Englewood, CO Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Englewood's short-term rental program in Title 5, Chapter 31 of the Englewood Municipal Code (EMC) establishes specific occupancy ceilings for licensed STRs. The formula is two adults per bedroom plus two additional persons, with a hard cap of eight total occupants no matter how many bedrooms a unit contains - so a one-bedroom STR may host up to four, a two-bedroom up to six, and any STR with three or more bedrooms is still limited to eight. The same chapter prohibits operating an STR under more than two simultaneous rental contracts at any given time, which prevents fractional or shared bookings that would push effective occupancy above the cap. In residential zone districts (R-1-A through MU-R-3-C), the operator must also be the primary resident of the property and live there at least 185 days per year, defined as the owner's usual place of return and the home address designated on the owner's U.S. tax return. Floor plans submitted with the STR license application must show all sleeping areas, points of egress, and compliant basement egress windows so the city can verify the bedroom count used for occupancy. Englewood's STR rules align with the framework reinforced by Colorado HB23-1287, which clarified municipal authority to license short-term rentals.