Host Presence Rule: Boulder vs Longmont
How do host presence rule rules compare between Boulder, CO and Longmont, CO?
Boulder and Longmont have similar restriction levels.
Boulder, CO
Boulder County
Boulder allows whole-home short-term rentals only when the host's primary residence is licensed. Hosted (occupied) rentals where the owner remains present are permitted year-round under standard licensing conditions and BRC 6-3-7 rules.
View full Boulder rules →Longmont, CO
Boulder County
Longmont allows two STR configurations. Whole-dwelling STRs may be operated unhosted by a Longmont resident owner (the resident may rent the entire dwelling to one group at a time without being present), subject to all other STR rules. Room-by-room STRs - renting individual rooms within an owner-occupied dwelling - are allowed only when the owner, agent, or property manager resides and is present at the dwelling during the rental period. There is no across-the-board owner-on-site requirement for every STR night, but room rentals categorically require hosted operation.
View full Longmont rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Boulder | Longmont |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted rental cap | No annual limit | - |
| Whole-home cap | Limited days | - |
| Manager substitute | Not allowed | - |
| Code section | BRC 6-3-7 | - |
| Whole-Dwelling Host Presence | - | Not required; unhosted allowed for resident owners |
| Room-by-Room Host Presence | - | Required - owner, agent, or property manager must reside and be present |
| One-Group Rule | - | Whole-dwelling rentals limited to one group at a time |
| Eligible Operators | - | City of Longmont residents only |
| Investment-Dwelling Cap | - | 1 per resident (in addition to primary residence) |
| ADU as STR | - | Generally prohibited (PUD exception with site plan) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Boulder FAQ
What counts as a hosted rental?
A hosted rental means the licensed primary resident remains on-site during the guest stay, sharing the home or an adjacent dwelling unit on the same property.
Can I hire a manager to live there instead?
No. Boulder's STR license requires the property owner or named licensee to occupy as primary residence; hired managers do not satisfy residency requirements.
Longmont FAQ
Do I have to be on-site when guests stay at my Longmont STR?
It depends on the model. For a whole-dwelling STR (renting the entire unit to one group at a time), Longmont does not require the host to be on-site - a resident owner may operate the STR unhosted. For a room-by-room STR (renting individual bedrooms within an owner-occupied dwelling), the owner, agent, or property manager must reside and be present at the dwelling during the rental. The room-by-room model is categorically a hosted operation.
Can I hire a property manager so I don't have to be home when I rent rooms?
Yes, but the property manager must actually reside and be present at the dwelling during the room-by-room rental. Longmont's rule allows an 'owner, agent, or property manager' to satisfy the on-site presence requirement, which accommodates situations where the owner is temporarily away. Designating an absentee property manager who is not on-site during the rental is a categorical violation of the STR license and a material misrepresentation.
Can a corporate owner or LLC operate STRs in Longmont without being on-site?
Generally no, even for whole-dwelling rentals. Longmont's STR program restricts licenses to City of Longmont residents only, and only someone with at least 50% ownership of the dwelling (or their authorized representative) may apply. Absentee corporate or out-of-city ownership models are categorically ineligible. Resident owners may operate whole-dwelling STRs unhosted, but the resident-eligibility filter prevents the kind of absentee corporate portfolio operation that exists in some other markets.
Compare other topics
See how Boulder and Longmont compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool