Two new Airbnb-friendly cities in the Denver metro?

[James Carlson]

Two Denver area cities that had been silent on the issue of STRs -- neither supporting nor prohibiting them -- have new laws or are about to pass new laws to proactively legalize non-owner occupied Airbnb. 

So had unincorporated Adams County to the north/northwest of Denver. 

Centennial

Centennial is to the south of Denver by Englewood, Littleton and Parker. It's a lot of HOA-governed areas, but not all of it. They had passively allowed for short-term rental investment properties but not through an active law.

In September, they passed a new ordinance allowing Airbnb in non-primary-residence homes. Some highlights:

• No limit on the number of STRs you can buy. (Unlike Wheat Ridge that limits them to one per owner.)
• No caps on the number of STRs per block/per radius, etc. (Unlike Wheat Ridge.)
• No limit on number of nights you can rent it as an STR. (Unlike Arvada that limits you renting as an STR to 240 nights per year.)
• A max of 2 guests/bedroom and 8 renters per property total. So even if you have a 5br house, you can only have 8 guests.
• ADUs cannot be STRs.
• Must get licensed and pay taxes

See general info about Centennial's law here. Or read the actual ordinance language.

Adams County

Unincorporated Adams County is a sprawling county, but the most interesting parts for Airbnb are just above the northwest corner of Denver. Like Centennial, Adams County has allowed STR investment properties for years but only through a lack of prohibition. They are now planning a new law to allow them. The planning department estimates it will pass sometime in March 2022.

The planner wouldn't share actual language with me, but said, "We don't want to over regulate these uses," and shared some details of the draft:

• No limit on the number of STRs an owner can have
• No limit on nights rented as an STR
• No cap on STRs based on geography.

It's just nice to have a few more options for those looking for a full-time vacation rental investment or a second home in the Denver metro area.