A well-positioned short-term rental in Denver, Colorado is estimated to gross $55,000 - $105,000 a year, at an average daily rate of $210 - $370 and annual occupancy of 58% - 68%. Net cash flow after a full expense load and debt service typically lands between $6,000 - $22,000. Those are estimates for illustration rather than a projection for any specific property.
Denver short-term rental numbers for 2026
| Metric | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| Entry price | $600,000 - $1,100,000 |
| Average daily rate | $210 - $370 |
| Annual occupancy | 58% - 68% |
| Gross annual revenue | $55,000 - $105,000 |
| Net cash flow after debt service | $6,000 - $22,000 |
| Peak season | Steady year round, with summer and ski-season weekends strongest |
| Do we buy here? | Yes, this is an active market for us. |
Figures are estimates assembled from our own closings and active-listing comparables, offered for illustration. They are not projections for any specific property, and actual performance varies with location, condition, amenities, management, and season.
What drives demand in Denver
Denver combines urban business travel with mountain-access leisure demand, which produces an unusually flat booking calendar. Guests use Denver as a basecamp for the Front Range, and the airport supports a steady inbound flow that resort towns cannot match midweek.
Regulation in Denver
Denver is restrictive and deliberately so: short-term rental licences are limited to a host's primary residence. That single rule eliminates most conventional investment structures inside city limits and pushes viable inventory to surrounding jurisdictions with different rules. This is a market where the regulatory question determines the strategy rather than merely constraining it.
Regulation is a pass or fail gate, not a factor to weigh against revenue. Confirm the rules for the specific parcel and the HOA before you write an offer, because county-level permissiveness frequently does not apply inside city limits. See how to check STR regulations before buying.
What a deal has to clear here
- Revenue supported by real comps. Eight to twelve active listings within one bedroom of the subject, live at least twelve months, underwritten to the median rather than the mean.
- Cash flow after a full expense load. Management at market rate, cleaning, supplies, utilities, insurance at short-term rental rates, property tax at the reassessed value, and debt service at the rate you will actually get.
- A reserve sized to the trough. Peak season is Steady year round, with summer and ski-season weekends strongest. Model the worst three consecutive months against fixed costs, because those costs do not pause.
- Regulatory headroom. A permit you can actually obtain, in a jurisdiction that is not mid-moratorium, with governing documents that permit nightly stays.
- An exit that does not depend on the STR premium. If the only buyer is another short-term rental investor, you carry regulatory risk twice.
Our take on Denver
Selectively, and rarely inside Denver proper given the primary-residence rule. We look at surrounding jurisdictions where the regulation permits non-owner-occupied use. If a Denver-proper deal is presented to you without a clear licence path, that is the deal to walk away from.
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Frequently asked questions
How much can you make on Airbnb in Denver?
A well-positioned short-term rental in Denver is estimated to gross $55,000 - $105,000 a year, at an average daily rate of $210 - $370 and annual occupancy of 58% - 68%. Net cash flow after a full expense load and debt service typically lands in the $6,000 - $22,000 range. Figures are estimates for illustration, and actual performance varies with location, capacity, amenities, and management.
What does it cost to buy a short-term rental in Denver?
Entry prices in Denver generally run $600,000 - $1,100,000 for property that can compete in the nightly rental market. On top of the purchase you should budget closing costs, furnishing of roughly $20,000 to $45,000 depending on size, and an operating reserve sized to the shoulder season.
Is Denver a good short-term rental market in 2026?
Selectively, and rarely inside Denver proper given the primary-residence rule. We look at surrounding jurisdictions where the regulation permits non-owner-occupied use. If a Denver-proper deal is presented to you without a clear licence path, that is the deal to walk away from.
What is the peak season in Denver?
Peak demand runs Steady year round, with summer and ski-season weekends strongest. Because fixed costs continue through the shoulder months, the reserve requirement should be modelled against the worst three consecutive months rather than against the annual average.
- Colorado short-term rental regulations
- City rental investing guide
- Case study: Meena, City short-term rental in Denver metro
- Case study: Kevin, City short-term rental in Denver metro
- Why the Denver deals are not in Denver
- How to build a revenue projection for this market
- Financing a purchase in this market
How to analyze the Denver short-term rental market
Start with the demand pattern to test: Steady year round, with summer and ski-season weekends strongest. Choose five to ten currently bookable properties with similar sleeping capacity, location, amenities and legal use. Compare their available nights, actual booked nights where reliable records are available, nightly rates and full-year seasonality. A citywide average is only a screening clue.
Ask for monthly reservation and payout records on an operating property. For a new listing, model a slower launch and compare a conservative case against the seller's or broker's forecast. Confirm the rules for the exact address, including zoning, permit eligibility, association documents, parking and occupancy. Pressure-test parcel-level STR permission, insurance and the local operating cost stack before calculating a maximum offer.
Build a 12-month cash flow with taxes, insurance quotes, utilities, cleaning, management, maintenance, replacement reserves, debt service and furnishing. Compare the weakest months with your cash reserve. Use the underwriting guides and revenue projection method to check each assumption.
Buying an Airbnb property in Denver
Send the listing address, asking price and any revenue history to the acquisition team. The first decision is whether legal use and the guest profile justify deeper diligence. The next is an offer ceiling based on current comparables, all-in setup costs and downside cash flow. If the seller has bookings, verify which obligations and deposits can transfer at closing.
BNB Accelerator can help define a local buy box, screen candidate properties and coordinate the purchase and launch. You make the investment decision. Book a Denver acquisition call on the BNB Accelerator calendar to discuss a market or a specific deal.
Compare the best STR property types in Denver and questions for a local Airbnb buyer agent.