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Arapahoe County adopts short-term rental ordinance and land-development-code amendments after public comment
Summary
The Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners on May 12 adopted Ordinance 2026-01 (amending OWTS requirements for lodging units) and a land development code amendment (LDC 23-001) addressing short-term rental use, following limited public comment and staff recommendations.
Arapahoe County commissioners voted May 12 to adopt an ordinance tightening rules for short‑term rentals and approved an amendment to the county’s land development code.
Commissioner Warren Gully moved to adopt Arapahoe County Ordinance 2026‑01, amended in section 5.g.1 to require that any lodging unit dependent on an on‑site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) conform to the county’s OWTS regulations and have passed an inspection within the preceding 12 months prior to initial licensure. Commissioner Campbell seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.
Commissioner Fields then moved to adopt a resolution approving LDC 23‑001, an amendment to the land development code to address residential properties used for short‑term rentals. Commissioner Campbell seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.
Supporters and opponents offered brief public comments during the hearing. An online caller who identified as a short‑term rental host in Littleton argued that owner‑occupied short‑term rentals should be regulated differently from absentee whole‑home rentals because the owner lives on site and is locally responsible. The caller said, “Owner occupied short term rentals, I think is the key to success for short term rentals in Arapahoe County,” and urged the board to distinguish owner‑occupied units from absentee landlords in regulation.
Commissioners framed the votes as consistent with staff recommendations and planning commission reports. After the votes, the board moved on without recorded amendments to the adopted language other than the OWTS conformity and inspection timing noted in the motion.
Votes at a glance Ordinance 2026‑01 (short‑term rental licensing; OWTS amendment) — Mover: Commissioner Warren Gully; Second: Commissioner Campbell; Outcome: adopted by voice vote. LDC 23‑001 (land development code amendment addressing short‑term rental use) — Mover: Commissioner Fields; Second: Commissioner Campbell; Outcome: adopted by voice vote.
What changed The adopted ordinance language requires that lodging units served by an on‑site wastewater treatment system be properly permitted and conform to applicable county OWTS regulations and that the OWTS pass inspection within 12 months before initial licensure. Other details of licensing, enforcement mechanisms and any caps described in staff materials were not read into the record and are not specified in the transcript.
Next steps The board took the motions as final at the meeting and did not record a separate roll‑call tally in the public record excerpt provided. Implementation and enforcement details were not described on the record and remain subject to staff processes and administrative procedures.
