Short-term rental rules · Aurora, Colorado
Short-term rentals in Aurora, explained properly.
In the City of Aurora, it is unlawful to advertise a short-term rental without a City general business license and lodger's license, and the person advertising must use the home as their primary residence. An entire dwelling may be operated as a short-term rental for no more than 180 days in any 365-day period, and only one booking at a time is allowed. Booking platforms may not take payment for an unlicensed rental and face a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day for some violations. The zoning use tables, license fees and lodger's tax rate haven't been reviewed yet.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: allowed only when advertised by a person with a City general business license and lodger's license who uses the dwelling as their primary residence, and an entire dwelling may be rented no more than 180 days in any 365-day period; we haven't reviewed the zoning use tables yet [1] ClauseConfirming |
| City short-term rental license required? | Yes: a City general business license and a City lodger's license are required to advertise a short-term rental, and the City business license number must appear in the advertisement [1] Clause |
| Must the owner live on the property? | Yes: the person advertising the short-term rental must use the residence as their primary residence [1] Clause |
| City lodging tax | Lodging for less than 30 days, including short-term rentals, is covered by the City's lodger's tax in Chapter 130; the rate hasn't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & licensing
| What counts as a short-term rental? | Any residential dwelling unit offered, provided or operated as lodging for guests for pay for less than 30 consecutive days [1] Clause Section 26-215. Lodging also covers rooms in hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast residences and similar places for periods of less than 30 consecutive days. "Dwelling unit" has the meaning in the Aurora Zoning Code, which hasn't been reviewed yet. |
|---|---|
| Is there a cap on the number of days an entire home can be rented per year? | Yes: an entire dwelling may be operated as a short-term rental for no more than 180 days in any 365-day period; the code adds an exception for accessory dwelling units whose owner lives in the primary structure [1] ClauseConfirming Section 26-219(d) sets the 180-day limit. Paragraph (d)(1) says that subsection (c) "shall not apply to accessory dwelling units when the property owner lives in the primary structure"; subsection (c) is the one-booking-at-a-time rule, not the 180-day limit, so which limit the exception reaches is open. Booking service providers face a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day for a violation of subsection (d) or (e) (26-219(g)). |
| Is a second separate booking prohibited while a short-term rental is already booked? | Yes: it is unlawful to permit bookings by more than one person for a short-term rental at one time; the code adds an exception for accessory dwelling units whose owner lives in the primary structure [1] Clause Section 26-219(c). Paragraph (d)(1) says subsection (c) does not apply to accessory dwelling units when the property owner lives in the primary structure on the property. |
Operating rules
| Must an operator produce records proving the rental is their primary residence? | Yes: on request of City enforcement naming the specific records, the operator must permit inspection of the records showing they are the primary resident [1] Clause Section 26-220(b). |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood impacts | The operator must make a good faith effort to prevent and quickly mitigate any deleterious impacts of the rental on the neighborhood [1] Clause Section 26-220(a). |
| Guest register | Keep a register with the name and home address of every guest, the vehicle plate, make, body style and year if the guest has a car, and keep the records for three years [1] Clause Sections 26-216 to 26-218. Lodging of less than 30 days for pay includes short-term rentals (26-215). The operator must record departure time against each guest's name (26-217), and it is unlawful to enter a name other than the guest's true name (26-218). |
| Listing requirements | The advertisement must show the City business license number, unless the host lists through a booking service provider that meets the conditions in 26-219(b) [1] Clause Section 26-219(a)(2) and (b). Booking service providers may not receive payment for an unlicensed short-term rental in Aurora (26-219(e)). |
Penalties & enforcement
| Penalty for booking platforms | A booking service provider that violates 26-219(d) or (e) faces a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day, in addition to the general penalty in section 1-13 [1] Clause Section 26-219(g). Section 1-13 and any penalty for operators haven't been reviewed yet, so no operator penalty is shown. |
|---|
State law that also applies
| State sales tax on short stays | 2.9%, plus any local sales taxes the state collects [2] [3] Clause 1 Clause 2 Colorado charges its 2.9% state sales tax on the entire amount charged for rooms and accommodations. A stay may also owe local sales taxes that the Colorado Department of Revenue collects for counties and special districts, and any sales tax of a home-rule city that collects its own tax (see below). |
|---|---|
| Which stays are taxed? | Stays of less than 30 days [3] Clause State sales tax does not apply to a room or accommodations rented to a person who is a permanent resident of it and has a written agreement to occupy it for at least 30 consecutive days. Shorter stays are taxed. |
| Colorado sales tax license required? | Yes, unless you rent only through a booking platform that collects the state-collected taxes for you [3] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2 The Colorado Department of Revenue says anyone who offers rooms or accommodations for rent must get a Colorado sales tax license and collect sales tax on taxable rentals. A seller who makes sales only through a marketplace may be exempt from licensing, collection and filing if the marketplace collects all state and state-administered local sales taxes for them. The license costs $16 (prorated) plus a $50 deposit, a separate license is needed for each business location, and licenses expire on December 31 of odd-numbered years. |
| Do booking platforms collect state taxes? | Yes, for state-collected taxes [3] Clause For rooms rented through a marketplace (including online platforms), the marketplace facilitator must collect and remit the state sales tax and the local sales taxes the state collects, plus any county lodging tax and local marketing district tax. City taxes in home-rule cities are separate (see below). |
| City lodging and home-rule city taxes | Paid to the city, not the state [3] Clause The Colorado Department of Revenue does not administer any lodging tax imposed by a city or town, and it does not collect sales tax for home-rule cities that collect their own. Those taxes are licensed, filed and paid with the city. |
| County lodging and local marketing district taxes | Set by some counties and districts; filed with the state [3] Clause Colorado counties may add a county lodging tax, regional transportation authorities a visitor benefit tax, and local marketing districts a marketing tax on rooms subject to state sales tax. County lodging and visitor benefit taxes are filed quarterly with the Department of Revenue on form DR 1485; the Department's DR 1003 publication lists the rates. |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We read Article V of Chapter 26 (Sections 26-215 to 26-220) of the Aurora City Code on aurora.municipal.codes. Its history notes show Ordinance 2021-63 (adopted November 22, 2021) and Ordinance 2024-41 (adopted September 9, 2024). We haven't reviewed City Council agendas or minutes yet, so we will watch the Code and the City's pages for changes.
Sources
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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.