Critical Finding
See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.
Local guide
Boulder Short-Term Rental Laws
Boulder short-term rental laws: principal residence, 50% ownership, $215 new license, four-year term, $20 annual affidavit, local contacts, ads, and tax.
- 100+ U.S. cities
- Official sources
- Address used only for local rules
Compliance layers
A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.
Address Context
Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.
Required Approvals
Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.
Recommended Path
Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.
Decision rule
Boulder STR status: the answer first
Boulder allows short-term rentals of 29 days or fewer only at the owner’s principal residence. A new filing costs $215—$190 for the rental license plus a one-time $25 business license—and the owner must hold at least 50% of the property in an eligible ownership form.
The principal-residence requirement is substantive: the owner must live in the dwelling more than half the year, and a renter cannot operate even with landlord permission. LLCs, corporations, and limited partnerships do not qualify as owners for this license.
A Boulder short-term rental is a property rented for 29 days or fewer at a time. It must be the owner’s principal residence and may carry only one rental-license type at a time.
Principal-residence license required before advertising
The property may be advertised only after Boulder issues the RHL number; every advertisement must show that number and the maximum allowed unrelated occupancy.
Warning
The Boulder rules that change the decision
These facts determine whether the address qualifies, what the owner pays, and which work must happen before a listing can go live.
- Principal residence only
- Owner lives there more than one-half of the yearTenant-run STRs are illegal even when a landlord consents.
- Ownership gate
- Natural person, trust, or nonprofit with at least 50% ownershipAn LLC, corporation, or limited partnership cannot qualify for this STR license.
- $215 new filing
- $190 rental license + $25 one-time business licenseA renewal filing is currently $190.
- Four-year license plus annual affidavit
- $20 affidavit by the issuance anniversaryMissing the principal-residency affidavit causes revocation; it is skipped in the four-year renewal year.
- No routine inspection
- Owner self-certifies smoke, CO, and other required safety equipmentThe absence of a pre-license inspection does not eliminate property-maintenance duties.
Address and property eligibility in Boulder
Complete these gates before buying services, paying a non-refundable charge, or copying a prior owner’s setup.
Boulder eligibility gate 1
Confirm the property is inside Boulder city limits and is the applicant’s actual principal residence for more than half the year.
RequiredBoulder eligibility gate 2
Match the applicant name to the deed and confirm an eligible natural-person, trust, or nonprofit ownership form with at least a 50% interest.
RequiredBoulder eligibility gate 3
Exclude permanently affordable units and resolve any multifamily map or long-term-application requirements.
RequiredBoulder eligibility gate 4
Do not use an ADU for new STR operation unless both the ADU and STR license were legally established before January 3, 2019.
RequiredBoulder eligibility gate 5
Check HOA covenants and current unrelated-occupancy limits before filing.
Required
Approvals and records that must agree
Boulder compliance is a stack of separate records. Keep the legal owner, address, rentable space, dates, and contacts consistent across all of them.
- Principal-residence evidence
- Colorado driver’s license or ID must show the property address and the code definition must be met.
- Ownership evidence
- Match deed name and at least 50% ownership to an eligible owner type.
- Local contacts
- Provide two contacts, in addition to the applicant, who are within 60 minutes of the property.
- Boulder RHL and business license
- Submit online or by mail and pay $215 for a new application.
- Tax and annual affidavit
- Set up Boulder accommodation tax and file the $20 principal-residence affidavit each applicable anniversary.
A workable Boulder compliance sequence
Boulder’s application is won or lost on three aligned records: the home must be the actual principal residence, title must show an eligible owner with at least 50%, and the applicant must supply two additional contacts within 60 minutes. The $215 payment comes after those gates, not before them.
Test principal residence and title together
Compare ID address, deed owner, ownership percentage, entity type, and actual occupancy before preparing a filing.
Screen property exclusions
Check affordable status, ADU history, multifamily requirements, HOA rules, and the current unrelated-occupancy limit.
Build the contact and safety record
Name two additional contacts within 60 minutes and document the smoke, carbon-monoxide, and other self-certified safety features.
Submit the $215 application
Use the official online form for fastest processing, watch for the city email within two weeks, and pay through the customer portal when instructed.
Wait for the RHL number before advertising
After issuance, add the RHL and maximum unrelated occupancy to every advertisement and activate tax and annual-affidavit calendars.
Tax and marketplace handling for Boulder
A permit, tax account, platform collection, and filed return are different records. Reconcile them at booking level.
Boulder directs operators to the Boulder Online Tax System for accommodations tax and describes quarterly accommodations-tax and annual sales/use-tax workflows. Separately review Colorado rooms-and-accommodations rules. A platform’s collection record should be reconciled to the city return rather than treated as evidence that the RHL or annual affidavit is complete.
Collection does not prove filing or land-use authority
Keep a dated record of who collected each tax, who filed each return, and which official account covers the exact Boulder property.
Warning
Operating controls and enforcement exposure
Translate the approval into repeatable listing, guest, contact, physical-property, tax, and renewal controls.
Advertising without an issued RHL, losing principal-residence status, missing the annual affidavit, operating under an ineligible owner, or switching to an unapproved license type can invalidate or revoke the license. A sale also ends the existing STR license.
Boulder operating control 1
Put the Boulder RHL number and maximum allowed unrelated occupancy in every advertisement.
RequiredBoulder operating control 2
Continue using the home as the owner’s principal residence and preserve supporting address evidence between renewals.
RequiredBoulder operating control 3
Submit the $20 annual affidavit by each applicable issuance anniversary; do not wait for the four-year license renewal.
RequiredBoulder operating control 4
Maintain both additional local contacts within 60 minutes and update the city when the response network changes.
RequiredBoulder operating control 5
Keep smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms and other self-certified safety equipment functional even though routine pre-license inspection is not required.
Required
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start a new short-term rental at any Boulder address?
For a Boulder property, The property may be advertised only after Boulder issues the RHL number; every advertisement must show that number and the maximum allowed unrelated occupancy. Confirm the property is inside Boulder city limits and is the applicant’s actual principal residence for more than half the year.
What is the first Boulder rule to check?
Confirm the property is inside Boulder city limits and is the applicant’s actual principal residence for more than half the year. Match the applicant name to the deed and confirm an eligible natural-person, trust, or nonprofit ownership form with at least a 50% interest.
What is the main Boulder government charge?
$215 new application; $190 renewal; $20 annual affidavit. Recheck the official fee source before payment because related tax, inspection, land-use, portal, or professional costs may be separate.
Does marketplace tax collection complete Boulder compliance?
No. Boulder directs operators to the Boulder Online Tax System for accommodations tax and describes quarterly accommodations-tax and annual sales/use-tax workflows. Separately review Colorado rooms-and-accommodations rules. A platform’s collection record should be reconciled to the city return rather than treated as evidence that the RHL or annual affidavit is complete.
When was this Boulder guide verified?
The Boulder official sources were rechecked on August 11, 2026. The next scheduled source review is 2026-11-09, or sooner after a city notice, fee change, ownership change, portal update, or enforcement action.