Renting Vacation Homes In Boulder County Could Get Difficult

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. -- If you live in Boulder County and you plan to rent your home out for the Democratic National Convention, or any other reason, you might be out of luck.

A regulation there prohibits anyone from renting out cabins or single-family homes.

The land use code has been on the books since 1954, but the county just started enforcing it this year.

Many homeowners wonder about the statute of limitations, enforcing a law that has been ignored for so long.

The county has started enforcement because short-term vacation rentals have become so popular, and booking over the Internet has become so easy, said Dale Case, interim director of the Boulder County Land Use Department.

Case said it’s a safety issue, but many homeowners said this is a blatant infringement on their property rights.

Some of the homes in question offer some of the most scenic views and secluded getaways -- privacy beyond what any hotel can provide.

"We’ve never had a complaint from any of the neighbors. Our guests rave about this place," said one vacation homeowner who did not want us to use his name.

"Who am I offending? What am I doing wrong?" he said. "People who travel, in many cases, think it’s very novel to stay in a mountain home."

Officials said it’s largely about traffic, building code issues and safety.

"The neighborhood issues, I think, are really probably centered around some of those newer larger houses that might be rented out," Case said.

Case said the Internet has caused a boom in rentals. And he said he realizes it’s a valuable industry.

"We understand how important they are to the economy up there in the mountains," he said.

The county is hosting an open house Tuesday night. Case said the county wants to gauge public opinion and gather community input.

There is a huge market for short-term vacation rentals in Colorado. Breckenridge has 2,500 listings on one Web site alone.