Boulder limits short-term rentals to a host's primary residence under BRC 6-3-7. Investor-owned vacation rentals are prohibited citywide. Hosts must occupy the dwelling at least 185 days annually to qualify for a license.
Boulder's STR ordinance (BRC 6-3-7) requires every short-term rental to be the licensee's principal residence, defined as the home where they live at least 185 days per year. The rule, adopted in 2015, was designed to protect long-term housing stock in a tight market driven by CU-Boulder demand. Non-owner-occupied investor STRs are not licensable. Applicants submit utility bills, voter registration, and tax records to prove residency. Colorado's partial preemption under CRS 29-29-103 leaves these residency caps to local governments. License revocation results from false residency claims.
Operating a non-primary-residence STR triggers license denial, daily fines up to $1,000 under BRC 5-2-4, and platform delisting through host-compliance partnerships.
Boulder, CO
Boulder caps unhosted whole-home short-term rentals at a limited number of nights per year under BRC 6-3-7. The cap protects neighborhood character while let...
Boulder, CO
Boulder allows whole-home short-term rentals only when the host's primary residence is licensed. Hosted (occupied) rentals where the owner remains present ar...
See how Boulder's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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