Where Can You Still Buy a Short-Term Rental in Durango?
"Is there anywhere left in Durango where I can still get a vacation rental permit?"
If you've been looking into buying a short-term rental in Durango, you've probably asked yourself that same question. I know I did. You find a property you love, start reading about permits, zones, caps, and waitlists, and before long it's hard to tell what's actually possible and where to even begin.
So in late September, I went straight to the source and sat down face to face with staff in the city's planning department. They were a big help and a great resource, and it's reassuring to know that clear answers are always a phone call, email, or meeting away. What follows is what I learned about where you can still buy a vacation rental in Durango today, and how quickly you could realistically be up and running.
Where to Buy a Short-Term Rental in Durango: The Short Answer
As of October 2026, the fastest path to a legal short-term rental inside Durango city limits is one of three condo buildings with no city cap on vacation rentals: Ferringway, the Jarvis Building, and Mears House. In these buildings, a new owner can apply for their own vacation rental permit without joining a waitlist. Nearly everywhere else that allows vacation rentals, the caps are full and a waitlist applies, and in much of the city, vacation rentals aren't allowed at all.
If you're new to how Durango regulates short-term rentals, my getting started guide covers permits, parking, occupancy, and the rule that surprises almost everyone: permits don't transfer when a property sells.
Durango Condos That Allow Short-Term Rentals With No Cap
Ferringway
Perched on the mesa across from Fort Lewis College, just minutes from downtown, Ferringway at 6 Ferringway Circle has no city cap on vacation rentals. According to the HOA's management company, all 51 units are eligible to operate as vacation rentals, and about 40 held permits as of the city's September 2026 list. It's also one of the most amenity-rich communities in town, with a seasonal outdoor pool, a year-round hot tub, a sauna and locker rooms, and a clubhouse, plus hiking and biking trails right out the door. With a community this established, the HOA documents are worth a careful read: look at how amenity use is handled for rental guests, how the dues are structured, and how well the reserves are funded to maintain those shared features over time.
The Jarvis Building
At the corner of 10th and Main, in the heart of the Main Avenue Historic District, the Jarvis Building has a story of its own. Back in 1915, it housed the Gem Theatre, one of Durango's early movie houses. Today, the building has no city cap on vacation rentals, and a review of historical MLS data for its units suggests the HOA's governing documents allow short-term rentals. About 10 units held permits as of September 2026. One tip if you're searching for units here: the condos are listed as Jarvis Condominiums or Jarvis Suites Condos, under two addresses, 1001 Main Avenue and 125 W 10th Street, so be sure to search all of them or you could miss an opportunity. Guests can step out the door to downtown restaurants, breweries, and shops, with the train and the Animas River Trail just a short walk away. In a historic building, the HOA's reserve study and any recent or planned special assessments deserve a close look, since older structures can come with their own maintenance considerations.
Mears House
Just off Main on East 2nd Avenue, Mears House at 543 E 2nd Avenue is the newest of the three, a mixed-use building completed in 2003 and sitting about a block from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot. Guests are within an easy stroll of downtown dining, shopping, and entertainment, and like the others, Mears House has no city cap on vacation rentals. About 10 units held permits as of September 2026. What sets it apart is the length of stay. The HOA requires a seven-day minimum for vacation rentals, a rule that has appeared consistently in listings over the past few years. That rules out typical weekend bookings and shifts the revenue picture, so it's worth confirming the current rules in the HOA documents before you buy.
Whichever building catches your eye, always confirm current vacation rental requirements with the City of Durango and review that building's HOA guidelines before making an offer, since each one sets its own rules.
What "No Cap" Does and Doesn't Mean
No cap means no waitlist, but it doesn't mean automatic approval. Each new owner still needs their own vacation rental permit, and the details of that process, such as the application fee and whether neighbors need to be notified, may differ in these buildings from what applies elsewhere in town. Uncapped buildings can come with their own specifics, so it's worth confirming the process with both the city and the HOA before you buy.
Parking is another detail to check early. Durango's Land Use and Development Code generally requires one off-street parking space for every bedroom in a vacation rental (Section 4-5-2-2), and in condo buildings, only the spaces assigned to your unit count toward that requirement (Section 2-2-3-4.G.6). So if you're looking at a two-bedroom condo with one assigned space, that's worth a closer look before you make an offer.
And remember, if a unit you're buying holds a permit today, that permit ends when the sale closes, so applying for your own is part of the plan from day one.
The Waitlist Path: Capped Developments and Neighborhoods
Outside those three buildings, most places that allow vacation rentals have a cap, and according to the city, most of those caps have been reached.
In the two residential neighborhood zones, EN-1 and EN-2, the numbers tell the story. As of October 2026, EN-1 allows 22 permits, with 21 active, 1 pending, and 26 people on the waitlist. EN-2 allows 17 permits, all 17 active, with 11 people waiting. More people are waiting in EN-1 than there are permits in the entire zone. These neighborhoods also limit vacation rentals to one per street segment.
Several downtown and mixed-use developments have their own caps and waitlists, with a $100 application to join. Each one is worth looking at on its own, because the odds vary. Crimson Cliffs, a townhouse community at 1422 Animas View Drive, has more than 50 units and a cap of 6, with only two people on its waitlist as of October 2026. Other capped developments, including 270 E College (cap of 3), Ryler Park (cap of 2), and Eastside Lofts at 610 E 8th Avenue (cap of 2), have far fewer permits available.
Keep in mind that buying a home that's currently a vacation rental doesn't carry the permit with it. The permit ends at closing, and in capped areas, the city requires a property to be on the waitlist before it's eligible to apply.
Why New Approvals Are So Hard Right Now
You might wonder whether a building that doesn't currently allow vacation rentals could simply be approved for them. Under the code, the development's prior approval would need to be amended, and each unit would still need its own permit. But staff were candid with me that under current City Council direction, which prioritizes long-term and local housing, those approvals are very difficult to get.
Where Vacation Rentals Aren't Allowed
This is where a lot of buyers get tripped up. Vacation rentals are only allowed in EN-1, EN-2, the Central Business zone, the Mixed-Use zones, and Planned Developments that specifically allow them. They aren't allowed in EN-3 through EN-6, or in Twin Buttes, Three Springs, Rockridge, or Skyridge, and properties with an accessory dwelling unit don't qualify. You may come across older articles online suggesting some of these neighborhoods just require a waitlist. They don't allow vacation rentals at all.
To check which zone a property sits in, the city's 2025 zoning map is the most current version, and the city's Zoning page links to the Land Use and Development Code and earlier maps. It's also worth knowing that rentals of 30 days or longer aren't regulated by the city as vacation rentals.
Before You Make an Offer
Caps and waitlists change, so treat the numbers here as a snapshot from October 2026. The city keeps its permit list and waitlist information on its Vacation Rental Information page, and I always confirm current details with staff and review the HOA documents before a client writes an offer.
Let's Talk
If one of these buildings has caught your eye, or you're weighing the waitlist path, I'd love to help you sort through it. Take a look at my Buy in Durango page, or reach out through my contact form. The coffee's on me.
