Rental Rules by City / Colorado / Telluride

    Telluride short-term rental rules & tax calculator

    San Miguel County, Colorado · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

    📋 The Basics

    Can I rent my place short-term here?
    Only in some areas
    Do I need a permit?
    Yes. You need a Town STR license; the Residential Zone is capped at 3 rentals and 29 nights a year.
    What taxes do I pay?
    Total about 17.22%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

    Your 3 steps to be legal

    1. Check the Residential Zone map.
    2. Get the right license type.
    3. File Town taxes yourself every month.

    ⚠️ Biggest risk: Platforms do not pay Telluride Town taxes for you.

    Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

    Tax calculator

    Rates used: Town taxes (sales, lodgers, STR housing excise, airline) 11% + State + San Miguel County + SMART 6.22% = 17.22%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 17.22% total per the Town STR Tax Guide. Town tax applies to the base nightly rate only (not cleaning or service fees).

    What Airbnb collects: Per the Town, platforms do NOT remit Telluride taxes; file Town taxes yourself and check which state/county taxes the platform covers.

    This is the general rule for Telluride. Does your address qualify?

    The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them. The penalties Telluride lists are on the Telluride page.

    Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

    🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

    Check my address: $49

    🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

    Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Telluride. Cancel anytime.

    Stay notified

    Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

    Why use this instead of a web search?

    Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

    Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

    Rules

    LicenseEvery STR needs a Town business license: Residential (in the Residential Zone), or Classic/Limited (outside it).
    Residential Zone capMax 3 short-term rentals and 29 nights total per calendar year.
    FeesClassic license about $1,332 for 1 bedroom; Limited/Residential about $381.50 (2024 schedule). Late penalties apply.
    Annual filingsFinancial-interest disclosure, self-inspection affidavit and residential rental affidavit each year. Licenses don't transfer.

    Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

    Sources

    Free tools

    Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

    Rules can change

    Telluride's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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    Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.