Buena Vista updated Short Term Rental (STR) Licensing Information

Town of Buena Vista, CO Short Term Rental Regulations

The Town of Buena Vista, CO recently published an update to their rules and regulations for Short Term Rentals. This update to the Town of BV’s licensing information applies to all properties that are being managed and offered as vacation rentals (anything under 30 days) and is within the Town of Buena Vista. If a property is outside of the town limits then the Chaffee County STR Rules and Regulations will apply.

Natural persons who reside outside of Chaffee County who seek to license their property OR those who seek to license a property held in an entity (trust, LLC, etc.) are allowed to license no more than 6% of the total residential housing units in town.
Natural persons who reside in Chaffee County that seek to license a non-entity-held property that is NOT their primary residence are allowed to license no more than 3% of the total residential housing units in town.
Natural persons who seek to license all or part of their primary residence within the town limits are not subject to a percentage cap.
Natural persons or entities who seek to license their property in the MU-MS zone district (properties that front East Main St. and typically have an East Main Street address) or in the South Main PUD are not subject to a percentage cap. Limit of three (3) licenses per structure when the structure is under single ownership. View Short Term Rental Cap Exemption Zones Map (PDF).
- Note: Properties in the MU-MS zone district are still required to obtain a special use permit to operate as a short-term rental. For more information on the process, contact the Town Planning Department at 719-581-1028 and submit the Special Use Application Form (PDF) with associated fees.
- Please do not confuse the MU-MS zone with MU-2. Properties in MU-2 and NOT exempt (Cedar Street, which runs parallel to East Main on the south, is either MU-2 or R-3).

Additional Requirements:

One license is required per address. Each housing unit you seek to license must have a unique address and valid certificate of occupancy. This includes accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and other conversions made to existing structures that are either attached or detached from the existing home.
Homes under construction cannot apply for a short-term rental license until a certificate of occupancy is issued by Chaffee County.
As per Ordinance 26, Series 2022 (PDF), adopted on September 28th, 2022, new applications must pass a fire inspection within sixty (60) days of receiving conditional approval from the Town after the application is submitted. For renewals that are subject to a new fire inspection, the same requirement applies.
Applicants are responsible for compliance with any private covenants. No refunds will be provided to licensees who are not in compliance with covenants and cannot use the license.

Sale of Property Used as STR:

Existing short-term rental licenses are NON-TRANSFERABLE with the sale of a property. Once the property ownership transfer is complete, the existing STR license is voided, and the new owner must apply for a new STR license.

Licensing Fees:

The fee for an initial/new license is $250.00, and $150.00 for renewal licenses.

2025 Available Licenses:

Note: The number of in-town residential housing units used to determine the short-term rental percentage caps for 2025 licensing: 1977. An updated count is determined annually on August 31st and published online no later than September 15th.