City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Boulder, CO
How Boulder regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Primary-residence-only requirement forecloses absentee whole-home STR
- Non-owner-occupied whole-home STR is expressly an illegal use citywide
- License name must match the deed; owner must be a natural person, trust, or nonprofit
- Sworn principal-residence statement plus CO driver's license/ID proof required
- No statewide preemption — home-rule city retains full authority
Based on: Boulder Revised Code Title 10, Chapter 3 (Rental Licenses), §§10-3-18 / 10-3-19 (short-term rental license)
Summary of the rule
The rental property must be the owner's principal residence; principal residence is defined as the dwelling unit in which a person resides for more than one-half of the year.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Boulder · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.