🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Aspen, CO
Aspen Tunes Up Its STR Program for a Smoother Ride
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Aspen Tunes Up Its STR Program for a Smoother Ride
Aspen is giving its short-term rental (STR) program a much-needed tune-up. On Tuesday, the city council unanimously approved a batch of updates aimed at easing the administrative load on both property owners and city staff—marking the first significant revision to the STR rules since they launched back in June 2022.
Think of this update as a little housecleaning. The changes came straight from community feedback and lessons learned over the past two years, according to long-range planner Haley Hart.
“This is sort of just some basic maintenance,” she explained during the June 25 meeting.
So, what’s changing?
For starters, properties undergoing renovations are now off the hook when it comes to the annual tax-filing requirement. Previously, STR owners had to file city STR taxes at least once a year to renew their permit. But if a property was under construction and couldn't be rented out, owners were stuck. Now, with proof of an active building permit, they’ll be exempt—freeing them up to finish their upgrades without losing their STR status.
Another headache that’s being eliminated: annual affidavits from homeowners associations (HOAs). STR owners used to have to submit these with every yearly renewal, which meant big-time paperwork for large HOAs managing dozens (even hundreds) of units. The city heard those grumbles loud and clear and is scrapping the requirement.
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Permit transferability rules are also getting a refresh. While STR permits still can’t be sold on the open market, the city will now allow transfers within families in cases of death. And there’s more to come—Aspen’s legal team is exploring ways to allow broader family-based transfers, including to trusts.
Aspen is also tightening its grip on advertising compliance. Platforms like Airbnb can now be formally asked to take down listings that don’t meet the city’s rules, especially when the owner’s contact information is missing. That should help ensure that all listings show key info like occupancy limits and permit numbers.
Looking ahead, the city isn’t done tweaking. Aspen will revisit zone-specific permit caps in August—especially in the residential and multi-family district, where a backlog of nearly 50 applicants has piled up. With 190 permits already issued in that zone, council members are considering raising or removing the cap to accommodate long-term STR users in multifamily buildings.
Staff will present updated zoning proposals at a work session on August 25, with hopes of finalizing any changes by October—just in time for permit renewals.
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