Eagle County, CO Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

JURISDICTIONAL OVERVIEW. Eagle County is a non-home-rule statutory county and contains the incorporated municipalities of Vail, Avon, Eagle, Gypsum, Basalt, Red Cliff, and Minturn, plus the unincorporated communities of Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, Arrowhead, Edwards, Eagle-Vail, Wolcott, and EagleVail. Each town operates its own STR licensing regime; Eagle County does not.

EAGLE COUNTY (UNINCORPORATED) — NO COUNTY STR LICENSE. Eagle County considered a draft STR ordinance (the 'Draft Short Term Rental Ordinance' page at eaglecounty.us) that would have imposed an annual registration of approximately $300 per unit, required a local contact for complaints/emergencies, and required compliance with health, safety, and on-site wastewater regulations. On May 13, 2025 the Board of Commissioners declined to adopt the ordinance. Commissioner Tom Boyd characterized neighborhood-by-neighborhood regulation through metro districts and HOAs as 'the correct solution to short-term rental regulation,' and the Board directed staff to continue collecting STR data instead of imposing licensing. As of the date of this entry, no Eagle County STR registration or permit is required for unincorporated parcels at the County level. Operators are still bound by their HOA covenants, metro district rules (notably the Beaver Creek Resort Company, Bachelor Gulch Village, Arrowhead Metropolitan District, and Eagle-Vail Metropolitan District), and fire-protection-district inspection requirements.

STATE AUTHORITY (HB23-1287). Colorado HB23-1287 was signed by Governor Polis on June 5, 2023 and took effect August 7, 2023. It expressly authorizes county boards of commissioners to license and regulate owners (and owners' agents) of 'lodging units' rented for fewer than 30 days, excluding hotel units. It also authorizes counties to require vacation rental services (online platforms) to (a) ensure listings include a license/permit number where applicable and (b) remove listings when the County notifies the platform that a license has been suspended/revoked, that the property has received a violation notice, or that the property is in an STR-prohibited area. HB23-1287 supplements the older HB20-1093 (effective September 14, 2020, codified at C.R.S. § 30-15-401(1)(s)(I)) which originally authorized counties to license and regulate STRs. Eagle County retains the LEGAL AUTHORITY under both statutes to license STRs but has chosen not to exercise it.

EAGLE COUNTY LODGING TAX — BALLOT ISSUE 1A (2022). On November 8, 2022 Eagle County voters approved Ballot Issue 1A, imposing a 2% county lodging excise tax. The 2% tax applies to short-term lodging within unincorporated Eagle County and within the Town of Gypsum only; it does NOT apply to lodging inside the Towns of Vail, Avon, Eagle, Basalt, Red Cliff, or Minturn (which collect their own local lodging/accommodations taxes). Per the Ballot Issue and statute, 10% of the new revenue is dedicated to advertising and marketing local tourism (as required by Colorado state law for lodging taxes), and 90% is dedicated to workforce housing and child care for the local workforce. The tax took effect January 1, 2023.

STATE-LEVEL TAX OBLIGATIONS. Under CRS Title 39 and Title 29, all STR operators in Eagle County (including unincorporated areas) must collect and remit Colorado state sales tax (currently 2.9%) on lodging stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days. Marketplace facilitators (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com) qualifying as 'accommodations intermediaries' under HB19-1240 must collect and remit state and state-administered local sales taxes on the host's behalf. Marketplace facilitators do NOT typically collect locally-administered taxes such as Vail's town-administered taxes, so direct hosts and self-managed listings remain responsible for those. Stays of 30 or more consecutive days to the same tenant are exempt from sales/lodging tax under Colorado law.

TOWN OF VAIL (separate regime — not Eagle County). Vail operates the largest STR license program in the County under STR Ordinance No. 20230207 (effective January 1, 2023). Three license types exist: (1) Individual Property Owners STR License — owner manages personally and designates a Local Representative; (2) Professional Property Managers STR License — manager available 24/7; (3) On-Site 24/7 Front Desk Managed STR License — for buildings with 24/7 front desk. Application requirements include a copy of the front and back of the Local Representative's driver's license showing physical address, a signed STR Local Representative and Owner Authorization Form, a notarized Self-Compliance Affidavit, an insurance policy with at least $1,000,000 in liability coverage that covers STR activity, a passed Certificate of Fire Inspection (must be scheduled at least 60 days in advance of planned start date), and a $260 STR Registration Fee. The Local Representative must be located within 60 minutes of the rental and available 24/7 to respond to complaints. Town of Vail STR licenses currently expire February 28, 2026. Operators must also hold a Town of Vail sales tax license. Contact: shorttermrentals@vailgov.com, 970-477-3515. Within Vail, STRs collect Colorado state sales tax (2.9%), Eagle County taxes, and the Town of Vail's local sales/accommodation taxes; Vail's local taxes are NOT remitted by marketplace facilitators on the host's behalf in all cases.

TOWN OF AVON (separate regime — not Eagle County). Avon's STR program operates inside its Short-Term Rental Overlay (STRO) District established under Ordinance No. 09-12 (Series of 2009) and codified in the Avon Municipal Code Chapter 7.24 (Use Regulations). The property must lie inside the STRO; outside the STRO, STRs are not allowed. Three license categories exist: STR-Full, STR-Resident Occupied, and STR-Limited. STR-Full licenses outside the Town Core are capped: properties in the STRO but outside the Town Core are limited to a maximum of 15% of dwelling units holding an STR-Full license; STR-Resident Occupied and STR-Limited licenses are not subject to the 15% cap. Properties inside the Town Core are not subject to the cap. Applicants apply for a Business License indicating STR licensure online via avon.munirevs.com. Total Avon tax burden on STR rentals is 10%: 4% sales tax + 4% accommodations tax + 2% short-term rental tax dedicated to community housing (the 2% community-housing tax is a separate Avon-imposed tax adopted to fund local workforce housing). Avon STR operators must maintain working smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, proper egress, and handrails where required. Contacts: Business License & Taxes — Nicole Sharpe, 970-748-4046; License Registration — Emily Block, 970-748-4012. Cited Avon Code sections include 3.28.020, 7.20.090, 5.04.050, and 3.08.030.

METRO DISTRICTS AND HOAs. Even where Eagle County does not license STRs, large unincorporated communities are governed by their own metro districts and HOAs which often DO ban or limit STRs. Beaver Creek Resort Company covenants, Bachelor Gulch Village covenants, Arrowhead Metropolitan District rules, and the Eagle-Vail Metropolitan District covenants vary widely; some prohibit rentals under 30 days entirely, others permit them with registration. Owners must consult their recorded declaration of covenants before operating an STR. Eagle-Vail also imposes a 1% Eagle-Vail Metro District sales tax in addition to county and state taxes.

FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS. STRs in unincorporated Eagle County remain subject to inspection authority of the local Fire Protection District (Eagle River Fire Protection District, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Gypsum Fire Protection District, Basalt and Rural Fire Protection District). Districts may require smoke alarms, CO detectors, posted evacuation maps, and accessible address numbers; standards vary by district.

WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE. (a) If your STR is in unincorporated Eagle County: you do NOT need a County STR permit, but you must register for and remit Colorado state sales tax (2.9%) and the 2% Eagle County Lodging Tax (Ballot 1A, effective 1/1/2023), and you must follow your HOA/metro-district rules. (b) If your STR is inside the Town of Vail: you need a Vail STR License (one of the three types), $1M liability insurance, a passed fire inspection, a Local Representative within 60 minutes, a Vail sales tax license, and the $260 registration fee. (c) If your STR is inside the Town of Avon: your property must be inside the STRO, you need an Avon Business License and STR License, and you collect 10% combined Avon tax. (d) If your STR is in Eagle, Gypsum, Basalt, Minturn, or Red Cliff: contact that town directly — each runs its own program.