Where short-term rentals are allowed in Steamboat Springs, CO
In Steamboat Springs, the six Zone B subzones share 82 restricted licenses, from 5 in Sunlight to 20 in Fairway/Clubhouse. A freed license goes to the first owner on that subzone's waiting list, who has 30 days to apply. Hosted and Temporary licenses carry no cap in any zone.[9]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Steamboat Springs?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Short-Term Rental License
- Seasonal homes
- 3,224
- Housing units
- 10,942
- Residents
- 13,433
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City fee$350
- Tax on each stay20.4%
- Seasonal homes295 per 1,000
Steamboat Springs short-term rental license
Steamboat Springs makes it unlawful to advertise or operate a short-term rental without a city license. The licensing and renewal fee is $350. There are three types. A Hosted license covers one guestroom of up to 400 square feet while you are present. A Temporary license lets a primary residence rent twice a year, for 30 cumulative days at most. Every other short-term rental needs the standard license. Applications go through the CityView Portal. Accessory dwelling units can never be used as short-term rentals.[3]
What Steamboat Springs asks of you
Zone A puts no limit on licenses. New short-term rentals are prohibited in Zone C.[4]
In Zone C, a standard license goes only to a registered legal nonconforming rental or a permitted vacation home rental.[9]
The code adds a temporary waiver set out in Ordinance No. 3024, adopted September 16, 2025, for Zones B and C.[9]
Legal nonconforming status lapses after 12 consecutive months without a short-term stay. While it lasts, it transfers with a sale.[7]
The city held a lottery for two Sunlight licenses in February 2024. Five Clubhouse licenses followed in August 2024.[6]
Lottery entrants form the subzone's waiting list, which the city keeps for one year.[6]
Zone A developments with a staffed 24-hour front desk can apply for an exemption from licensing.[3]
Occupancy is one person per 150 square feet of net floor area. The floor is two occupants, the ceiling 16.[9]
Outdoor gatherings may reach twice the permitted occupancy.[9]
No more than six vehicles park overnight outside a garage, on an all-weather surface. None may stay in a public right-of-way.[9]
The application includes a parking and snow storage plan.[9]
A local responsible party responds to any complaint within one hour of being notified.[9]
A posted notice inside gives that person's 24-hour contact, the occupant limit and the vehicle limit.[9]
Camping and outdoor sleeping are banned while the home is rented short term. So is staying in a camper or recreational vehicle.[9]
Every advertisement must clearly display the current license number. The ban also reaches anyone providing advertising services to the owner.[9]
A license lasts one year from issuance. The renewal application is filed at least 30 days before expiration.[9]
A renewal filed after expiration is denied. In a capped subzone, the owner then goes back to the waiting list.[9]
Licenses do not transfer with a sale. The buyer applies for a new license in their own name before operating.[5]
An unlicensed operator faces up to $2,650 per violation per day in municipal court. After a conviction, the property cannot be licensed for two years.[9]
In Zone A, an unlicensed owner first gets a written notice with 15 days to cure.[9]
For a licensee, a first offense within two years can mean a warning, a civil penalty or a suspension of 14 to 60 days.[9]
A third offense within one year leads to a recommendation to revoke the license.[9]
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 Steamboat Springs
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[8] | 2.9% | The state revenue department |
| Routt County sales tax[8] | 1% | The state revenue department |
| Steamboat Springs sales tax[8] | 4.5% | The city |
| Steamboat Springs accommodations tax[8] | 1% | The city |
| Steamboat Springs short-term rental tax[8] | 9% | The city |
| Local Marketing District accommodations tax (inside the district)[8] | 2% | The state revenue department |
| Total on a taxable stay | 20.4% |
The city collects its own sales tax as a home rule municipality. It puts the combined rate on a short-term rental stay at 18.4%, or 20.4% inside the Local Marketing District.[8]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Steamboat Springs is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 3,224 of Steamboat Springs's 10,942 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 295 out of every 1,000. It ranks Steamboat Springs 13th of the 21 Colorado cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 13th of 21
- Share of housing
- 295 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $981,800
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Steamboat Springs sits among its neighbors
Denver, CO
Primary residence only
Only in your primary residence, with a Denver license. You can be away during stays, with a local responsible party in Denver.
Denver short-term rental rulesFort Collins, CO
Allowed by zone
371 seasonal homes, 5 per 1,000 housing units.
Fort Collins short-term rental rulesTelluride, CO
Capped
559 seasonal homes, 296 per 1,000 housing units.
Telluride short-term rental rulesMountain Village, CO
License required
603 seasonal homes, 268 per 1,000 housing units.
Mountain Village short-term rental rulesFAQ
Steamboat Springs short-term rental questions
When did Steamboat Springs add its short-term rental tax?
Can I get a short-term rental license in Steamboat's Zone C?
What counts as a primary residence for a Steamboat Springs Temporary license?
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
- Licensing, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Rules and Regulations, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions, Short-Term Rentals, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- STR Lotteries, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Legal Nonconforming Registration, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Municipal Tax, City of Steamboat Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 12, Article IX, Short-Term Rental Licensing, City of Steamboat Springs, 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.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.