Can You Airbnb a House in Westminster, CO? The 2026 Rules Before You Buy
Can you Airbnb a house in Westminster, CO?
According to Colorado real estate broker Nick Ahrens, yes, you can Airbnb a house in Westminster even if you do not live there, because the city's short-term rental ordinance has no primary-residence requirement, though you still need a city license and only one short-term rental per operator is allowed. A short-term rental is any residential home rented for fewer than 30 days at a time, and the license runs two years with a $200 renewal plus a processing fee. The bigger 2026 change is a state law, HB24-1299, that reclassifies a short-term rental you do not live in as "lodging" property, which is assessed far higher than a residential home.
By Nick Ahrens | September 7, 2026
Can you Airbnb a house in Westminster if you don't live in it?
Nick Ahrens, a Colorado real estate broker with eXp Realty, tells relocating and investor buyers that Westminster is one of the few Denver-metro cities that lets you Airbnb a home you do not live in, with no primary-residence requirement. That means you can buy a home in the city purely to rent it out for stays of fewer than 30 days. You still need a city short-term rental license, the home has to be a residential dwelling, and no operator may hold more than one short-term rental license in Westminster at a time.
Figures sourced from the City of Westminster and the Colorado General Assembly, current as of September 2026.
Westminster adopted its short-term rental rules by City Council ordinance on May 22, 2023, and the city defines a short-term rental as the rental of a residential dwelling unit, or a portion of one, for periods of fewer than 30 days. Hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfasts are excluded. Single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and condominiums all qualify as long as they are legal residential dwellings.
The no-primary-residence rule is the detail that surprises most buyers. Cities like Denver require an Airbnb to be your primary home, which shuts out pure investment purchases. Westminster does not, which is why it draws buyers who want a rental they never plan to live in. The trade-off is the one-license-per-operator cap: you cannot build a portfolio of five Westminster Airbnbs under one name. One operator, one licensed short-term rental. If you are weighing whether to hold a property as a rental at all, the same math I walk clients through when they decide between selling or renting out a home applies here.
How do you get a short-term rental license in Westminster?
You apply through the city, and the license is valid for two years. The initial application is free, renewals cost $200 plus a processing fee, and you have to hold a separate business and sales tax license before you can legally collect rent. Here is the order of operations before you list a single night:
Confirm the home can be a short-term rental. It must be a residential dwelling inside Westminster city limits. Check the HOA declaration or condo bylaws first, because many Westminster communities restrict or ban short-term rentals regardless of what the city allows.
Get a Westminster business and sales tax license. This is required before the short-term rental license and is how you remit the accommodations tax.
Apply for the short-term rental license. Expect to show proof of ownership and proof of insurance, and to certify the home meets life-safety requirements.
Install and verify safety equipment. Westminster requires operational smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and any other life-safety equipment its building and fire codes call for.
List with your license and tax details in order. Once licensed, you collect and remit the accommodations tax on every booking.
Because only one license is allowed per operator, buyers who already run an Airbnb elsewhere in Westminster cannot add a second. This is a different gate than the one Boulder uses, where the rules turn on primary residence and rental caps rather than a one-per-operator limit. If you are comparing metro markets, my breakdown of what Boulder requires to rent out a house shows how far the rules can swing from one city to the next.
What will the 2026 Colorado law do to your short-term rental taxes?
A state law that took effect January 1, 2026 can move your property from the residential tax class into a much higher commercial one. HB24-1299 says that a short-term rental unit which is not your primary or secondary residence is classified as "lodging" property, a subclass of nonresidential real estate, for assessment. A short-term rental that is your primary or secondary residence stays residential.
The gap between those two classes is large. In recent Colorado assessment cycles, nonresidential property has been assessed at 27.9% of value while residential sat near 6.7%, and those rates are set by the state each cycle. That difference does not change your home's market value, but it changes how much of that value is taxable.
SituationProperty tax classWhat it means You live in the home (primary or secondary residence) and also rent it short-termResidentialTaxed at the residential assessment rate, near 6.7% in recent years You do not live in the home and run it as a short-term rentalLodging (nonresidential)Taxed at the nonresidential rate, 27.9% in recent years You convert it to a long-term rental of 30 or more daysResidentialStays residential; the lodging rule does not apply
Here is the catch specific to Westminster. Because the city lets you Airbnb a house you do not live in, the exact buyers Westminster attracts are the ones HB24-1299 targets. Nick Ahrens points out that a non-owner-occupied Westminster short-term rental is the textbook "commercial" case the state now reclassifies as lodging. The law also requires owners to file an affidavit with the county assessor on or before November 15 each year, stating whether the property will be a short-term rental next year and whether it is your primary or secondary residence.
On the sales-tax side, plan for a 7% Westminster city accommodations tax on top of the 2.9% Colorado state sales tax on lodging, plus applicable county and city sales taxes. Your guests pay it, but you are responsible for collecting and remitting it correctly.
Should you buy a Westminster home to Airbnb in 2026?
It can still pencil out, but only after you model the lodging tax class, not the residential one. For a non-owner-occupied Westminster short-term rental, run your numbers at the nonresidential assessment rate, because that is the class HB24-1299 puts you in. If the deal only works at the residential rate, it does not work.
Three checks separate a good Westminster short-term rental buy from an expensive mistake:
Read the HOA or condo declaration before you write an offer. Whether you are looking at a Westminster townhome or a single-family home, the association can prohibit short-term rentals even when the city permits them. This is the single most common deal-killer.
Verify licensing directly with the city, in writing. Do not rely on a listing agent's claim that a home "is already an Airbnb." Confirm the license status and that only one operator will hold it.
Model the tax two ways. Compare the residential and lodging scenarios so you know your real carrying cost. If you were counting on an accessory unit for extra income, note that the same one-license rule applies, and my guide to buying a Boulder home with an ADU covers how rental income and financing interact.
Use your contract deadlines to do this homework. In Colorado you have defined windows to review the HOA documents and the title commitment and to raise objections, so build the short-term rental verification into that timeline rather than hoping it works out after closing.
Frequently asked questions
How many Airbnbs can I own in Westminster?
One short-term rental per operator at a time. Westminster's ordinance states that no applicant may operate more than one licensed short-term rental premises in the city, so you cannot license several properties under a single owner.
Do Westminster HOAs allow short-term rentals?
Sometimes, and often not. Many Westminster HOA and condo declarations restrict or ban rentals of fewer than 30 days even though the city permits them, and the association's rules override the city license. Read the declaration before you make an offer.
What taxes does a Westminster Airbnb pay?
A 7% Westminster city accommodations tax, the 2.9% Colorado state sales tax on lodging, and any applicable county and city sales taxes. You also need a Westminster business and sales tax license to collect and remit them.
Will renting fewer than 30 days always raise my property taxes?
No. If the home is your primary or secondary residence, it stays in the residential tax class under HB24-1299 even when you rent it short-term. The higher lodging class applies to short-term rentals you do not live in.
Can I Airbnb a condo or townhome in Westminster?
Yes, if it is a legal residential dwelling and the HOA permits it. Condos and townhomes qualify under the city ordinance, but the association's declaration can still prohibit stays of fewer than 30 days.
Before you count on nightly rent in Westminster
Westminster is one of the friendlier Denver-metro cities for a short-term rental you do not live in, but the 2026 lodging reclassification and the one-license-per-operator cap change the math, and an HOA can shut the whole plan down. Verify the license, read the declaration, and model the deal at the lodging tax rate before you offer. If you want to run your actual numbers on a specific Westminster property, what it would cost to carry, license, and rent, call or text me at 949-230-3625, or email me at NickAhrensRealEstate@gmail.com, and I will walk you through your situation.
About Nick Ahrens
Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker with eXp Realty, specializing in the Anthem and Baseline communities of Broomfield (80023). With 15+ years in the business and 350+ career closings, he helps North Denver sellers and relocating buyers navigate pricing, timing, and the path to closing. Connect with Nick at youranthemhome.com.
