That’s the main question during six-month roll-out of new rules that legalized some website listings, but not all

Denver Post, July 2, 2016

By Jon Murray | jmurray@denverpost.com and Jason Blevins | jblevins@denverpost.com

This is one of many bedrooms in the newly renovated VRBO-listed home owned by John Krauklis in Capitol Hill in Denver. He uses the house as a vacation rental throughout the year. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

After a two-year battle to legalize and regulate short-term rentals in Denver produced big winners and losers, the city on Friday opened up its online license application portal.

Some residents who list rooms or homes for rent on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO easily will apply for a license, while others have hard choices to make.

The six-month roll-out period, before fines become possible Jan. 1, will help answer two key questions: How many will obtain the required $25 license and begin collecting the 10.75 percent lodger’s tax from guests? And how many of the hundreds of property owners or more who rent out second homes to short-term guests — now explicitly banned by city ordinance — will try to skirt the new rules?

City officials are predicting they will see higher compliance among the city’s estimated 2,000 or so existing listings than some other cities that have gone down the same road, in large part because they believe Denver is the first to offer an entirely online licensing process. The new license will be required to rent out a room or entire home for less than 30 days, which previously was illegal.

STR License Checklist

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