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

Manitou Springs administers short-term rentals through a city permit reviewed by the Planning Department under Title 18 of the Municipal Code. The published STR materials list proof of insurance among the permit application items, but the City's online operations page does not state a specific liability minimum. Hosts must confirm the current insurance figure with the Planning Department at (719) 685-5481 rather than rely on third-party blogs. Colorado has no statewide STR liability insurance mandate, so the requirement is set entirely at the local level (this differs from the state-run STR registry under HB23-1287, which standardized listing identifiers but did not impose insurance minimums). Most short-term rental carriers active in Colorado mountain markets, including Proper Insurance and CBIZ, write commercial general liability at $500,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, and many platforms (Airbnb AirCover, Vrbo Liability Insurance) offer host-protection programs that act as supplemental coverage only. Standard Colorado homeowner policies frequently exclude or restrict transient occupancy, so hosts should confirm in writing that their carrier covers paid short-term stays before relying on an existing HO-3 policy. Permits are valid for one year, so the certificate must be in force at issuance and at each annual renewal.