Larkspur, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Larkspur, CO bans short-term rentals; nearby unincorporated Douglas County permits them instead.
Quick Answer: Larkspur, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Denver market area is 78%. average monthly revenue in the Denver market area is $4,299. average daily rate in the Denver market area is $202.
Market data reflects the Denver regional market, which includes Larkspur. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Larkspur.
Market Overview
Larkspur bans short-term rentals within its incorporated town limits. Larkspur’s zoning does not permit STRs, and violations are treated as municipal-code infractions carrying escalating fines, up to $1,500 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for repeat violations within a year. Larkspur is a tiny town of about 206 people in southern Douglas County, Colorado, along the I-25 corridor between Denver and Colorado Springs. Its tourism is overwhelmingly driven by the Colorado Renaissance Festival, held on summer weekends from mid-June through early August in the wooded hills just west of town, which draws roughly 250,000 visitors a season, a figure that describes the festival, not the town, since Larkspur itself has essentially no lodging. Because the incorporated town is so small and lodging-free, most overnight visitors stay in Castle Rock, Monument, Colorado Springs, or unincorporated Douglas County properties nearby, where STRs are legal with a county license. Despite the town-level ban, StaySTRA’s data provider tracks listings-based occupancy and revenue activity for a series shared between Larkspur and Thornton, a Denver-area suburb of roughly 140,000 people about 45 miles to the north within the same Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area; this profile presents that shared series as the Denver metro area STR market rather than Larkspur’s own, since the ban makes in-town whole-home STR income unavailable and the tracked activity most likely reflects unincorporated Douglas County properties, Thornton listings, or both, not legal Larkspur activity. In the most recent tracked month (June 2026), that shared series shows an average daily rate of $202 and occupancy of 78.4%, with average revenue of $4,299 per listing for the month.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 58% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 67% |
| May | 71% |
| Jun | 81% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 76% |
| Sep | 73% |
| Oct | 69% |
| Nov | 61% |
| Dec | 62% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Larkspur are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Larkspur — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are prohibited within the incorporated Town of Larkspur. Town zoning does not permit STRs, and violations are treated as municipal-code infractions with escalating fines: roughly up to $1,500 for a first violation, up to $3,000 for a second within one year, and up to $5,000 for further violations within a year. Any lodging in town is subject to a 4% town sales tax plus a 6% lodging tax, though the prohibition means there is effectively no legal lodging business to tax. Because of this ban, investors seeking to operate an STR near Larkspur almost always look to adjacent unincorporated Douglas County instead, where STRs are legal with a county Short-Term Rental License under ordinance O-023-003. Douglas County requires a first-year application review fee of about $500 plus a $130 license fee, then annual renewal at roughly $270 plus $130; applicants need a notarized local responsible agent, a life-safety affidavit, a parking plan, interior renter signage, and Building and Health Department approval letters, plus an OWTS or septic use permit where applicable. County STRs are allowed in most zone districts but excluded from Planned Developments unless the PD specifically authorizes them, and private HOA covenants can independently prohibit STRs even where county zoning allows them. No countywide owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies. Bottom line: the town and the surrounding unincorporated county run opposite regimes, so investors must verify a specific parcel’s exact jurisdiction before assuming STR legality.
Market Comparison
Larkspur’s citywide ban on rentals under 30 days puts it in a different category from most markets in this dataset: there is no legal short-term rental sector inside town limits to compare against national benchmarks. The tracked Denver metro series that includes Larkspur, 78.4% occupancy and a $202 ADR in June 2026, above typical U.S. STR occupancy (roughly 55%) though below the roughly $220 national median ADR, reflects a blend of Larkspur-adjacent activity and the much larger Thornton suburban market, not a legal Larkspur-specific performance. Top property manager rosters, bedroom mix, and housing-value data are not published for this market at a city-specific level in the current dataset, so this profile omits those figures rather than estimate them. Investors interested in this corridor should evaluate unincorporated Douglas County parcels, which permit STRs under a county license, rather than Larkspur itself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Larkspur, Colorado
Is it legal to operate a short-term rental in Larkspur, CO?
Where can I legally operate a short-term rental near Larkspur?
Why does StaySTRA show short-term rental data for Larkspur if it's banned?
What draws visitors to the Larkspur area?
What are Douglas County's short-term rental permit costs?
Does Douglas County require owner-occupancy for short-term rentals?
What is the average daily rate in the tracked Larkspur-area data?
Analyze Larkspur Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Larkspur.
Free Larkspur STR Calculator →
