Short-term rental rules · Aspen, Colorado
Short-term rentals in Aspen, explained properly.
Aspen requires a short-term rental permit under one of three tiers — Lodging Exempt, Owner-Occupied (capped at 120 nights/year), or Classic (unlimited nights, but capped and waitlisted by zoning district). A separate business license is required for every operator, and STR-specific excise taxes stack on top of standard sales and lodging taxes, with a much higher rate for non-owner-occupied 'Classic' rentals.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Three STR permit tiers | Lodging Exempt (STR-LE) for properties that meet the code definition of a lodge or condo-hotel: no annual night limit, not capped, and one permit covers all units under management. Owner-Occupied (STR-OO) for a title owner's primary residence: limited to 120 rental nights a year, not capped. Classic (STR-C) for non-owner-occupied or owner-occupied residential properties: no night limit, but capped in certain residential zones with a waitlist. The code also provides a Temporary permit (STR-T) so a buyer can honor reservations booked before a sale [1] [2] |
| Separate city business license required | Every STR operator, and any qualified owner's representative, must hold a current city business license ($150/year) from the Finance Department, in addition to the STR permit itself [1] |
| Annual permit fees | Lodging Exempt: $148 per unit annually; Owner-Occupied and Classic: $394 annually. Permit fees are non-refundable [1] |
| Classic permit caps by zone | Classic (STR-C) permits are capped in 14 zone districts: RR 2, R-3 1, R-6 81, R-15 47, R-15A 8, R-15B 12, R-30 1, R/MF 190, R/MFA 12, AH 9, MU 39, NC 1, SCI 2 and SKI 2. There is no cap in the Commercial (C-1), Commercial Core (CC), Lodge (L), Commercial Lodge (CL), Lodge Overlay (LP) and Lodge Preservation Overlay (LO) districts, and Owner-Occupied and Lodging Exempt permits are not capped in any zone [2] |
| Some zones already exceed their cap via grandfathering | Grandfathered permits pushed several zones over their caps when the system launched (April 2023: 8 of 14 residential zones at or over cap; R-MF had 235 permits against a cap of 190). Attrition has since brought R-MF just under its cap (187 active permits against 190 as of May 2026), but it still has a waitlist of about 55 applications; other capped zones had waitlists of fewer than 5 applicants. Citywide active permits fell to 741 (663 Classic, 71 Owner-Occupied, 7 Lodging Exempt) as of April 2026 [3] [4]Confirming |
| STR excise tax and combined rates | A 5% short-term rental tax applies to Owner-Occupied and Lodging Exempt permitted properties and a 10% tax to Classic (investment/second-home) properties, on top of city, state and special-district sales taxes and the city lodging taxes. Starting in 2026 the city puts the combined total at 17.35% for Owner-Occupied and Lodging Exempt rentals and 22.35% for Classic rentals (12.35% for a traditional lodge) [5] |
| Owner-Occupied permit requires proof of primary residence | The property must be the permittee's primary residence, and the applicant must submit two documents issued to them at the STR address, such as a driver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration or a current federal or state tax return. LLCs without a verifiable natural person's name aren't accepted [1] [2] |
| Minimum rental activity required for renewal | An STR must be occupied by a short-term renter at least once per year, as shown in tax filings, to be eligible for permit renewal; a permit showing one full year of zero tax filings is considered abandoned, and long-term (30+ day) rentals do not satisfy this requirement [1] |
Watch this market
Want to know when Aspen's rules change?
We watch Aspen's official rule pages, council agendas and Colorado legislation. When a change affecting short-term rentals is proposed or passed, we email you what changed, when it takes effect, and a link to the source.
Alerts are free. Own in several cities? Pro will track every rule for your whole portfolio.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| GIS map to check a property's zone and cap status | The city provides an STR GIS map so an owner can verify their property's zoning designation and whether that zone's Classic permit cap has been reached [1] |
|---|---|
| 2021 moratorium preceded the current three-tier system | In December 2021, Aspen City Council adopted a temporary moratorium on new vacation rental permits (Ordinance No. 26, Series 2021), which ran through September 30, 2022. Council approved the new STR regulations (Ordinance No. 9, Series 2022) on June 28, 2022; the ordinance took effect July 29, 2022, and applications under the three-tier permit system opened October 1, 2022 [1] [3]Confirming |
Licensing & application
| Application and tax-filing platform transitioned to Localgov | Effective June 1, 2026, the city transitioned its STR application and tax-filing system from MuniRevs/GovOS to Localgov; existing account information transfers automatically, but users must register new accounts using the same email address on file [1] |
|---|---|
| 15-business-day review after fee payment | Applications are reviewed by city staff within 15 business days of the permit fee payment date; required documents vary by permit type and may include HOA affidavits, self-inspection checklists, lodging-exempt affidavits, and public notice affidavits (except for renewals) [1] |
Taxes & fees
| Monthly tax filing required | Operators must file monthly Sales, Lodging, and STR Excise Taxes through the Localgov portal; the platform automatically calculates amounts due. Returns are due on or before the 20th day of the month following the month in which the stay is provided, regardless of when payment or the reservation was made. STR tax obligations apply to all nightly stays commencing on or after May 1, 2023, regardless of when the booking was made [5] |
|---|
Operations & complaints
| Violations reported through Aspen 311 Connect | Suspected STR violations can be reported to the city through the Aspen 311 Connect portal [1] |
|---|
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We re-checked the City of Aspen Short-term Rentals and Lodging/STR Tax pages and Municipal Code Chapter 26.530 (on Municode) in a browser. The code's zone-by-zone cap table and the city's 2026 combined tax rates (17.35% and 22.35%) are now on this page. Waitlist and active-permit counts still come from Aspen Journalism reporting, not a city source. Watch City Council agendas for changes to the caps, permit types or STR tax.
City Council approved STR amendments on November 18, 2025, applied from the 2026 renewal period: permits can transfer to next of kin on death or divorce; a new 90-day STR-Temporary permit lets a buyer honor reservations booked before the sale; HOA affidavits are no longer required at renewal; and tax-filing exemptions are available for units made uninhabitable by a natural emergency or under an active building permit. A proposal to allow transfers for estate planning (trusts, family members) was postponed. Reported by local news; the city's own announcement could not be fetched in this pass.
In November 2025 voters approved three sales tax measures (0.3% for the Aspen School District, 0.5% for the Aspen Fire Protection District and 0.25% for early childhood education), raising Aspen's aggregate sales tax from 9.30% to 10.35% from 2026. Because lodging and STR stays also pay sales tax, combined totals would rise by 1.05 points (to roughly 12.35% for hotels, 17.35% for Owner-Occupied/Lodging-Exempt and 22.35% for Classic STRs), as Aspen Journalism reported in July 2026. The city's tax page still showed 11.30%/16.30%/21.30% when checked; confirm with the city before relying on either figure.
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
Newsletter
Not tracking Aspen specifically?
One email a month with STR rule changes across the US markets we track.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Questions
Managing properties in several cities?
Tell us what you're trying to decide and which markets you operate in. We read every message.
This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.