Renewal short-term rental application

We recommend using Google Chrome or Safari browsers to complete the online application. The application cannot be completed on a smartphone or tablet. 

Renew online

Step 1.Before you apply

Read the "Do I qualify for a short-term rental license?" section of the STR page to make sure you have remained in compliance with short-term rental rules.

You can renew a license as early as 90 days before it expires. The Department will try to remind license holders of the approaching deadline to the email provided at application. Failure of a reminder does not excuse any applicable late penalty.

Step 2.Watch our online training videos

Online training videos provide helpful and detailed overviews of the application process. They are on the Online Training Videos webpage. They show how to register for an account, how to complete licensed establishment and entity registration records, and how to apply for new business licenses or amendments.

Step 3.Gather all required documents

Make sure you have everything from the "Required documents" section below.

Important notes to keep in mind about your documents:

  • All materials must be digital files saved as a .pdf or .jpg. Do not include any other file types. The Department of Excise and Licenses cannot accept other file types.
  • Use numbers or letters but not characters such as symbols (/ ? < > \ : * | “ ^) or spaces that could cause complications.
    • For example:
      • Good filename: drivers-license-name-2022.pdf
      • Bad filename: last name/ id.pdf
  • In some cases, you might need to combine documents and upload them in a single .pdf. You can use a free, online tool to merge documents into a single file. 
  • Legal documents must be signed, dated and executed. All pages of large legal documents (such as a lease) must be included in the application.
  • All materials must be legible. 
  • Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Step 4.Renew in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center

In Denver’s Online Permitting and Licensing Center

  • Under Business, Short-Term Rental, and Occupational Licensing, click "Renew or Manage."
  • On the "My Licenses" page, select "Renew Application" for the license you want to renew and follow the prompts.

This will begin and guide you through the application.

You can save and resume within 30 days any time during the application process. After 30 days, you must start again. 

After the online application is complete, you will be prompted to submit fees in the online portal. These can be paid with a bank account or a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.

Step 5.Pay required fees

License fee:
$100

See "Late Renewals" below to review late fees.

Step 6.City application review and next steps

Excise and Licenses strives to conduct an initial application review for any short-term rental application within seven business days. Based on the complexity of your application and current resource levels, approving your application may extend well beyond the initial review period. If an application is incomplete or inconsistent, it can significantly extend the time it will take to process an application completely.

If the application is found to be incomplete, an email will be sent allowing 14 days for corrections.

All applications will be administratively closed if they are not completed within 12 months.

Step 7.License issuance

Once approved, the applicant is emailed a copy of the business license. This allows the license holder to start operating.

The licensee should read "Once you have your license" below and follow the requirements.

The following documents are required upon application. All documents must be complete (no screenshots or partial documents) and must show the full name and address of the applicant. For example, a photo of the envelope will not be accepted as it is not a full document. Apple document formats such as .pages are not acceptable as they cannot be opened by Department staff.

All short-term rental applicants:

  • A copy of your valid (non-expired) Colorado driver's license or Colorado identification card.
  • At least two of the following:
    • Proof of valid motor vehicle registration.
    • Proof of voter registration.
    • Federal or state tax returns (most current tax year, need full tax return, may redact social security numbers and dollar amounts).
    • Financial documentation (some examples are bank statements, credit card statements).
    • A utility bill (must be recent and show both service and mailing address, submit the downloadable pdf from your account, no screenshots).

If you do not own the short-term rental property:

Late Renewals

Licenses must be renewed on or before the expiration date to avoid interruption in advertising and citations for continued short-term rental activity. If your booking calendar has been blocked due to a late renewal, you may need to manually correct the calendar to allow for new reservations after submitting your renewal application. It may take several days for your short-term rental platform to accept your license number after submitting the renewal application.

90-Day Grace Period

There is a 90-day grace period from the expiration date when licenses can be renewed by completing a renewal application and paying the license fee. If a license is not renewed before it expires, operations must cease until a renewal application is submitted. 90 days post-expiration, the license will become ineligible for renewal and a new license will need to be obtained.

First 30 days of grace period: 20% penalty fee

Days 31 to 90: 50% penalty fee

After 90 days: Licensees must apply for a new license

Specialist review is a routine step to ensure compliance with the licensing requirements. The time frame is up to 90 days from the date that a complete application is received by the Department. An application is considered complete once all documents, including any additional documents requested by the Department, have been received and are complete. The specialist will reach out for any additional required information beyond your initial application documents. Check your email inbox and spam folder for the email associated with this application. If a request for additional information from the applicant is not fulfilled within 14 days, your application will be moved to inactive. For renewal applications, you can advertise your short-term rental for as long as your pending application remains active. Delays in response from the applicant will result in delays in license issuance.

License holder must remain in compliance

All short-term rental license holders are expected to remain in compliance with the short-term rental code and relevant zoning provisions(PDF, 175KB), including: maintaining the residential dwelling unit as their primary residence, only renting under one reservation/booking at a time, and preventing the STR from negatively impacting the safety, health, and welfare of their neighbors.

License must be displayed

Excise and Licenses will email a professional license to all licensees. This license (or a clear picture of it) must always be displayed.

Requirement to keep contact information up to date

File an online amendment application to notify the Department of any contact information changes (place of business, onsite manager, etc.). These updates must be filed within 72 hours of the change.

Requirement to renew annually

Professional licenses expire annually. It is unlawful to operate with an expired license unless there is a complete renewal application pending. Renewal applications must be filed online before a license expires.

Changes in general manager/local responsible party

If a licensee changes their general manager/local responsible party, or if the contact information changes, the licensee must file an owner or manager update amendment.

Requirement to post business license number on any advertisements

It is unlawful to advertise a short-term rental without the license number displayed.

Requirement to maintain insurance

The licensee must maintain at least $1 million in liability insurance that covers the use of the property as a short-term rental (or only list the short-term rental through hosting platforms that provide this as part of their service agreement)./p>

Requirement to pay taxes

Check your lodger's and occupational privilege tax accounts to stay on the schedule established with the Treasury Department. Even if you only use AirBnB and lodger's taxes are collected, you must submit required filings on time. You must renew your tax account every odd year. You can access your account at the E-Biz Tax Center.

Update general manager information

Short-term rental licensees who want to add, remove, or update contact information for a general manager must file an owner or manager application. It must be filed within 30 days of any change.

Click this link or use the link on the right side of this page to access the online licensing portal. On the "My Licenses" page, select the "Amendment" action for the license you want to update, then follow the prompts.

Update contact information

If you want to update your contact information, use this link or the link on the right side of this page to access the online licensing portal. On the "My Licenses" page, select the "Amendment" action for the license you want to update, then follow the prompts.

Legal name change

If your legal name changed, email a request to licenses@denvergov.org and include one of the following documents:

  • A certified copy of a marriage certificate indicating your new name
  • A certified copy of a final divorce decree in which the judge listed your desired name change
  • Other certified court documents granting a legal name change