The last couple of years have been an ever evolving short term rental landscape. Every town implemented rules, the county implemented rules. Moratoriums were put in place then ended. The rules changed here but not there. It’s been ridiculously hard to keep up. And once again, after a nine month moratorium, Summit County short term rental regulations have been updated. I’m not holding my breath on how long they will last. And to be honest, I hope they are inundated with complaints and they decide they need to revamp the system again.
Is my property governed by Summit County regulations?
First thing is to determine who makes the rules regarding your property. If it is in town limits, that town governs. If it is not, Summit County rules govern. The town listed in the address doesn’t mean a thing. If you aren’t sure where where your property resides, your property taxes should help to clarify. Some popular places that are within county jurisdiction are Copper Mountain, Keystone, Wildernest and Dillon Valley. The homes south of Breckenridge are in the county unless they are in the town of Blue River. Keystone is currently voting on becoming an incorporated town but until that happens, if it ever does, they are still under county rule.
Where are the Resort Zones?
Summit County has sectioned out areas of the county and designated them as Resort Zones. Those zones, they believe, were set up as short term rental areas and should remain that way. Copper, Keystone, a small areas on Peak 8 and Tiger Run Resort are in the Resort Overlay Zone. Owners in this zone need a Resort Rental License before doing any short term rentals and there are occupancy limits. If your property is not in the Resort Zone, it is a Neighborhood Zone and has much stricter rules on short term rentals.
Can I short term rent in Neighborhood Zones?
Yes, you can have a short term rental in a Neighborhood Zone however, there are limits on the number of licenses that can be issued, the number of rentals allowed, and occupancy limits. If your Summit County home is your primary residence that you want to short term rent, a license is still required but it does not count towards the license cap that is in place for other Neighborhood Zone properties.
Currently the number of short term rental licenses already issued is above the new Neighborhood Zone caps put in place. This means that no new licenses will be issued until the numbers fall. Licenses are renewed annually. If licenses are not renewed, obviously, the number of active STR licenses will go down. An owner can opt out of short term rentals and not renew or if a property is sold, the license does not transfer and is not renewable. It will likely take years for the license numbers to get low enough that new ones will be issued. As of January, the Summit County website reports the following number of licenses available and active licenses.
- Lower Blue Basin: 550 (currently at 669)
- Upper Blue Basin: 590 (currently at 733)
- Snake River Basin: 130 (currently at 226)
- Ten Mile Basin: 20 (currently at 31)
The county will update the numbers every January after the annual renewals.
Short term rental regulations
There are many Summit County short term rental regulations not mentioned in this article. Be sure you know the current regulations and follow them. Licenses are required for rentals less than 30 days. There are occupancy limits, parking rules, trash and noise rules too. There must be someone to contact and notices posted for renters. If you rent with a short term rental company, they should handle all of this for you. Because it is ultimately your responsibility, it is best to make sure you have a conversation with them about it and confirm the rules are being followed.
Properties within town boundaries
If your property falls within town boundaries, Summit County short term rental regulations do not apply to you. Follow the rules of the corresponding town. Check out Frisco STR rules, Breckenridge short term rentals, Dillon STR regulations, Silverthorne short term rental regulations, or Blue River rental rules. As I stated earlier, rules are always changing. Make sure you are following the most recent rules. When in doubt, contact the government entity directly.
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