Denver Ordinances Would Restrict Short-Term Rentals

Two proposed ordinances under consideration get to the heart of the matter in Denver by requiring that short-term rental services like Airbnb only operate in "primary residences."

1 minute read

April 18, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Denver has been wrestling with the issue of short-term rentals — think Airbnb and VRBO — for two years but is finally poised to bring this outlaw economy into the legal light," begins an op-ed by the Denver Post Editorial Board.

The Denver City Council recently held the first public hearing on two ordinances meant to address the ongoing questions surrounding short-term rentals in the city. According to the op-ed, "One [of the ordinances] would amend the zoning code and the other create a licensing process."

The op-ed favors many of the most controversial provisions of the ordinance, including one that would limit short-term rentals to the "primary residences" of owners. "This rules out absentee landlords and the possibility of some neighborhoods transitioning into hospitality centers — or apartment buildings becoming de facto hotels." The editorial board favors that policy because it says Denver "is under no obligation to accommodate short-term rental empires that have grown up in the shadows."

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in The Denver Post

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