The Boulder County Land Use Department is seeking input on revisions to the land-use code pertaining to privately owned residences rented out for short-term use, or vacation rentals.
According to a letter sent to property owners, the county began looking into revising portions of the code that regulate vacation rentals after staff last year began receiving complaints from neighbors of properties in unincorporated Boulder County that had not been rented out in the past or had been rented out for longer periods, but were now rented out to groups on a frequent basis.
The current code allows home rentals of greater than 90 days as a use by right; however, short-term vacation rentals are allowed only if the Boulder County Commissioners approved the property owner’s request for the special use. The exception is if the home has been used as a vacation rental continuously since 1954. While new regulations are under review, the commissioners have issued a stay of enforcement on existing regulations on short-term rentals in unincorporated
County staff is proposing to add the term “lodging in a dwelling” to the land-use code, which would define vacation rentals as any residential dwelling rented for less than 30 days at a time. Renting out dwellings for longer than 30 days would remain a use by right.
The proposed regulations would include three different review processes, depending on how often the dwelling would be rented out:
- Less Intense would require only an administrative safety review by the Land Use Department;
- Medium or Mid-level Intensity would require administrative safety review and meet additional criteria to address issues of neighborhood character with a process to appeal the administrative decision;
- More Intense would require the administrative safety review plus the property owner to go through a Limited Impact Special Review process, which includes a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners.
Regardless of how often a home is rented out, it would have to meet 13 basic safety requirements and possibly conform to additional building codes, such as providing emergency escape and rescue openings for each bedroom, under the proposed regulations.
The county will begin taking public comment on its proposed regulations at a series of meetings starting in March. The first one is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, in the Public Hearing Room on the third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse,
For a look at the draft regulations, visit http://www.co.boulder.co.us/lu/code_updates/lodging_rental/index.htm.
If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to provide input on the proposed changes, e-mail Abigail Janusz, ajanusz@bouldercounty.org, or call (303) 441-3930.
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