Arvada

Permit and business license

Every property offered for rent or used as a short-term rental in Arvada needs an STR permit, and a permit may be for a primary or a non-primary residence.[1] The permit holder must also hold a city business license for as long as the permit is in effect.[1] The business license is free, but for a short-term rental it expires one year after it's issued.[7]

Who can hold the permit

A permit may only be issued to one natural person, 18 or older, who has an ownership interest of 20% or more in the property or is the named beneficiary of a trust that holds it.[1] A 20% share of an LLC that owns the property counts as an ownership interest.[1] No person may hold more than three permits at a time.[1]

If you lease the home

A tenant without an ownership interest can't be the permit holder, and a permit can't be transferred or assigned to anyone else.[1] The permit holder must name an emergency contact: an adult who has access to the home, is authorized to make decisions about it and can get there within one hour when a peace officer asks.[1] The code doesn't say whether someone other than the permit holder may rent the home to guests on their own account, so the clear path is for your landlord to hold the permit and name you as the emergency contact.[1]

Application

Apply online through the city's permitting system, eTRAKiT, and apply for the business license through MUNIRevs.[4, 5] You need proof of ownership, a floor plan showing doors, egress windows, fire extinguishers and detectors, a property maintenance plan that names your trash hauler, and an inspection form signed by a certified home inspector no more than 30 days before you apply.[4] You also need at least $1 million in liability insurance that covers short-term rental use, or proof that your booking platform provides that coverage.[4]

Neighbor notice and review

Within 14 days of getting the permit, mail a notice by first class mail to the owner or tenant of each lot that shares a property line, and file proof of notice within 28 days.[2] The city says reviews typically take 10 business days once an application is complete.[4]

Where it's allowed

The rules apply to any property in Arvada offered or used as a short-term rental, and we found no list of zones that bars them.[1] Only one permit may be issued per lot, and a home designated as affordable housing or otherwise deed-restricted can't be used as a short-term rental.[1] The permit holder may rent the whole property or a bedroom, lock-off or other portion of it.[1]

Outside city limits

Arvada's rules cover property located in Arvada, so confirm the home is inside city limits.[1] Jefferson County licenses short-term rentals in its unincorporated areas under its own ordinance, effective Feb 2, 2026.[12] The county issues a license only to the owner, keeps a new rental that isn't the owner's primary residence 750 feet from another permitted one, and lets an owner hold only one such rental.[13]

Guests and days

Overnight occupancy is limited to two people per bedroom plus two more, and a studio is limited to three.[1] Every ad must show the permit number and the maximum number of overnight guests.[1] A rental can host guests on no more than 240 days in any 365-day period, and each stay must be at least two consecutive days.[1]

One booking at a time

The city allows only one reservation per property at a time.[5] Large social gatherings are banned while the home is rented, including weddings, events with an entry fee and any gathering bigger than the overnight limit plus six people.[1]

Parking, trash and snow

Provide one extra on-site parking space, unless the whole property is rented as the short-term rental.[1] Keep weekly trash service, follow the city's property maintenance code for lawns and weeds, and clear snow and ice within 24 hours after a storm ends.[1]

Safety, cameras and posting

Keep a working smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguisher.[1] Devices that record inside the rental are banned unless every guest present has been told and agreed, and outdoor cameras on areas such as a porch or driveway are allowed.[1] Post the permit near the main entrance and keep the city's Good Neighbor Guide in the unit.[1, 2]

Complaints and response

Respond to a complaint within 24 hours of being contacted, and to a noise complaint within one hour.[2] If a peace officer asks, the permit holder must report to the property in person within one hour, or the emergency contact must if the holder can't.[2] The city's 24/7 hotline sends the owner a text and an automated call when a neighbor reports a problem.[6]

Records and renewal

Keep records of the nights and dates the home was rented, and include the previous year's rental log when you reapply.[1, 4] Submit a complete renewal at least 45 days before the permit expires, or the city treats the permit as abandoned.[2] A permit is also treated as abandoned if the home isn't rented at least once a quarter, as shown on tax filings.[2]

City sales and lodging tax

Arvada is a home-rule city that collects its own tax: 3.46% sales tax and a 2% lodging tax.[7] Both apply to lodging in a home for stays of less than 30 consecutive days, and the lodging tax is charged on top of the sales tax.[8, 9] A guest who is a permanent resident under a written agreement for at least 30 consecutive days is exempt from the lodging tax.[8]

State, county and district taxes

The state's July to December 2026 rate table puts Arvada's total sales tax at 7.96% in Jefferson County and 8.21% in Adams County.[10] Those totals add the 2.9% state rate, 0.5% for Jefferson County or 0.75% for Adams County, 1% for the Regional Transportation District, 0.1% for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and Arvada's 3.46%.[10] With the 2% lodging tax, a stay carries 9.96% or 10.21% in tax, our sum.[7, 10]

Who collects

Colorado requires a marketplace facilitator, such as an online booking site, to collect and remit the state and state-administered sales taxes on rooms booked through it.[11] Arvada's code also requires a marketplace facilitator doing business in the city to collect and remit city sales tax, and its lodging tax article counts a marketplace facilitator as a vendor that must collect the tax.[8, 9] The permit holder must still make sure all lodging, sales and other taxes reach the city on time, and city returns are due on the 20th of each month.[1, 7]

Direct bookings

Colorado says anyone who offers rooms or accommodations for rent needs a state sales tax license and must collect sales tax on taxable rentals.[11] The state's guidance doesn't cover taxes run by home-rule cities, and Arvada collects its own.[7, 11]

No warning needed

A peace officer can issue a summons without a warning for operating without a permit or business license, not posting the permit, going over the occupancy limit, allowing a large social gathering, missing safety equipment or not paying taxes.[1] Advertising a rental without its permit number on the listing is unlawful, and the city says even an active listing with a blocked calendar can count as an illegal ad.[1, 5]

Fines

Offering, renting or using an unpermitted property, not posting the permit or altering a permit carries a minimum fine of $2,000 per violation.[1] Other violations carry minimum fines of $500 for a first conviction, $1,000 for a second within 365 days and $2,000 for a third.[1] Each day a violation continues counts as a separate violation, and unpaid charges or taxes can become a lien on the property.[1]

Suspension and revocation

The city can start proceedings after three substantiated complaints about the same rental in one year.[2] A first violation can bring a suspension of up to 90 days, a second within a year up to 180 days, and a third a revocation.[2] After a revocation, or a conviction such as operating without a permit, the city won't accept a new application from that person for one year.[1]

Appeals and complaints

You can ask the director to reconsider a denial or non-renewal within seven days, and appeal a suspension, a revocation or a denied reconsideration to the city manager within 14 days.[2] Neighbors can report concerns online or by calling (720) 806-9412.[5]

Booking sites

A booking site can't take payment for an unpermitted rental and must remove an unpermitted listing within 7 calendar days of the city's notice.[1] It also needs a city business license to facilitate reservations for pay.[1]