Short-term rentals in Ouray County, explained properly.

Type 1 and Type 2 permittees may rent an entire primary dwelling unit or an entire accessory dwelling unit, but not both, and renting the primary and accessory units separately is prohibited. A Type 3 permit covers only a specified portion of a primary dwelling; renting an entire primary dwelling, an entire accessory dwelling, or any portion of an accessory dwelling under a Type 3 permit is prohibited. Each type must identify its STR Manager in the application. The County permit application is filed online through the County's permit portal.

Section 7.D limits issuance to one permit per person or entity as the sole Permittee. The limit applies to any Legal Entity controlled by a single individual, additional family members or agents acting for a permittee or applicant, and to entities holding majority or minority interests, subsidiaries and holding companies. Shell companies or alter-ego arrangements are not an exception. Section 8.C says Legal Nonconforming Use approval may have limited applicability to this limit for permits that were County-approved before the ordinance.

Section 8.A says STR permits are not transferable to another property or owner, and that only the listed exceptions apply. For a transfer claimed to meet an exception, the new Owner must contact Staff before or within thirty (30) days after the transfer and give recorded deeds and other documents; failing to submit the application and fee within that period makes the permit lapse, which frees a permit under the cap. The dwelling must be inspected by the County Building Inspector before any transfer is approved. If majority interest in a controlling entity changes hands, the transfer is non-exempt and a new permit is needed.

Section 7.C issues the initial permit and renewals for one (1) calendar year, with a shorter first term at Staff's discretion and a prorated fee. Under Section 7.J all annual renewal applications are due on or before November 1 and, if approved, are issued for the following calendar year. Renewal is discretionary and may be denied or conditioned based on failure to meet the ordinance, the Land Use Code, building codes or other law; Staff may deny where there are outstanding violations, unpaid fines, fees, taxes or penalties, or public health or safety concerns. A denial can be appealed (see enforcement).

Section 9.I.V requires every STR to be "Active", meaning advertised at least sixty (60) days per calendar year and booked at least thirty (30) days per calendar year. Staff may grant one single calendar-year exception during the whole life of a permit for exceptional circumstances such as severe illness or death, and has discretion to allow a pro-rata period for calendar year 2025. Each renewal (due November 1) must include a booking-history report for the previous October 1 through September 30, the websites used and taxes paid.

Sections 7.B to 7.I list the submittals. The owner is the permittee; an agent may submit. Applicants must provide a Colorado sales tax license or other business license and approvals (a copy accompanies the application), a site plan and photographs, proof that structures are completed under a valid building permit and septic permit (including any Certificate of Occupancy), a physical inspection and sign-off by the County Building Inspector (egress, bedroom escape windows, outdoor lighting, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher), and a community compatibility showing (light, noise, trash, traffic, off-street parking, buffering, bear-proof trash storage, water and sewage, legal access). Where an HOA exists, the applicant must send a certified-mail letter to the HOA within 60 days before the application date and give Staff the receipt; where none exists, a signed and notarized no-HOA letter is required. The STR Manager's contact details go to Staff, the County Assessor, the HOA and immediately adjoining neighbors and neighbors within a quarter-mile radius, with certified-mail receipts given to Staff, and Staff posts the manager's contact, the address and the permit number in a public online database. The application is verified through a Compliance Affidavit signed under penalty of perjury with a waiver and indemnification of the County.

The ordinance says application, renewal and other fees are non-refundable amounts set by the Land Use Fee Schedule adopted by County Resolution, and that fees are assessed annually. Permit applications made after January 31 are assessed a prorated and reduced fee based on the months remaining in the first permit year. The fee schedule's amounts and effective date haven't been reviewed, so confirm the current fee with the Land Use Department (970-626-9775).

Section 10.B says complaints go first to the STR Manager, who must respond and visit the site if necessary; failing to respond and try to resolve within one (1) hour of notification is a violation. The manager must give Staff a detailed report of all complaints and their resolution within 48 hours or the failure is a violation. An off-site manager or owner must be able to respond within one hour or less and be within fifty (50) geographical miles of the premises. Changes of manager must be reported to the County Assessor and the Land Use Department within five (5) business days.

Section 9.F.I limits guests to two (2) persons per bedroom plus two (2) additional guests per premises (the Approved Occupancy Load) unless the County or another agency sets a stricter limit, and the number of persons present may not exceed the limits of the permitted on-site wastewater treatment (septic) system. A gathering of more than 200% of the Approved Occupancy Load for four hours or more is a special event that needs a separate Special Event or Special Use permit. The posted in-unit sign must state the maximum occupancy.

Section 9.H says parking is not allowed on County Roads or public rights-of-way and that only one (1) vehicle per bedroom approved for short-term rental is allowed. A maximum of one guest trailer or RV may be parked on the property, and connecting or dumping an RV or trailer into the permittee's septic system is prohibited. Overnight stays in vehicles, tents, yurts, campers or other movable structures for consideration are not allowed under the ordinance.

Section 9.B says the premises and qualified dwelling unit may not be rented on a short-term basis to multiple parties at once; all short-term rentals are limited to a single booking for each premises per rental period, the primary registered guest must be over eighteen (18), and separate bookings to multiple guests during the same time period are strictly prohibited. The ordinance refers people wanting multiple bookings to Staff about Special Use Permits.

Section 9.I.II requires all advertisements in all media to include the County permit number, prominently posted in legible font within both the header and the title, and the Colorado sales tax license number unless waived or not required by Staff. Section 9.I.III says all short-term rentals must be booked only through Vacation Rental Services subject to C.R.S. 30-15-401(1)(s)(III) unless Staff approves local website hosting or other booking methods; regular advertising without booking services is not restricted. Under Section 10.G, advertising a short-term rental without a permit is a violation, and a platform must remove a listing within seven (7) days of County notice that the permit number is invalid, expired, suspended or revoked.

Section 9.D.I requires a prominent, easily visible sign inside each permitted dwelling listing the STR Manager's name, email and phone, a disclaimer that emergency services may not be readily available, the maximum number of persons, the one RV or trailer limit and one vehicle per bedroom with on-site, off-street parking only, instructions to access the Ouray County emergency alerts system, and the physical address. The STR Manager must give every registered guest a copy of the Good Neighbor Guidelines on booking confirmation (electronic copy is enough), tell guests about fire restrictions during any fire ban, and have renters sign or initial that they will comply with the County noise and rubbish ordinances and outdoor lighting rules.

Section 10.F.I says that under C.R.S. 30-15-402 a person convicted of violating the ordinance commits a civil infraction subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation, per day as long as the violation continues. The County Attorney may also seek an injunction or other civil remedies, and the remedies are cumulative. Advertising a short-term rental without a permit is a violation.

Section 10.C lets the Land Use Director start suspension or revocation if an owner has or ever had three (3) or more substantiated complaints or violates the ordinance; the owner gets a Notice of Violation and fifteen (15) days to respond. The Director may impose a suspension not to exceed six (6) months and/or revocation on clear and convincing evidence. Revocation and suspension take effect immediately and are not stayed by an appeal. Material misrepresentation, failure to remit required taxes or fees, and violations that significantly endanger public health or safety can lead to immediate emergency suspension or revocation. After revocation, re-application is barred for the remainder of the current permitted year and three subsequent calendar years, and a new application goes to the bottom of any wait list. Decisions can be reconsidered by the County Manager (request within 15 days) and appealed to the Board.

The Ouray County short-term rental page lists state sales tax of 2.9%, county sales tax of 2.55% and a Lodging District Tax of 6%, effective January 1, 2026, and says the lodging district tax is remitted quarterly (first quarter due April 25, second July 25, third October 25, fourth January 25) on the state's DR 1485 form. The ordinance separately requires every permittee to hold a sales tax license or business license to collect and submit sales and lodging taxes, to use NAICS code 721199 when filing, and to show tax remittance records at annual renewal. No official source states how the three taxes stack, so no combined rate is given here. The rates are as listed on the County page retrieved October 18, 2026.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.