STR Rules for Unincorporated Summit CountyUnincorporated Summit County refers to areas that fall outside the boundaries of incorporated towns while still being within Summit County.
All STRs must have a Short Term Rental license.
According to the newest regulations, adopted in February 2023, Summit County Unincorporated is divided into “Basins” and each basin has a cap on the amount of STR licenses for each basin.
- Lower Blue: Currently has 669 STRs. Cap is set at 550 STRs (approx. 15% of units in the NOZ)
- Upper Blue: Currently has 733 STRs. Cap is set at 590 STRs (approx. 18% of units in the NOZ)
- Snake River: Currently has 226 STRs. Cap is set at 130 STRs (approx. 5% of units in the NOZ)
- Ten Mile: Currently has 31 STRs. Cap is set at 20 STRs (approx. 6% of units in the NOZ)
NOZ: refers to Neighborhood Overlay Zone. See more info below about the Neighborhood Overlay Zone.
Currently, the amount of short-term rental licenses exceeds the caps in all those areas. There are currently 1,659 short term rentals, and the goal of these caps is to reduce that to 1,290. (2/20/2023)
This does not apply to Keystone or Copper Mountain Resort Areas. No license caps, or any of the new regulations, will be in effect for what county officials have called “resort overlay zones,” which include Keystone Resort and Copper Mountain Resort.
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The Rules
Updated License Types
At the 2023 renewal period, all Neighborhood Overlay Zone licenses will convert to the new Type II Licenses, unless approved for a Type I exception license.
There is no grandfathering in place. Pre-existing Licenses, Type I, Type II, and Type III Licenses will all convert to the new Type II License, unless the operator applies for a Type I exception license.
New Type II Standards:
- 35 Bookings per year, from October 1 through September 30
- Occupancy of 2 renters per bedroom, plus 2, unless restricted by septic system capacity
- License issuance restricted by Caps
- No longer limited by number of nights
New Type I Standards:
- 35 Bookings per year, from October 1 through September 30
- Occupancy of 2 renters per bedroom, plus 2, unless restricted by septic system capacity
- Not restricted by cap: Must be reviewed and confirmed by staff to meet criteria below
Other Important Details
- STR licenses expire Sept. 30 of every year, or upon sale of the property. Application for renewal must be submitted 30 days prior to expiration. STR licenses do NOT transfer along with the sale of a property but can be transferred to family members or spouses/domestic partners.
- Owners of properties in Keystone and Copper Mountain must still apply for an STR license, or some property management companies will apply for STR license on their behalf.
- All STRs must have a Responsible Agent (RA) available 24/7 to address any issues. This can be a property management company, or an individual who pledges to be available 24/7.
- There is a limit of 2 individuals per bedroom + 2 additional individuals per property. (ex. A 2 bedroom can host a maximum of 6 people, and a 3 bedroom can host a maximum of 8 individuals.)
- We also recommend you contact your Water and Sanitation Department to see what your new rates will be when you begin short term renting.