City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Buena Vista, CO
How Buena Vista 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.
- In-force emergency moratorium on all new and renewal short-term rental license applications (Ord. No. 1, Series 2026, effective 2026-01-13 through 2026-09-30 unless extended)
- Hard numeric citywide caps on STR licenses — 30 for Chaffee County residents' non-primary structures, 119 for non-residents of Chaffee County
- Residential-zone exclusion for new out-of-county licenses — no new out-of-county STR licenses may issue in the R-1 or R-1 OT zoning districts
- Two-year same-ownership hold required before a non-resident of Chaffee County may be issued a license
Based on: Buena Vista Municipal Code Ch. 6, Art. VII (§§6-121–6-130), codified through Ord. 26 (2022) and Ord. 18 (2024), Supp.
Summary of the rule
Sec. 6-125(e): 'Residents of Chaffee County may apply for a license per addressed structure for a short-term rental which is not eligible as their primary residence... The number of licenses which may be held by residents of Chaffee County shall not exceed thirty (30).' Sec. 6-125(f): 'Non-residents of Chaffee County may apply for a license per addressed structure for a short-term rental. The number of licenses which may be held by non-residents of Chaffee County shall not exceed 119.'
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 16, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Buena Vista · 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.