Placerville, Colorado Short Term Rental Regulations Guide for Airbnb hosts

Overview: Are STRs allowed in Placerville, Colorado?

Yes—short-term rentals (rentals of 30 days or fewer) are allowed in Placerville, Colorado, provided the owner obtains the required county vacation home rental (VHR) permit and complies with all applicable regulations. Placerville is an unincorporated community in San Miguel County; therefore, STRs are governed by the San Miguel County Land Use Code and related county ordinances. There are no city-specific rules because Placerville is not an incorporated municipality. State-level Colorado statutes and statewide tax rules also apply.

What do Airbnb hosts actually earn in Placerville?

Placerville hosts earn a median $32,399/year with $386 ADR and 56% occupancy.

Top performers pull in $56,266+ per year.

See the full Placerville market breakdown

How to start an STR business in Placerville, Colorado

Step 1: Verify zoning and neighborhood covenants
- Confirm your parcel can legally host an STR under San Miguel County rules and any homeowner association (HOA) covenants, as HOAs may restrict or ban STRs through recorded covenants.
Step 2: Confirm county permitting requirements
- Contact San Miguel County Planning & Building to confirm current STR/VHR licensing requirements and any local overlay zones or caps that may affect eligibility.
Step 3: Apply for the county STR/VHR permit
- Submit the required application and supporting documents; complete any required inspections (fire, building) and obtain approvals.
Step 4: Business licensing and taxes
- Obtain a county/city business license if applicable and register for Colorado sales tax and any lodging taxes (state and local) as required. If you use platforms such as Airbnb, these marketplace facilitators typically collect and remit state sales tax, but you remain responsible for full compliance.
Step 5: Safety, signage, and operations
- Install required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, address defensible space per fire authority, post any required interior/exterior signage, and designate a local contact who can respond within one hour.
Step 6: Ongoing compliance
- Maintain annual renewals, file tax returns on schedule, maintain proof of insurance, and adhere to occupancy, noise, parking, and fire safety rules.

Required documents, permits, licenses, and guidelines

County STR/VHR permit
- Proof of ownership (e.g., recorded deed or title documentation)
- Site and floor plans (including egress routes, bedroom count, and bathrooms)
- Parking plan demonstrating compliance with on-site parking standards
- Contact information for a responsible local party available 24/7 and able to respond onsite within one hour
- Evidence of required insurance, if mandated by the county
- Fire inspection approvals and any required defensible space compliance
- Interior and exterior signage meeting county standards (if applicable)
- Proof of compliance with HOA covenants (if applicable)
- Payment of application, inspection, renewal, and any enforcement fees
State and local business taxes
- Colorado sales tax registration (state and applicable special districts)
- Local lodging/accommodation taxes where applicable (e.g., San Miguel County and any marketing district taxes)
- Marketplace facilitators often collect and remit state sales tax on your behalf, but verify all jurisdictions apply
Building/fire code compliance
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, address numbering, egress safety, and defensible space per local fire protection authority
Occupancy and use limits
- County occupancy caps, use caps on rental nights per year, and special rules for hosted rentals may apply

Specific STR regulations: Placerville/San Miguel County/Colorado

Jurisdiction
- Placerville is in unincorporated San Miguel County. STRs are allowed under county ordinances; local zoning overlays may apply.
County authority
- Colorado law (HB 20-1093) authorizes counties to license and regulate short-term lodging rentals; San Miguel County has adopted such regulations in its Land Use Code.
Common county requirements (consult San Miguel County for details)
- Licensing/permitting of STRs and annual renewals
- 24/7 local contact responsible for complaint response within one hour
- Occupancy limits tied to bedrooms/parking
- Fire safety inspections and defensible space compliance
- Event restrictions; large events and commercial gatherings typically prohibited
- Parking must remain on the property; no blocking of neighboring driveways
- Noise control; quiet hours commonly enforced (e.g., 10:00 pm–8:00 am)
- Required signage and guest information posting
State-level Colorado rules
- Sales tax and lodging taxes: STRs of fewer than 30 days are subject to state sales tax and any local lodging taxes. Marketplace facilitators must collect and remit sales tax on behalf of listings under state law.
- Property tax classification proposals: Legislation has sought to reclassify STR properties from residential to nonresidential (commercial) taxation; these proposals have not been enacted as of the latest published sources, but investors should monitor future attempts.
- HOA constraints: STRs may be restricted by recorded HOA covenants; prohibiting STRs typically requires amending recorded covenants (a supermajority of owners is often required). Many HOAs require owner consent for tenants or managers to list properties as STRs, but platforms often do not verify such consent.

Note: San Miguel County’s ordinance specifics (e.g., occupancy formulas, buffer requirements, annual rental night caps, hosted rental rules, and fee schedules) can vary over time. Consult the county directly for current text and local overlays that may affect Placerville properties.

Contact information (Placerville/San Miguel County/Colorado)

San Miguel County Planning & Building (VHR/STR permitting and ordinance questions)
- Phone: 970-369-5420
- Website: www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/200/Planning-Building
- Email: planning@.smcounty.co (general contact; confirm VHR-specific email if available)
San Miguel County Treasurer (lodging/sales tax administration and registration)
- Phone: 970-728-4004
- Website: www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/166/Treasurer
County-level code enforcement (complaints and enforcement)
- Phone: 970-369-5386
Colorado Department of Revenue (state sales tax)
- Phone: 303-238-7878
- Website: tax.colorado.gov/
Rent Responsibly (statewide STR resource hub)
- Website: www.rentresponsibly.org/co/mountain-village/
- Note: Use this resource hub to track statewide and local policy updates.

Links to source pages

San Miguel County Planning & Building: www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/200/Planning-Building
San Miguel County Treasurer (lodging tax): www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/166/Treasurer
State of Colorado short-term rental overview (COBAR article): cl.cobar.org/features/the-state-of-short-term-rentals-in-colorado/
Rent Responsibly – Mountain Village, CO STR information (statewide resource hub): www.rentresponsibly.org/co/mountain-village/

Important compliance reminders

Always confirm the current county ordinance and any overlay zone rules before investing or listing a property in Placerville.
Maintain proof of sales/lodging tax registration and timely filings; if you rely on a marketplace facilitator for tax collection, verify that the platform remits all applicable state and local taxes on your rentals.
If the property is in an HOA, verify that STRs are permitted under recorded covenants and obtain any required owner consent before listing.
Keep inspection records, renewal confirmations, and local contact information current; noncompliance can result in fines, permit suspension, or revocation.

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Ask the AI Advisor about Placerville

Placerville is a tiny unincorporated community tucked into the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, in San Miguel County. With a year-round population of only a few hundred residents, it carries the feel of a quiet former mining settlement, surrounded by high alpine country and bisected by the San Miguel River. The town is best known today as a peaceful waypoint on the route to Telluride and as a base for travelers exploring the rugged San Juan range. It lies roughly 25 miles southwest of Telluride along the San Miguel River valley, and the nearest sizable city, Grand Junction, sits about 135 miles to the north-northwest. The community sits along State Highway 145, a section of the celebrated San Juan Skyway, which is one of the most scenic drives in the American West.

The most obvious draw nearby is Telluride, a world-renowned mountain town famous for both its steep, high-elevation ski terrain and its summer festival calendar, which historically has included major film and music events. From Placerville, the drive to Telluride's historic downtown takes roughly 40 minutes, winding up the San Miguel Valley past the old mining-era town of Sawpit. The nearby Mountain Village, accessed via the same road, is the modern base area for the Telluride Ski Resort and offers year-round gondola service connecting it to the historic core of Telluride.

A short distance south of Placerville along Highway 145 lies the Lizard Head Wilderness, a rugged block of the San Juans best known for the dramatic, spire-like Lizard Head Peak that gives the area its name. The wilderness protects alpine lakes, aspen groves, and some of Colorado's most distinctive rock formations, and it draws hikers willing to venture onto its more remote trails. Several trailheads can be reached from Placerville in well under an hour by car.

The region is also threaded with some of the most photographed backcountry roads in the country. The portion of the San Juan Skyway that runs through Placerville continues south toward the historic town of Rico and eventually toward the broader San Juan mountain loop, while the road over Dallas Divide to the west offers sweeping views of the Mount Wilson and Wilson Mesa massif. These drives are favorites in both summer wildflower season and during the golden aspens of autumn.

Placerville's appeal for short-term rentals lies in its combination of small-town quiet and proximity to high-energy destinations. Visitors who stay in the valley gain a sense of stepping back from the crowds of Telluride while remaining a short, scenic drive from one of Colorado's most iconic resort towns, the surrounding wilderness, and some of the most celebrated scenic drives in the Rocky Mountains.