Lakewood, CO Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Eligible units
- Owner's Primary Residence only
- One residence per person
- No multiple primary residences
- ADU treatment
- Counts as part of residence
- Effective date
- September 1, 2023
Summary
Lakewood issues short-term rental licenses only for Dwelling Units that are the owner's Primary Residence, closing off investor-owned or non-owner-occupied properties from operating as STRs citywide.
Only Dwelling Units which are the Primary Residence of their Owners will be granted a License to operate as an STR within the City.C.Visibility of Address. Address numbers at the Licensed Premises must be no less than four inches in height and well-lit but not exceed the exterior lighting standards in Article 6 of the Zoning Ordinance.D.STR Facilitator License. Any STR Facilitator used by the Licensee must be licensed with the City in accordance with Chapters 3.01 and 3.03 of the Lakewood Municipal Code.E.Only one STR rental contract is permitted at any time in any STR. Irrespective of the number of lodging rooms available within an STR, Owners may not enter into multiple rental contracts that would allow separate parties to use a licensed STR at the same time.F.Publication of License. The License number must be included in all advertising of the Licensed Premise. Additionally, the License shall be prominently displayed within the Licensed Premises in a manner that assures the License is clearly visible to renters and shall be made available for inspection by City Code Enforcement staff at all reasonable hours. (Ord. O-2023-5 § 1, 2023)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 14 | Zoning Ordinance: ?).
Full Breakdown
Under the Short-Term Rental Licensing Code (effective September 1, 2023), Section 5.55.090(B) restricts STR licenses to Dwelling Units that are the Owner's Primary Residence. "Primary Residence" is defined at Section 5.55.010(T) as the place where a person's habitation is fixed and their usual place of return, with only one primary residence allowed per person. A permitted Accessory Dwelling Unit on the same lot as a Licensee's Primary Residence is treated as part of the residence, not a separate STR-eligible unit, and using it as a home business is also barred.
Violations & Fines
Licensing or operating an STR at a property that is not the owner's Primary Residence is unlawful; the City Clerk will deny the application, and an existing license can be revoked if residency status changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I list a second home in Lakewood as a short-term rental?
Does a detached accessory dwelling unit qualify as its own STR?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
Compare Lakewood to another location·View the Colorado short-term rentals overview
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