Colorado Springs, CO Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum liability coverage
- $500,000 property liability insurance
- Alternative
- Equal hosting-platform coverage accepted
- Duration
- Required at all times, not just application
- Proof required with
- STR Permit application, § 7.5.510.C.1.d
- Reviewer discretion
- Manager decides if platform terms acceptable
Summary
Colorado Springs requires every Short Term Rental owner to carry at least $500,000 in property liability insurance under City Code § 7.3.301.C.3.e, or to show that a hosting platform such as Airbnb or Vrbo already extends equal or greater coverage. The rule applies at permit application and at all times the rental operates.
The owner shall maintain and provide proof of property liability insurance in the amount of not less than $500,000 or provide proof that property liability coverage in an equal or higher amount is provided by any and all hosting platforms through which the owner will rent the Short Term Rental. Proof of liability insurance is not required if Short Term Rental reservations are handled exclusively by hosting platforms (websites) that extend liability coverage of not less than $500,000 under terms acceptable to the Manager.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3 opens by stating that its General Standards and Review Criteria 'must be met at the time of permit application and at all times thereafter,' so the $500,000 insurance floor in Subsection e is not a one-time application checkbox: it is a continuing condition of holding a Short Term Rental Permit. An owner satisfies the standard in one of two ways: by personally maintaining property liability insurance of not less than $500,000, or by relying on liability coverage of an equal or higher amount provided by any and all hosting platforms through which the unit is booked.
If reservations are handled exclusively through platforms whose terms extend at least $500,000 of liability coverage acceptable to the Manager, the owner does not need to submit separate proof of a personal policy. 2. The Manager has discretion to decide whether a particular platform's terms are 'acceptable' for satisfying the coverage requirement, which means an owner relying solely on platform coverage should confirm the platform's certificate or policy language meets that threshold before listing the property, rather than assuming enrollment alone is sufficient.
Violations & Fines
A Short Term Rental Permit application missing proof of the required $500,000 liability coverage, or an owner who lets that coverage lapse after approval, is out of compliance with a standard the Manager must find met 'at all times thereafter' under § 7.3.301.C.3. That failure supports permit denial at application or, for an operating rental, can be treated as a permit-eligibility violation subject to enforcement and nonrenewal under the Short Term Rental Permit process in § 7.5.510.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much liability insurance does a Colorado Springs STR need?
Can Airbnb's host guarantee substitute for a personal insurance policy?
Is the insurance requirement only checked once, when the permit is issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
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