Some information was updated January 2026
If you own a property in Aspen or unincorporated Pitkin County and rent it short-term, or you are considering it, the rules changed significantly last year. Both jurisdictions moved from a largely unregulated market to a permit system with caps, waitlists, and new fees. Here is what owners need to know.
Quick facts:
- City of Aspen has issued 790 STR permits since the new system opened in October 2022
- Pitkin County has issued 111 STR permits since its program opened in September 2022
- Eight of Aspen's 14 residential zoning districts have already met or exceeded their permit caps
- More than 50 properties are on Aspen's STR permit waitlist
- A new 10% city STR tax, on top of existing sales and lodging taxes, takes effect May 1, 2023
- Snowmass Village operates under its own separate STR ordinance and is not part of the city or county programs described here
Why the rules changed
Both the city and Pitkin County adopted new short-term rental policies in 2022 in response to years of residential construction pressure and rising home prices. Aspen enacted a moratorium on new STR permits and residential construction proposals in December 2021, then spent the following months building a permanent permit structure. Pitkin County followed with its own rules for unincorporated areas later in the year.
How Aspen's permit system works
The city now issues three permit types. Lodge-exempt permits apply to larger lodge and condo-hotel properties with shared amenities, such as The Gant or Aspen Alps, and carry no limit on rental nights. Owner-occupied permits are available to anyone renting their primary residence, capped at 120 nights a year, with no limit on the number of permits issued. Classic permits, the category most private homeowners and condo owners fall under, are unlimited in the downtown core and lodge zones but capped by zone in the city's 14 other residential districts.
Those zone caps are where things get restrictive. The city set each district's cap at 75% of the estimated number of STRs operating before the moratorium. As of this writing, permits in four zones already exceed their caps, largely because the city allowed anyone with a valid pre-moratorium permit to renew regardless of the new limit. Anyone applying fresh in a capped zone goes on a waitlist instead.
Ben Wolff, general manager of Frias Properties of Aspen, is the listed primary contact on more than 100 city STR permits, more than any other individual in the dataset. Wolff has pointed out that the rules can draw a hard line block by block. A property just west of Original Street sits in the unrestricted lodging core, while one just east falls into a capped residential zone. For owners in those capped zones, he's said plainly that when the process becomes too difficult to navigate, "people find workarounds."
How Pitkin County's system differs
The county's program, covering unincorporated areas outside city limits, works on proof of prior rental history rather than zoning caps. Applicants must show at least one documented short-term rental night between May 2017 and May 2022. Properties without that history, including new construction and recently remodeled homes, are not eligible for a permit under the current rules. The county also set a four-night minimum rental period and ties the permit fee to a percentage of the property's assessed market value, scaled to how many nights per year the owner wants to rent.
What this means for owners
For owners already holding a valid permit, the immediate priority is simply staying current on renewals, since permits are non-transferable and lapse if a property changes hands. For owners considering a new STR permit application, checking the zone cap and waitlist status before making plans is essential. This information is publicly available through the city.
For the most current permit rules, caps, and application details, see the City of Aspen's official short-term rental page. Pitkin County's program covers unincorporated areas outside city limits and is administered separately. Snowmass Village, where Frias also manages properties, operates under its own distinct municipal ordinance.
Source: Aspen Journalism, "New short-term-rental rules limit supply, restrict future growth," April 29, 2023
Frias Properties of Aspen Snowmass has managed vacation rentals and residential properties in Aspen and Snowmass Village since 1974. Owners navigating permit questions or considering property management are welcome to reach out to our team directly. Learn more at FriasProperties.com or call 970.920.2000.