City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Idaho Springs, CO
How Idaho Springs 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 (whole-home absentee STR barred)
- hard citywide cap of 15 STR licenses
- STR permit required with pre-issuance inspection
- non-transferable license, one primary residence per applicant
Based on: Idaho Springs Municipal Code — Short Term Rentals (Ord. Series 2018, adopting new Article XIV of Ch. 9 'Short Term
Summary of the rule
Verbatim codified §21-33(D): 'Short term rental means a primary residence or portion thereof used for lodging accommodations for transients for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive days per transient renter.' §21-33(I) Unlawful acts (2): 'Operate a short term rental in any location other than the person's primary residence.' §21-33(D) Primary residence definition: 'An applicant for a license under this Article may have only one (1) primary residence for purposes of this Article.' §21-33(E)(1)(f) requires proof of primary residence at the licensed premises (driver's license/ID + voter/vehicle registration + income-tax primary-residence designation).
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 16, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Idaho Springs · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Idaho Springs
Following Idaho Springs adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
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.