El Paso County requires short-term rental operators to carry liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Proof must be provided at permit application and each annual renewal. Standard homeowner policies typically exclude STR activity.
Under El Paso County Resolution 21-05, short-term rental permit applicants must maintain commercial general liability insurance with minimum coverage of $500,000 per occurrence covering bodily injury and property damage arising from rental activity. Proof of insurance (certificate of insurance naming El Paso County as additional insured or certificate holder) must be submitted with the initial permit application and at each annual renewal. Most standard homeowner policies (HO-3) exclude commercial rental activity and do not cover STR guest claims, so operators typically need a commercial STR endorsement, a dwelling fire policy with business rider, or dedicated STR insurance (Proper, Slice, CBIZ, Steadily). Platform-provided coverage (Airbnb's AirCover / Host Liability Insurance up to $1M, VRBO's Liability Insurance up to $1M) may satisfy the County requirement if it names the host and provides primary (not excess) coverage — operators should verify with their platform. Loss of insurance is grounds for immediate permit suspension.
Operating without required insurance: permit denial or revocation, $500-$1,000 fine. Lapsed coverage: 30-day cure period then suspension. Misrepresentation of coverage: permanent permit disqualification. Uninsured guest injury: personal liability for host.
El Paso County, CO
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