The taxes, line by line
| Tax or fee | Rate | Applies to / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver lodger's tax | 10.75% | Entire amount charged for lodging, including required fees; collected at time of sale | [1] |
| State of Colorado + RTD + special district (lodging) | 4% | Combined state-collected rate on lodging | [2] |
Who collects it (and what's still on you)
- Platforms may be the vendor: a lodging platform must collect and remit Denver lodger's tax if payment runs through it and it appears as merchant of record on the guest's statement. Otherwise the host collects and remits.[2]
- Timing: lodger's tax is due at the time of sale, so a February stay booked in October is taxed and reported for October.[1]
- Other taxes: licensees also owe Denver's occupational privilege tax ($48 a year).[3]
- Primary residence: Denver's tax guide defines a short-term rental as a primary residence used for lodging for less than 30 consecutive days.[2]
A real booking, worked out
Say you list at $200 a night for 3 nights with a $100 cleaning fee: a $700 subtotal. Airbnb's fee and the lodging taxes are separate things. Airbnb's single host fee is 15.5% of your nightly price and fees, and taxes aren't part of that fee base, so the guest pays taxes on top while your payout is set by the platform fee.
| Booking line | Airbnb (15.5% host fee) | Vrbo (12% from Oct 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Your subtotal (rent + cleaning) | $700.00 | $700.00 |
| Platform host fee | −$108.50 | −$84.00 |
| Your payout | $591.50 | $616.00 |
| Lodging taxes on top for the guest (if the full $700 is taxable) | $103.25 | $103.25 |
Taxes use the rates in the table above. What counts as taxable (cleaning fees, platform service fees) is set by each agency, so treat this as an estimate. Run your own numbers in the Airbnb fee calculator or the Vrbo 12% calculator.
Holiday-season host prep for Denver
Snowy check-ins in the dark are where a backlit keypad and a remote-limit thermostat earn their keep. Pair this with our winter-ready checklist. Our Smart lock for Airbnb: self check-in kit lists what to buy, how many and when to skip (that page contains affiliate links). Getting ready for cold snaps? See the winter-ready rental checklist.