Aspen and Pitkin County Short Term Rental checklist
Two programs share one valley. City of Aspen addresses follow the city program; unincorporated county addresses follow Pitkin County. Built from the City of Aspen Short Term Rental pages and program guidelines and the Pitkin County Short Term Rental page, checked November 1, 2026.
City of Aspen
- A Short Term Rental permit and the required licensing are in hand before operating. Operating without one is not an option in Aspen.
- You hold the right permit type: Lodging Exempt (STR-LE), Owner Occupied (STR-OO), or Classic (STR-C). Each carries its own standards in the city's program guidelines.
- For Classic permits in capped zone districts: you came off the waitlist in order. Available permits are offered by waitlist position, and a waitlisted application may not be transferred to another person.
- Life safety and operational requirements in the city's guidelines are met, including the self inspection and affidavit items the renewal cycle asks for.
- Your permit is renewed annually, and the separate annual business license obligation is handled too. Permit fees are nonrefundable.
- Lodging and short term rental taxes are filed through the city's tax system (the city moved Short Term Rental tax and permitting to Localgov effective June 1, 2026). Owner occupied and Classic permits carry different Short Term Rental tax rates; confirm yours.
Pitkin County (unincorporated)
- A county Short Term Rental license is in hand. The county licensing program took effect September 20, 2023, and every Short Term Rental in unincorporated Pitkin County requires one.
- Your night plan fits the county structure in its published materials: a 4 night minimum stay and a maximum of 120 nights per licensing period, with fee tiers by intended nights.
- The license is renewed on its 12 month cycle, with the renewal application filed ahead of the expiration date.
- Eligibility confirmed: Short Term Rental licenses are not available for employee, affordable, or other covenant restricted housing.
Both programs
- Do not assume a permit transfers with a sale. In this valley, treat the seller's permit as theirs, and confirm your own path with the city or county before closing.
- HOA and condo rules: not in any public dataset. Check them in writing.
- Exact fees and current waitlist positions: check with the City of Aspen or Pitkin County, since both move and neither is republished here as a live figure.
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