Westminster going to regulate short-term rentals

[James Carlson]

For those who care, the city council in Westminster -- just northwest of Denver -- is starting the process of regulating short-term rentals. Airbnb is currently illegal in the city. (Or technically, the city's ordinance is silent on the issue, and the way ordinances work in Westminster, if it's not explicitly allowed, then it is prohibited.) 

The council will hold initial talks on the subject at their study session on Monday, March 7. (You can see their agenda information here.) Anyone running an STR in the city might want to watch these proceedings.

If I had to guess, I'd say they're going to allow short-term rentals but only in your primary residence just like most every city in the Denver metro area does. The staff document linked above doesn't tip their hand too much, but it does say that a 2019 survey of residents found that nearly two-thirds wanted to allow STRs but the same two-thirds wanted the city to prohibit non-owner occupied STRs.

I'll be interested to see which direction they go. Right now, only Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Centennial and (soon to be) Adams County allow for Airbnb investment properties.