Denver, CO Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Effective date
- February 1, 2020
- Liability standard
- Strict liability, no intent required
- Penalty
- $1,000 per violation per day
- Enforcing agency
- Denver Dept. of Excise and Licenses
- Records required
- 5 years of booking transaction data
Summary
Denver makes it unlawful for booking service providers like Airbnb or Vrbo to accept payment for an unlicensed short-term rental: a strict-liability offense that applies even without proof of knowledge or intent.
(f) Unlawful transactions. On and after February 1, 2020, it shall be unlawful for any booking service provider to receive payment, directly or indirectly, for an unlicensed short-term rental located in the City and County of Denver. The provisions of this subsection (f) are entirely strict liability in nature. ... (h) Penalty. ... a booking service provider who violates subsection (f) or (g) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per violation per day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Since February 1, 2020, Denver Revised Municipal Code § 33-49(f) bars any booking service provider from receiving payment, directly or indirectly, for an unlicensed short-term rental in the City and County of Denver, and the code specifies the ban is 'entirely strict liability in nature': the platform's lack of knowledge or intent is not a defense. Booking service providers must also retain five years of transaction records under § 33-55, covering each host's name, rental address, booking dates, price paid, and license number. Both the payment ban and the recordkeeping duty are enforced by the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.
Violations & Fines
Accepting payment for an unlicensed listing, or failing to keep the required five years of booking records, draws a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day under D.R.M.C. § 33-49(h).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a booking platform be liable even if it didn't know a listing was unlicensed?
What host data must platforms like Airbnb keep for Denver rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
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