Silverthorne, CO short-term rental limits
The neighborhood sets the odds in Silverthorne. Licenses stop at 10% of homes in Area 1 and 50% in Area 2, while Area 3 allows none. An owner-occupied rental is exempt from both caps.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Silverthorne?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Short-term rental license
- Seasonal homes
- 757
- Housing units
- 2,945
- Residents
- 4,815
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City fee$150
- Tax on each stay16.375%
- Seasonal homes257 per 1,000
Silverthorne short-term rental license
In Silverthorne, a short-term rental license is needed before a home is rented for under 30 consecutive days. The fee scales with size, $150 for a studio up to $500 at six bedrooms. Licenses expire on November 30 and are renewed by December 31. After that date, the town adds a late fee of $25 a month. Each advertisement must show the license number. A sale ends the license, which can be neither transferred nor refunded.[3]
What Silverthorne asks of you
The code requires a short-term rental unit license for each property in town. Owners file the application a full 30 days before advertising or leasing the home.[4]
Area 1 covers most neighborhoods. Area 2 is the Town Core and Riverfront, while Area 3 holds the deed-restricted neighborhoods.[3]
Once a zone reaches its cap, new applicants go on a waitlist. A license offer gives them 14 days to send a complete application.[4]
In a full zone, the town may ask for proof of minimum use. It means confirmed bookings and tax payments for a minimum number of nights over twelve months. The code itself sets no figure for those nights.[4]
A rental exempt from the caps as owner-occupied proves that status when applying. The proof is repeated at every renewal.[4]
In a duplex, the owner of the adjoining unit receives written notice seven days before the application is filed.[3]
Fees are fixed whatever the date of application or issue, with no proration.[3]
Section 1-7-54 says a license expires on November 30 of the year after its first issuance.[4]
Section 1-7-57 says a license expires on November 30 of each calendar year.[4]
A renewal not completed by December 31 ends the license administratively. The owner then reapplies, through the waitlist if the zone is full.[4]
No more than two persons per bedroom plus two may stay at once. Bedrooms are counted from the Summit County Assessor's data.[4]
Advertising describes the property with its occupancy and the town license number.[4]
The responsible agent may be the owner. Complaints must be resolved within 60 minutes of notice, with a visit to the site if needed.[4]
The deadline shrinks to 30 minutes overnight. That window opens at 10:00 p.m. and closes at 7:00 a.m.[4]
Vehicles stay on the property, off lawns and landscaped areas. Neither the street nor the right-of-way is allowed.[4]
A vehicle built for 16 passengers or more may not park at a rental.[4]
Trash containers go out no earlier than 6:00 a.m. on pickup day. They return indoors by 7:00 p.m.[3]
The Good Neighbor Guidelines ask guests to respect the neighbors' quiet, especially after 11 p.m.[3]
Portable outdoor fireplaces are prohibited at short-term rentals.[4]
Three formal written complaints within twelve months can cost the license. The property then waits at least two years before a new application, unless sold to an unaffiliated party.[4]
Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.[4]
A conviction in municipal court can bring a fine or jail time, within the maximums state law allows.[5]
Appendix A of the code puts court fines at up to $2,650, with costs set by the judge.[6]
What Colorado asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
When guests book through a platform, it collects Colorado sales tax on the full amount charged. The platform also handles any county lodging tax and local marketing district tax.[1]
Lodging taxes a city sets stay outside the state's system, since the Department of Revenue administers none of them. Home-rule cities that run their own sales tax sit outside it too, so start with your city.[1]
Hosts who take direct bookings need a Colorado sales tax license and collect the 2.9% state rate themselves. The license is $16, prorated, with a $50 deposit returned once your state tax tops $50.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Silverthorne
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado state sales tax[7] | 2.9% | The state revenue department |
| Summit County sales tax[7] | 2% | The state revenue department |
| Summit County transit tax[7] | 0.75% | The state revenue department |
| Summit Combined Housing Authority tax[7] | 0.725% | The state revenue department |
| Silverthorne sales tax[7] | 2% | The city |
| Silverthorne lodging tax[7] | 8% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 16.375% |
Silverthorne collects its own 2% sales tax, and the 8% lodging tax is remitted directly to the town. The Colorado Department of Revenue collects the state and county layers.[7]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Silverthorne is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 757 of Silverthorne's 2,945 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 257 out of every 1,000. It ranks Silverthorne 15th of the 21 Colorado cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 15th of 21
- Share of housing
- 257 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $700,800
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Silverthorne sits among its neighbors
Summit County, CO
Permit required
Unincorporated areas only. Type II licenses are capped by basin, with waitlists in three basins.
Summit County short-term rental rulesBreckenridge, CO
Capped
4,406 seasonal homes, 559 per 1,000 housing units.
Breckenridge short-term rental rulesEstes Park, CO
Capped
991 seasonal homes, 251 per 1,000 housing units.
Estes Park short-term rental rulesFAQ
Silverthorne short-term rental questions
Can I rent short term in a deed-restricted Silverthorne neighborhood?
Do I have to hire a property manager in Silverthorne?
Does Silverthorne's ordinance apply outside the town limits?
Does Summit County's 2% lodging tax apply in Silverthorne?
Sources
- Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations (revised April 2026), Colorado Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
- Colorado Sales Tax Guide, Colorado Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Licenses, Town of Silverthorne, read on October 1, 2026
- Charter and Municipal Code, Chapter 1, Article VII, Division 3, Short-Term Rental Properties, Town of Silverthorne, read on October 1, 2026
- Charter and Municipal Code, Section 1-1-19, Violations and penalties, Town of Silverthorne, read on October 1, 2026
- Charter and Municipal Code, Appendix A, Fees, Rates and Charges, Town of Silverthorne, read on October 1, 2026
- Taxes and Fees, Town of Silverthorne, read on October 1, 2026
- Sales Tax, Short-Term Rental Sales Tax / Lodging Tax, Summit County, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
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