Short Term Rentals

In most cases, applicants may self-certify that the home meets basic safety criteria, but the City reserves the right to inspect before the issuance of a license or during any renewal if it is deemed necessary.

Accessory dwelling units cannot legally operate as short term rentals. The only situation where ADUs may operate as short term rentals is in Planned Unit Developments, such as Prospect and Riverside at Mill Village, where the site plan specifically allows for that type of use.

If you are a Longmont resident, you can have a maximum of one investment dwelling operating as a short term rental; however, the entire dwelling can only be rented to one group at a time. Individual rooms can only be rented if the owner, agent, or property manager resides and is present while the rooms are rented. Non-Longmont residents are not allowed to operate short term rentals within the City.

Step 1: Apply for a Sales and Use Tax License. Call the Sales Tax Office at (303) 651-8672 or visit our Sales and Use Tax page for information about how to get a Sales and Use Tax license.
Step 2: Apply for a Short Term Rental license online or in person at the Development Services Center (385 Kimbark Street).
Step 3: Your application will be reviewed by City staff, and you will be notified if the application is approved, denied, or if additional information is needed.

A license costs $100, and each annual renewal costs an additional $100. The sales and use tax license has a one-time processing fee of $25.

If your property is in an area zoned Residential Rural (R-RU) or Residential Single Family (R-SF) and there is already a short term rental operating on your side of the street on your block, you will need conditional use approval.

If you would like to find out if conditional use approval will be required for your property to become a short term rental, call (303) 651-8357 or send an email to dane.hermsen@longmontcolorado.gov. Otherwise, City staff will evaluate the location and notify you of any additional requirements when you submit an application for a short term rental license.

Conditional use applications require a pre-application meeting with staff and a neighborhood meeting prior to application submittal and review. Conditional use applications also require a public hearing review by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision is subject to appeal to City Council.

If conditional use review is required and you are interested in applying, you can schedule a pre-application meeting.

There is no limit on the total number of short term rentals operating in the City; however, in areas zoned Residential Rural (R-RU) or Residential Single Family (R-SF), only one short term rental can operate on each side of the street per block without conditional use approval.

It is a violation of the Longmont Municipal Code to operate a short term rental without a license, which can result in fines of up to $500 per day and/or a summons to court being issued.

•  A smoke detector inside every bedroom
• A smoke detector in the hallway or area outside the bedrooms
• Carbon monoxide detectors within 15 feet of each bedroom (if there is an attached garage or any fuel-fired appliance in the home)
• Every bedroom must have a door directly to the outside or a working egress window meeting the following requirements:
• The window has an opening with a minimum width of 20 inches and height of 24 inches; andhas a total openable area of 5.7ft/sq if above ground level or 5.0ft/sq if on or below ground level; and has a height of 48 inches or less between the floor inside the room and the window ledge
• All basement finishes and additions have permits on file
• Bathrooms are free of leaks and in sanitary condition
• There is a working fire extinguisher readily accessible to guests at all times
• Electrical panel is accessible
• Furnace/hot water heater have adequate combustion air and proper venting
• There is a map/floor plan showing evacuation routes and meeting areas to be provided for guests

Operators of short term rentals pay lodgers tax. For information on this tax, contact the Sales Tax Office at (303) 651-8672 or send an email to sales.tax@longmontcolorado.gov.

Short term rentals are allowed in all areas of the City except those zoned Non-residential Primary Employment (N-PE) and Public (N-PF). The space to be used must be a legal dwelling unit.

Click here to see a zoning map for the City of Longmont.

The license allows the City of Longmont to verify that the short term rental does not pose safety risks for guests and that it does not violate any provisions of the Land Development Code.