Englewood, CO Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Under EMC Title 5, Chapter 31, an applicant for a short-term rental license must submit a declarations page of insurance documenting at least $1,000,000 in personal liability coverage on the property used as an STR. The certificate of insurance is one of the mandatory application documents alongside the floor plan, parking plan, life-safety attestations, and proof of primary residency. The owner is required to maintain appropriate insurance for the STR throughout the license term, not just at issuance, and must update the city if coverage lapses or changes. The $1M minimum aligns with the host protection levels offered through major platform programs such as Airbnb's Host Liability Insurance and Vrbo's Liability Insurance, but Englewood does not treat platform-provided coverage as a substitute on its own - the operator must produce a declarations page from a primary or umbrella policy issued in the operator's name. The same chapter requires that the property carry a Sales and Use Tax License (currently $25 biennial) plus the STR license itself, and that licensed STRs comply with floor-plan-based safety items including a fire extinguisher, CO detection outside each sleeping area, and smoke detectors in each bedroom and hallway giving access to sleeping areas. Insurance is verified at initial licensing and again at the annual inspection that precedes license renewal.