address and edit it for the assignment.
Read or select the document request
Subject: STR property document request | Denver, CO Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply. 1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction. 2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable. 3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: By code, no license may be transferred from one person or location to another; the buyer must apply fresh and independently prove their own primary residency to get a new license. 4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions. 5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are not allowed in any zone; even a corporation or LLC is barred from holding the license, which is capped at one per person. 6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history. 7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions. 8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing. Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification. Official research sources: Denver Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 33 Lodging, Article III Short-Term Rentals (Municode): https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_CH33LO_ARTIIISHRMRE Short-Term Rentals: Denver Zoning Code Provisions (official handout): https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/2/business-licensing/documents/str_zoning_provisions.pdf Council Bill CB20-0240 (signed ordinance text, D.R.M.C. Chapter 33 Article III): https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/business-licensing/documents/str_signed_bill_2020.pdf
Research and guide updates
- Research record: Research recorded for this market. Original city review. See the findings, open questions and official sources below.
- Guide tools: Added assignment prompts, a document request and consistent research questions. This tool update does not change the market research date.
Changes and uncertainty to verify
The primary-residence rule is unchanged since 2017; a 2025 amendment touched six sections but not this one.
Sources and research limits
Carried forward from the October 18, 2026 city research. The explorer separates the operating permit from land-use rights; this is not a new verification of all current city rules.
Use this summary to identify the documents and questions for a property review. A seller's rental history alone does not establish a buyer's permission to operate.