Short-term rental rules · Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Short-term rentals in Steamboat Springs, explained properly.
Steamboat Springs licenses short-term rentals under a three-zone system: unrestricted in Zone A, capped by sub-zone in Zone B (5 to 20 licenses each), and prohibited for new standard STRs in Zone C (hosted and temporary rentals still allowed there). A voter-approved 9% short-term rental tax, adopted in November 2022 to fund affordable housing, stacks on top of standard sales and accommodations taxes for a combined rate around 18.4%.
Draft. These rules were compiled from the official sources listed below but have not yet been checked line by line. Confirm with the city before making decisions.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Three STR license types | Standard Short-Term Rental (STR) licenses are subject to zone caps; Hosted STR (owner present during the stay) and Temporary STR licenses are permitted in all zones, including Zone C where new standard STR licenses are prohibited[1] |
| Zone A: no cap | There is no limit on the number of standard STR licenses allowed in Zone A[1] |
| Zone B: capped by sub-zone | Zone B is divided into six sub-zones, each with its own numeric license cap: B1: 5, B2: 20, B3: 18, B4: 17, B5: 12, B6: 10 licenses[1] |
| Zone C: new standard STRs prohibited | New standard Short-Term Rental licenses are prohibited in Zone C; only Hosted and Temporary STRs remain allowed there[1] |
| Occupancy limit | A minimum of 2 and maximum of 16 guests, calculated at 1 person per 150 square feet of floor space; outdoor gatherings may include up to twice the permitted number of occupants[1] |
| Parking limit | A maximum of 6 vehicles may be parked overnight, and only on all-weather surfaces[1] |
| 24-hour local responsible party required | Operators must designate a local responsible party available 24 hours a day, who must respond to any complaint within one hour, and post visible notice at the property with contact information and house rules[1] |
| Voter-approved 9% STR tax funds affordable housing | Colorado voters in Steamboat Springs approved a short-term rental tax of up to 9% in November 2022; it applies to reservations made on or after January 1, 2023 (with an exemption for pre-January-1 bookings for the current ski season), and proceeds fund affordable and attainable housing projects including the Yampa Valley Housing Authority's Brown Ranch project[2] |
| Combined tax rate on STRs | Standard accommodations tax combines to 9.4%; adding the 9.0% STR-specific tax brings the total combined rate to approximately 18.4%. Rentals within the Local Marketing District (LMD) face a further 2.0% LMD accommodations tax, for a combined rate of approximately 20.4%[3] |
| Last researched | September 25, 2026 |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| STR licensing program enacted June 2022 | Steamboat Springs' short-term rental licensing program, including the three-zone cap system, was enacted on June 7, 2022[1] |
|---|
Licensing & application
| License must be displayed at the property | The STR license must be displayed visibly at the rental premises[1] |
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Taxes & fees
| City sales tax | The municipal sales tax rate is 4.0%, plus an additional 0.5% school tax, for a combined city rate of 4.5%, which applies on top of the accommodations and STR-specific taxes[3] |
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Operations & complaints
| One-hour complaint response requirement | The designated local responsible party must respond to any complaint about the property within one hour[1] |
|---|
Changes
Recent and pending changes
The City of Steamboat Springs' own Rules and Regulations webpage and Municipal Tax webpage are the primary official sources to monitor, along with Article IX of the city's Municode ordinances (Short-Term Rental Licensing) for the full legal text of zone boundaries, caps, and penalties. This research pass did not locate specific penalty amounts or a detailed fee schedule on the summary webpage, so those should be confirmed against the Municode ordinance text directly. Any change to zone boundaries, sub-zone caps, or the STR tax rate would be a high-impact update for subscribers watching this market.
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
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This page is general information compiled from official 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.