Colorado county commissioners will vote today on short-term rental regulations after a botched April 28 meeting forced them to nullify an approval and start over.
The original vote passed following public comment, then was immediately revoked after technical issues prevented online participants from hearing or commenting on the meeting.
The Arapahoe County regulations would require all STR owners to hold a license, limit rentals to 180 days per year, and enforce a 500-foot separation between whole-house STR licenses in residential neighborhoods.
Existing operators get 60 days to apply for a license once the rules take effect, after which no additional legacy requests will be accepted. New requirements include property owner insurance and an occupancy cap for gatherings during rental periods.
Jason Reynolds, planning division manager for Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, said the county currently has no rules in place for short-term rentals.
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The ordinance is being criticized by the executive director of the Colorado Short-Term Rental Association
One Holly Hills resident told commissioners she came home to 52 cars on her street of single-family homes, struggling to find parking because of short-term rental events. Another operator countered that the rules are unclear enough that hosts could follow them and still lose their licenses.
According to Colorado Politics, Julia Koster, executive director of the Colorado Short-Term Rental Association, criticized the ordinance for piling on restrictions all at once.
The association worries legacy exemptions will lock out new operators who recently bought homes with STR income plans.
The May 12 hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. at the county administration building in Littleton.
Operators who miss the 60-day licensing window will lose their chance at legacy status permanently.
