Arvada legalizes Airbnb for investment

[James Carlson]

For anyone looking for an Airbnb investment property in the Denver metro area, Arvada just became your friend. 

Almost every city along the Front Range has banned short-term rentals unless it's in your primary residence. (Heck, even property-rights-driven Colorado Springs limited STR investment properties.)

But on Aug. 3, Arvada city council voted to allow Airbnb in the city limits in both your primary residence and in non-owner occupied rentals. Basically, you can buy Airbnb investment properties in Arvada ... with a few caveats. Here's what the law says:

• An individual can own up to 3 short-term rentals in Arvada.
• You can only rent each property on Airbnb for 240 days per year. This certainly limits it, but it still allows for 2/3 of the year as an STR. What I'd do is Airbnb it the popular months from late spring to early fall and then plan to get a medium-term renter in there for the remaining four months.
• Only one short-term rental per lot. So no renting each room to a separate party. And if you have a house with a basement apartment, you could not rent upstairs and downstairs separately.
• If you own an entire duplex or bigger multi-unit, you can only short term rent one unit.
• Takes effect Oct. 31, 2020.

Want to know more? You can read a very confusing article about it here or read the actual ordinance here (Jump to page 144.)