Aurora, CO Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual cap
- 180 days per 365-day period
- ADU exception
- Exempt if owner occupies main home
- Booking-provider penalty
- $1,000 per violation per day
- Also required
- Business license and lodger's license
- Governing provision
- Aurora City Code § 26-219(d)
Summary
Aurora, Colorado caps short-term rentals of an entire home at 180 days per year under Sec. 26-219(d) of the City Code, with an exception for owner-occupied accessory dwelling units.
(d) It shall be unlawful to operate a short-term rental of an entire dwelling for longer than 180 days in any 365-day period. (1) Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to accessory dwelling units when the property owner lives in the primary structure on the property.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora City Code § 26-219(d) makes it unlawful to operate a short-term rental of an entire dwelling for more than 180 days in any 365-day period. The cap doesn't apply to an accessory dwelling unit rented short-term while the property owner lives in the primary structure on the property: a carve-out for owner-occupied ADUs. Every short-term rental also needs a city business license and lodger's license, and the operator must use the property as a primary residence under § 26-219(a). The Code is current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed May 18, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Operating an entire-dwelling short-term rental past 180 days in a 365-day period violates § 26-219(d); a booking service provider that knowingly takes payment for an unlicensed or over-cap rental faces a $1,000-per-violation, per-day civil penalty under § 26-219(g).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my entire Aurora home short-term year-round?
Does the 180-day cap apply to a rented accessory dwelling unit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado short-term rentals overview
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