Fort Collins, CO Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Section 15-644(a)(7), for short term primary rentals, and § 15-644(b)(7), for short term non-primary rentals, both require the applicant to identify one or more persons who will be available to respond within four hours, at all times the dwelling unit is rented, to any issue raised by the renter or by the City. That designated person must have access to the dwelling and authority to make decisions about it, so a host cannot name someone who cannot actually get into the property or act on the City's behalf.

Section 15-648(6) turns that application-stage promise into an ongoing license condition: the person or persons named under § 15-644(a)(7) or (b)(7) must remain available throughout the rental, respond within four hours and in person if necessary, and the licensee must give both the renter and the City a current phone number for that contact. There's no exception for owner-occupied primary rentals: the same four-hour standard applies whether the host is living in the unit or renting out an entire non-primary property. The rule works alongside the City's building and fire safety conditions in § 15-644(a)(4), giving the City a live point of contact to resolve noise, parking, or safety complaints without waiting for the property owner to check email or return from out of town.