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

The Longmont STR program (adopted in 2019 and refined through subsequent City Council amendments) imposes a minimum liability insurance requirement of $1,000,000 per STR. The city accepts three structural forms for the required coverage: (1) a property liability insurance policy carrying at least $1,000,000 in liability limits and naming the STR address; (2) a commercial liability insurance policy of at least $1,000,000 in limits issued by a carrier writing short-term rental commercial business in Colorado; or (3) an endorsement of the operator's homeowner's policy that specifically covers the short-term rental activity at the licensed address and carries at least $1,000,000 in liability limits. Because the typical homeowner's policy contains a business-activity exclusion that voids coverage for paid short-term rental events, simply maintaining the existing homeowner's policy is usually not sufficient; operators must either secure the business-activity endorsement (sometimes called a 'home-sharing' endorsement) from their existing carrier or move the property to a dedicated commercial STR policy. Proof of qualifying coverage (a Certificate of Insurance, declarations page, or written endorsement) is part of the STR license application materials submitted through Accela Citizen Access (ACA) and must be maintained current throughout the license term, with renewed proof submitted at each annual renewal. Platform-provided host protection programs (Airbnb's AirCover, VRBO's liability insurance) are typically considered supplemental and are not, on their own, treated as satisfying the city's $1,000,000 primary-coverage requirement; operators relying on platform coverage as a sole insurance source should confirm acceptability with the city before that strategy.