Short-Term Rental Permit in Denver: How to Apply in 2026

You found a great property. You set up the listing. Then you learn Denver will not let you host without a license tied to your name and your primary address. This guide walks you through the permit process step by step, from gathering documents to renewing each year. Your listing goes live without a denial slowing you down. For the broader picture of operating rules, occupancy caps, and tax obligations, see the full guide to Airbnb rules in Denver.

The Denver STR License Is Issued by Excise and Licenses

Denver routes every short-term rental application through the Department of Excise and Licenses, often called DEL. This is the single office that decides whether your listing can legally operate. You do not file with the county, the assessor, or the zoning office. You file with DEL.

The license is tied to two things at once: the property address and you. You cannot transfer it to a co-host, a manager, or another address. If you move, the old license dies with the old address. This pairing of person and place is the backbone of Denver's whole system. It shapes every document you will gather.

This article stays focused on the application itself: what to file, what to prove, and what trips hosts up.

How to Reach the Issuing Office

You will apply through Denver's online licensing portal, which DEL maintains on the city website. Phone and email contacts for licensing staff are published there as well. Bookmark the Excise and Licenses page early. You will return to it for the application, renewal, and any document updates the city requests during review.

Primary Residence Verification Defines the Whole Process

Denver only licenses short-term rentals at a host's primary residence. That single rule shapes the application more than anything else. Before you fill out a single field, you need to prove that the listed address is where you actually live most of the year.

Primary residence is not just where you sleep most nights. It is where you are registered to vote, where your mail arrives, and where your driver's license shows your address. It is also where you file your taxes from. Denver wants several of those signals pointing to the same property. One mismatch can stall the file.

If your driver's license shows your old apartment and your utility bill shows the new condo, the system flags it. Fix the mismatch before applying. Update your ID at the Colorado DMV, change your voter registration, and route a real utility account to the property in your name.

Documents That Prove Primary Residence

The Application Walks Through a Predictable Sequence

Once your residency documents line up, the application itself is straightforward. You create an account on Denver's licensing portal, select the short-term rental license type, and step through a form that asks about you, the property, and your insurance. Upload your documents in the same session. Pay the application fee at the end. Verify the current fee on the DEL site before you start, because amounts change.

The form will also ask for an emergency local contact. This is a person who can respond to the property within a reasonable time if something goes wrong while you are away. Many hosts list a neighbor, a co-host, or a property manager. Have that name and phone number ready when you start.

Do not save and walk away for weeks between sections. Portal sessions can time out and Denver occasionally updates the form. The smoothest applications are the ones a host completes in one or two sittings with every document already saved as a PDF on the desktop.

Step-by-Step Checklist for the Application

Insurance and Safety Items Belong in Place Before You File

Denver requires proof of liability insurance that meets the city's minimum coverage for short-term rentals. Your standard homeowner or renter policy often does not cover commercial rental activity. Call your insurer and ask specifically about an STR endorsement or a separate short-term rental policy. Have the certificate of insurance saved as a PDF before you start the application.

Even when an inspection is not required for your property type, safety items matter. Working smoke detectors on every floor, a carbon monoxide detector near sleeping areas, and a clearly accessible fire extinguisher are the basics. If DEL ever asks for an inspection or a site check, these items decide whether you pass on the first visit.

Confirm with DEL whether your specific property category triggers any inspection requirement. Single-family, condo, and accessory dwelling units can each be treated a little differently. A two-minute call to licensing staff can save you weeks if your property falls into a category that needs an extra step.

What to Verify About Your Building Before You Apply

If you live in a condo, read the HOA bylaws on short-term rentals. Many Denver associations restrict or ban them outright. A city license does not override an HOA prohibition. You can be sued by the association even if DEL approves your file.

If you rent, your lease must allow short-term subletting. Get written approval from your landlord and keep it in your records. Denver licensing staff may not ask for the landlord letter at submission, but if a complaint surfaces later, the city expects you to have it.

Timeline and Common Delay Causes

Applications submitted with complete documentation are typically reviewed within a few weeks. Incomplete applications can stretch much longer. The clock does not really start until your file has every required piece. If DEL emails you asking for a corrected utility bill, the days you spend finding one count against your launch date.

Apply well before your planned listing start date. A common mistake is treating the license as a formality you can clear in a weekend. It is not. Build at least a month of buffer between when you submit and when you want guests checking in. If a renewal or a document update is needed, you will be glad you did.

Why Denver STR Applications Get Denied

Lodger's Tax and State Sales Tax Are Separate Registrations

Your DEL license lets you operate. It does not handle taxes. Denver charges a Lodger's Tax on short-term rental stays, and Colorado charges state sales tax. Both require their own registrations, separate from your STR license. Hosts who skip this step can pass licensing and still owe back taxes plus penalties at the end of the year.

Register for the Denver Lodger's Tax through Denver's tax and revenue office, and register for state sales tax through the Colorado Department of Revenue. Some hosts handle the Lodger's Tax themselves; others let the platform collect and remit on their behalf where that arrangement is available. Confirm what your platform does and does not collect, because the host stays responsible if anything falls through the cracks.

Keep tax registration certificates in the same folder as your STR license documents. If DEL ever requests proof of tax compliance during renewal, you will not be scrambling to find numbers.

The license is the door. The tax registration is the rent you pay to keep the door open. Skip either one and the whole operation is exposed.

What to Confirm With Denver Revenue

Tax rates and filing frequencies change. Before you launch, call or check the Denver Revenue website to confirm the current Lodger's Tax rate and the filing schedule for your expected revenue level. Also confirm how the platform's collection arrangement interacts with your own filings. The Colorado Department of Revenue can confirm the state sales tax piece.

Annual Renewal Keeps Your Listing Live

Denver STR licenses require annual renewal. Miss the deadline and your listing can be suspended by the platform under its compliance terms. Renewal is not automatic. You must initiate it, confirm that primary residence is still valid, and update any documents that have changed.

Set a calendar reminder for sixty days before your license expires. That gives you time to refresh your insurance certificate, update your ID if the address changed, and complete any renewal forms DEL has updated since you last applied. A late renewal can create a gap in your license. A gap can mean a paused listing during your busiest weeks.

If you have moved during the year, you do not renew the old license. You apply for a new one at the new address, after you have rebuilt the residency paper trail there. This is one of the most common surprises Denver hosts hit, so plan around it if you are considering a move.

Tracking Your Renewal Window

Frequently Asked Questions