Steamboat Springs, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Steamboat Springs limits new STR licenses by zone; August 2026 averaged $388 ADR, 36.7% occupancy, $4,048 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Steamboat Springs, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 39%. average monthly revenue is $3,460. average daily rate is $347. the top operator in Steamboat Springs is Vacasa with 571 listings. market score is 41/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Steamboat Springs is a ski and outdoor recreation market in Routt County, and its STR rules depend on where a property sits. The city uses a three-zone overlay, with unlimited licenses in one zone, capped licenses in another and no new licenses in the third. In August 2026 the market averaged a $388 daily rate at 36.7% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $4,048. Compared with August 2025, occupancy fell 15.7%, the average rate rose 16.4%, and revenue fell 5.1%. For all of 2025 the market averaged 48.8% occupancy, a $452 rate and $6,225 in monthly revenue. January through August 2026 averages 46.1% occupancy, a $535 rate and $7,014 in monthly revenue, because the winter ski months weigh heavily in that span. The area profile lists a population of 13,620 and does not publish an annual visitor count. It describes winter demand from November through April around Steamboat Ski Resort, reached through Yampa Valley Regional Airport and Denver International Airport. Summer demand comes from hiking, Yampa River tubing and fly fishing, hot springs and the Pro Rodeo series. Listing counts, bedroom mix, booking channel mix and listing type mix are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Steamboat Springs, so this profile omits them.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 61% |
| Feb | 70% |
| Mar | 65% |
| Apr | 20% |
| May | 37% |
| Jun | 50% |
| Jul | 53% |
| Aug | 43% |
| Sep | 38% |
| Oct | 27% |
| Nov | 31% |
| Dec | 56% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Steamboat Springs are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Steamboat Springs
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 571 | 22,671 | ★ 4.70 |
| 2 | Mountain Resorts | 302 | 3,678 | ★ 4.70 |
| 3 | Retreatia | 291 | 9,734 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Moving Mountains | 157 | 468 | ★ 4.95 |
| 5 | Simply Steamboat | 132 | 984 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Steamboat Springs?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Steamboat Springs are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 17.3% |
| vrbo | 6.9% |
| both | 75.8% |
Home Value Trends (Steamboat Springs)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs — 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
Steamboat Springs runs one of Colorado’s most structured STR licensing systems, and enforcement is strict. Any rental under 30 consecutive nights needs a city license from the CityView Portal before bookings begin. The license costs about $250 and renews annually. The 2022 overlay (Ordinances 2856 to 2858) sets three zones. Zone A allows unlimited licenses. Zone B has six subzones capped at 5 to 20 units each and issues new licenses only for nonconforming or legacy properties. Zone C prohibits new licenses except for pre-existing permits or nonconforming registrations. Hosted STRs (one guestroom up to 400 square feet, owner present) and Temporary STRs (primary residence, 2 occurrences and 30 days per year) are exempt from the Zone B caps and Zone C prohibition. Occupancy is limited to one person per 150 square feet, from 2 to 16 guests, and a local responsible party must answer complaints within one hour. A 9% STR accommodations tax applies on top of the 8.4% sales tax stack, and properties in the Local Marketing District add a 2% tax. Fines can reach $2,650 per violation per day with a two-year operating ban on conviction, and the city collected $209,100 in STR fines in 2024. Since September 2025, Zone A operators get a notice before a summons, while Zone B and C violations remain cite-first. Unincorporated Routt County prohibits STRs except in commercial districts.
Market Comparison
Against rough national norms of about 55% occupancy and a $220 average daily rate, Steamboat Springs ran 18.3 occupancy points lower and about 77% higher on rate in August 2026. The 2025 annual average of 48.8% occupancy was 6.2 points under the national figure, while the 2025 annual rate of $452 was about double the national rate. The market earns through price rather than volume, and August is a shoulder period for a ski town, so the August occupancy gap overstates the annual gap. Top operator rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Steamboat Springs, so this profile omits them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Steamboat Springs, Colorado
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