Fort Collins, CO Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 15-644(a)(1)
- Primary residence definition
- 9+ months per year, Sec. 15-641
- Only one primary residence
- At a time, per statutory definition
- ADU eligibility
- Allowed if on same lot as primary residence
- Re-verified
- At every annual renewal under Sec. 15-647(b)
Summary
A short term primary rental license in Fort Collins can only go to the owner of a dwelling that is actually that owner's own home. Sec. 15-644(a)(1) demands documentation proving both ownership and occupancy, and Sec. 15-641 defines primary residence as nine or more months of the year, only one at a time.
The applicant must provide documentation satisfactory to the Financial Officer that the applicant is the owner of the dwelling unit and that the dwelling unit is his or her primary residence. ... Primary residence shall mean the dwelling unit in which a person resides for nine (9) or more months of the calendar year. Under this definition, a person has only one (1) primary residence at a time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Sec. " The Code does not leave primary residence undefined: Sec. 15-641 states "Primary residence shall mean the dwelling unit in which a person resides for nine (9) or more months of the calendar year. " This is what separates a short term primary rental, where the owner lives in the home and rents out a portion, from a short term non-primary rental, which Sec. 15-641 defines as a dwelling that is not the owner's primary residence and is rented whole. An accessory dwelling unit or the second unit of a two-unit dwelling can still be licensed as a short term primary rental under Sec.
15-641 if it sits on the same lot as a primary residence, even though the ADU itself is not lived in by the owner. Renewal applications are reviewed against these same standards: Sec. 15-647(b) subjects annual renewals to the requirements of Sec. 15-644, so the Financial Officer, in consultation with the Director, re-checks the ownership and primary-residence documentation every year rather than only at initial licensing.
Violations & Fines
Submitting false or misleading documentation of ownership or residency is fraud or material misrepresentation under Sec. 15-649(a)(1), which authorizes the Director to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the license outright. A revoked license leaves the dwelling ineligible for a new license for one year under Sec. 15-649(c), and Sec. 15-650 adds fine or imprisonment exposure under the general penalty at Sec. 1-15 for the licensing violation itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Fort Collins define a primary residence for STR purposes?
Can I license my accessory dwelling unit as a short term primary rental?
Is primary-residence status checked only once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
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