Denver is a primary residence market. You can host on Airbnb in the city, but only in the home you actually live in, which means most local hosts are renting a spare room, a basement suite, a garden level unit or an accessory dwelling, or the whole place while they travel. That shapes what kind of cleaning and co-host help works here.
As of 2026, a short-term rental in the City and County of Denver must be the host's primary residence, and hosts need a city short-term rental business license plus a Lodger's Tax license. The city can look at things like voter registration, vehicle registration and tax returns to confirm residency, and visiting only to clean between guests does not count. Your license number must appear on every listing and advertisement. A short-term rental here is a stay of fewer than 30 days.
Denver charges a 10.75% Lodger's Tax on short-term stays, applied to the full price including fees, and state and special district sales taxes may apply on top. Airbnb collects Denver's Lodger's Tax on its bookings, but the city stresses that platforms may not collect every applicable tax, so you still need to keep your tax account active and file any returns the city requires. Rules and rates change, so confirm with Denver Excise and Licenses and the Department of Finance before you list.
No Denver-specific turnover price survey is published that we could verify. As a national reference point, HomeGuide's 2026 figures put a one-bedroom turnover around $50 to $100 and a two-bedroom around $100 to $150, which matches the smaller units common here. Local factors to price in: snow and mud season mean more floor and entryway cleaning, dry air and dust from the Front Range, street parking and permit zones in older neighborhoods, and whether laundry is done on site or taken offsite. Because the owner usually lives in the building, many hosts book cleaners for a set weekly slot plus on-call turnovers.
Summer is Denver's peak, from late May through September, driven by concerts at Red Rocks, baseball, conventions and mountain trips. Winter is steadier than many cities thanks to ski travelers passing through, but weekday demand drops. Big convention and event weekends can create same-day turnovers, so ask your cleaner how they handle back-to-back stays.
No. As of 2026, Denver only licenses short-term rentals at the host's primary residence. A home you do not live in cannot be rented for stays under 30 days.
Airbnb collects the 10.75% Lodger's Tax on its bookings, but you still need your own tax license and should file for any direct or other-platform bookings.
Often yes, as long as the property is your primary residence and the unit meets zoning and building rules. Check with the city before listing.
Sources:
Part of the same family as WelcomeScreen and Valdra