Vail, CO short-term rental license
A Vail license covers one unit and ends when title passes to a new owner. Its local representative stays within 60 minutes of the rental, with 60 minutes to fix a complaint. Past 11:00 p.m., that deadline shrinks to 30 minutes, and it holds until 7:00 a.m.[7]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Vail?
Get a license first
What you apply for: Short-term rental (STR) license
- Seasonal homes
- 3,465
- Housing units
- 6,787
- Residents
- 4,613
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City fee$260
- Tax on each stay10.8%
- Seasonal homes511 per 1,000
Vail short-term rental license
Vail requires an approved STR license for every property rented short term within the town boundary. The town offers three versions: individual property owners, professional property managers and on-site 24/7 front desk managed. Owners and managers pay a $260 fee, while front desk properties pay $50. Each application needs liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 that covers STR activity. Coverage through Airbnb, Vrbo or Evolve can be declared by affidavit instead. Owner and manager applications add a notarized self-compliance affidavit, plus a passed fire inspection. Current licenses expire February 28, 2027.[3]
What Vail asks of you
The town's FAQ says no current Vail regulation limits where a short-term rental can be located.[4]
Deed-restricted employee housing units cannot be offered as short-term rentals.[4]
A first application is due at least 30 days before the rental is advertised. Renewals are due by January 31.[7]
Each license expires on February 28, or sooner if title transfers to a new owner.[7]
A unit in a duplex needs proof that the adjoining owner was mailed a notice. That letter goes out at least seven days before the application.[7]
Accepted coverage includes property liability insurance, commercial liability insurance or an endorsement to a homeowner's policy.[7]
The fire department inspects each rental before licensing and every three years after that. Buildings with on-site management at all times are exempt.[7]
Missing a scheduled inspection, or canceling within 24 hours of it, costs $115 before a new date is set.[7]
A sign inside the rental shows the license number, the local representative's contact and the address.[7]
A second sign, visible to passersby from outside, gives that contact plus the town's complaint hotline.[7]
Every advertisement must give the STR license number right after the description of the property.[7]
The town's FAQ calls the same figure the Town of Vail Short-Term Rental Registration Number.[4]
Portable outdoor fireplaces are banned. Guests park only in designated parking areas, never on landscaping.[7]
Vail's Good Neighbor Guidelines single out the hours after 11:00 p.m. for keeping noise down.[5]
Bins may be set out from 6:00 a.m. on collection day. They go back to their designated spot by 7:00 p.m.[5]
A first civil violation within any 12-month period costs $1,500 per rental. A second one costs $2,650.[7]
A third violation within 12 months brings a three-year suspension, whoever owns the property.[7]
The town can also revoke a license after 14 days' written notice and a chance to be heard.[7]
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 Vail
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[6] | 2.9% | The state revenue department |
| Eagle County sales tax[6] | 1% | The state revenue department |
| Eagle County transportation sales tax[6] | 0.5% | The state revenue department |
| Regional Transportation Authority sales tax[6] | 0.5% | The state revenue department |
| Town of Vail sales tax[6] | 4.5% | The city |
| Vail Local Marketing District lodging tax[6] | 1.4% | The state revenue department |
| Total on a taxable stay | 10.8% |
The town's FAQ says online marketplaces such as Airbnb have collected and remitted sales tax since October 1, 2020. Hosts who take bookings directly remit it themselves.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Vail is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 3,465 of Vail's 6,787 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 511 out of every 1,000. It ranks Vail 7th of the 21 Colorado cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 7th of 21
- Share of housing
- 511 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $1,400,700
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Vail 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 rulesFraser, CO
Permit required
731 seasonal homes, 499 per 1,000 housing units.
Fraser short-term rental rulesMount Crested Butte, CO
License required
918 seasonal homes, 573 per 1,000 housing units.
Mount Crested Butte short-term rental rulesFAQ
Vail short-term rental questions
How much does a Vail STR license cost?
Do I need a local representative for a Vail rental?
Where are Vail rental taxes paid?
Can I rent a deed-restricted unit short term in Vail?
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 Rentals In Vail, Town of Vail, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term Rental FAQs, Town of Vail, read on October 1, 2026
- Good Neighbor Guidelines, Town of Vail, read on October 1, 2026
- Sales Tax, Town of Vail, read on October 1, 2026
- Town Code, Title 4, Chapter 14, Short-Term Rentals, Town of Vail, 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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