Denver, CO
Short-Term Rental Management in Denver, CO
Sun Mountain Stays is a founder-led, full-service short-term rental management company operating in Denver, CO. We handle everything, guest communications, in-house cleaning and turnovers, dynamic pricing, listing optimization, and owner reporting, so you earn more without managing day-to-day operations. Whether you own property in Capitol Hill, RiNo, Cherry Creek, Washington Park, or anywhere across the Denver metro, we're the local operating partner built to make it work, especially if you're managing from out of state.
See common questionsWhat's included
Full-service management, not just the listing.
We run the guest experience, the property operations, the revenue strategy, and the owner relationship. You stay informed; we stay on top of everything else.
Guest
- Guest screening
- 24/7 guest communication
- Review management
- Emergency response
Property
- In-house cleaning & turnovers
- Vendor coordination
- Restocking oversight
- Quality control inspections
- Claims support
Revenue
- Dynamic pricing (market data-driven)
- Listing optimization
- Platform management
- Channel strategy
Owner
- Launch & onboarding
- Owner communication & reporting
- Strategic guidance
- Full transparency
Neighborhoods served
We know Denver, neighborhood by neighborhood.
From the urban core to the park neighborhoods to the east side, we manage short-term rentals across the Denver metro with local knowledge and real on-the-ground operations.
- Capitol HillDense urban core, walkable to downtown
- LoDo (Lower Downtown)Historic district, Union Station, high foot traffic
- RiNo (River North Art District)Arts and dining district with strong weekend demand
- Cherry CreekUpscale shopping and dining corridor
- Washington ParkPark-adjacent neighborhood, popular with leisure visitors
- Five PointsHistoric neighborhood adjacent to downtown
- Highland (LoHi)Trendy northwest Denver, strong short-term demand
- BakerSouth Broadway arts district
- Congress ParkNear Denver Botanic Gardens, quiet residential
- Stapleton / Central ParkMaster-planned east Denver community
- Sloan's LakeLakeside neighborhood with consistent visitor appeal
- GlobevilleEmerging north Denver neighborhood
Managing in a neighborhood not listed? Reach out, we serve the full Denver metro and surrounding Front Range communities.
Managing from out of state
Own Denver property remotely? That's exactly who we're built for.
Many of Denver's best short-term rental properties are owned by people who don't live in Colorado, out-of-state investors, remote homeowners, and people who relocated but kept the property. Managing an STR from a distance is genuinely difficult: guest issues don't schedule themselves, turnovers need eyes on the ground, and pricing decisions require someone watching the local market daily. Sun Mountain Stays provides a complete on-the-ground operation so that geography is no longer your limiting factor. You get regular owner reporting, full transparency, and a direct line to your management team, without needing to be present for anything.
- Complete on-the-ground operation, we handle everything that requires physical presence
- Owner reporting and communication on a schedule that works for you
- Emergency response without requiring you to fly in
- Local market expertise, we watch Denver pricing and demand daily
- Direct access to your management team, not a ticket queue
STR permits & regulations
Denver short-term rental license: what owners need to know.
Denver operates one of the more restrictive STR regulatory frameworks in Colorado. Understanding the requirements before you list is essential. Here's the summary, always confirm current requirements at the official city portal.
Denver requires a Short-Term Rental license and restricts STRs to the host's primary residence. This means the property you list must be the address where you primarily live, investment properties and second homes cannot be licensed as STRs under current Denver rules. A business license is also required. If you own a Denver investment property, consult an attorney about current regulations before listing.
- Primary-residence requirement: the STR must be your primary home address (investment/non-primary properties are not eligible under current rules)
- Short-Term Rental license required, apply through the Denver Community Planning and Development portal
- Business license required in addition to the STR license
- Lodger's tax applies, major platforms collect and remit automatically, but verify your specific arrangement
- License number must be displayed on all listing platforms
- License is not transferable, tied to the specific owner and address
- Verify current fees and application process at denvergov.org/STR
This is a general summary based on publicly available information and is not legal advice. Denver's STR regulations have been updated multiple times, always verify current rules at denvergov.org or with a local attorney before listing your property.
Local market
What can a Denver STR actually earn?
Denver is a high-demand urban STR market driven by tourism, business travel, major events (concerts, sports, conferences), and relocation traffic. Revenue varies significantly by neighborhood, property type, and operational quality. AirDNA and Rabbu both publish Denver market benchmarks, but market averages hide wide variance between a well-managed listing and a poorly-optimized one. Book a walkthrough and we'll pull current data for your specific property and neighborhood.
Common questions
Denver STR management, answered.
Can I rent my Denver investment property on Airbnb?
Under current Denver regulations, short-term rentals are restricted to primary residences. If the property is not your primary home, it cannot currently be licensed as an STR under Denver's rules. Always verify current regulations at denvergov.org or consult a local attorney, rules do change and there may be exceptions or updates we are not aware of.
What does Sun Mountain Stays charge to manage a Denver STR?
We charge a single management percentage of revenue, no hidden fees, no nickel-and-diming. Our incentives are aligned with yours: we earn more when you earn more. Book a walkthrough for a property-specific conversation about fees and projected returns.
Do you handle cleaning and turnovers in Denver?
Yes, in-house. We don't outsource cleaning and hope for the best. Our team handles turnovers directly, which means consistent quality control, faster response to issues, and no third-party scheduling gaps. This is one of our core differentiators.
I live out of state. Can you manage my Denver property remotely?
Absolutely, we're built for remote owners. We provide complete on-the-ground operations, regular owner reporting, and direct communication so that managing your Denver property doesn't require you to be in Colorado. This is one of the strongest reasons owners choose us.
Do I need a business license in addition to an STR license in Denver?
Yes. Denver currently requires both an STR license and a business license for legal short-term rental operation. The exact requirements and fees are set by the city and can change, verify the current process at denvergov.org before applying.
How is Sun Mountain Stays different from a national STR management company?
We're founder-led and intentionally small. Our portfolio is capped so that every property receives real attention, not a call center script. We're local to Colorado Springs and Denver, which means we know the neighborhoods, the regulations, and the market dynamics from the inside.
What platforms do you list on?
We manage listings across all major platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) and apply channel strategy based on what performs for your property type and neighborhood in Denver. We don't lock you into a single platform.
How do I get started?
Book a free walkthrough. We'll review your property (or review it remotely for out-of-state owners), pull current Denver market data for your specific address and neighborhood, and give you an honest assessment of what it can earn under professional management.
Book your walkthrough
Let's see if we're the right fit.
Tell us about your property, even if you already have a manager. If we're a match, we'll reach out to book your free, on-site walkthrough.
237 STRs operated73 clientsNo long lock-in
“One of the best decisions I made for my property.” – Daniel, Colorado Springs
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