Mesa County, CO Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC Section 6.02 BB.3
- Method
- Set at Site Plan Review, not a fixed number
- Based on
- Bedroom count and parking spaces
- Linked standard
- 1 parking space per sleeping room + 1 (BB.6)
- Enforcing agency
- Mesa County Planning Department
Summary
Mesa County does not set one fixed guest-count ceiling for vacation rentals. Instead, the Land Development Code has the Planning Department calculate the maximum occupancy for each property individually during Site Plan Review, tying the number to bedrooms and available parking.
3. Maximum occupancy of a vacation rental shall be determined at the time of site plan approval based on the number of parking spaces and bedrooms.
Full Breakdown
" That means there is no countywide numeric cap printed in the code itself; the figure is set case by case as a condition of the site plan and becomes binding once approved. The calculation is not arbitrary: it is anchored to two measurable inputs the applicant must document in the site plan application, the bedroom count of the dwelling and the number of off-street parking spaces on the lot. 6, so the parking standard and the occupancy figure are linked and effectively set a practical ceiling before the county even reaches the bedroom count.
Because occupancy is fixed at approval, an owner who wants to raise the guest limit later, for example by finishing a basement bedroom, must go back through Site Plan Review rather than simply advertising a higher number online. 5, which requires bathing and sanitary facilities to be available to guests without undue restriction, reinforcing that occupancy is meant to reflect the home's actual livable capacity, not just its footprint.
Violations & Fines
Advertising or hosting more guests than the number fixed in the approved site plan is a standards violation under Section 6.02 BB.11, and repeated or unresolved noncompliance can lead the Planning Director to revoke the site plan approval, which ends the vacation rental use entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a set maximum number of guests for Mesa County vacation rentals?
Can I just decide my own occupancy limit as the owner?
What happens if I add a bedroom after approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa County
Compare Mesa County to another location·View the Colorado short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.