The Festival Lodging Rental License would allow Boulder homeowners to rent out their home for 29 days or less a year during a major festival in the city. The license is designed to allow visitors to stay in Boulder while attending city-approved large, multi-day festivals and events, known as Special Festival Events.
The proposed Festival Lodging Rental License ordinance is currently moving through the City Council process. Council heard a second reading of the Ordinance 8715 at their Sept. 18 meeting. The proposed ordinance will go to a final vote at the Oct. 9 City Council meeting.
If approved, applications for the Festival Lodging Rental License will open on Dec. 1, 2025.
The Festival Lodging Rental License can be used for city-approved Special Festival Events. Requirements include the following:
City-approved Special Festival Events will be listed here, once designated
Festival Lodging Rental License is a rental license that the city has created to allow people to rent out their house for less than a month during a Special Festival Events in the city. The license is different than a short-term rental license, with fewer application requirements, is limited to when a city-approved Special Festival Events is occurring and is limited to a maximum of 29 days per year.
City-approved Special Festival Events are large, multi-day festivals and events that are anticipated to have a substantial lodging demand for attendees. The city is in the process of developing the Special Festival Event License, so no events have been approved under this license yet. The current working definition of a festival is events that are large (50,000+ attendees), multi-day (more than five days) and are anticipated to have a substantial lodging demand for attendees (such as exceeding the hotel capacity of the city).
Yes! This is a new type of rental license that creates a limited rental opportunity for property owners to rent a residential unit for less than a month.
No, if you already hold a Short-Term Rental License, you do not need an additional rental license to rent your home during Special Festival Events. You should rent it as a normal short-term rental.
The Festival Lodging Rental License builds upon the city’s Short-Term Rental License, but with differences. Regular Short-Term Rental Licenses are limited to owner-occupied homes and have limitations on the duration of use. It is important to note that the city only allows properties to hold one rental license type per unit at a time. What this means is that residential units that hold a long-term rental license or a short-term rental license are not be eligible for a Festival Lodging Rental License.
Below is a comparison of the two license types:
| License Provision | Short Term Rental License | Festival Lodging Rental License |
| Who Can Apply |
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| Ownership Proof |
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| Application Requirements |
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| Annual requirement |
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| Duration |
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| Maximum Days |
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| License Cost |
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If you are only interested in renting out your home during a Special Festival Event, the Festival Lodging Rental License has less on-going obligations than a regular Short-Term Rental License unit. Additionally, if you do not meet the application requirements of a Short-Term Rental License, the Festival Lodging Rental License may be an option, as there are no ownership-type restrictions.
Yes, unlike a standard Short-Term Rental License, a Festival Lodging Rental License does not restrict ownership to principal residences.
No, properties in Boulder can only have one rental license.
No, properties in Boulder can only have one rental license.
Applications are anticipated to open on Dec. 1. As part of your application, you will need to obtain a business license, sign the affidavits for ownership, safety and occupancy, and pay the application fees. Once you receive your license, you can prepare your property for listing, either yourself or through a property management company. Visit Boulder has additional information on this step that you can read here. You will be required to pay the short-term rental tax for any nights your home is rented.
The application, once available, is $190, plus a $25 business license application fee. The license is valid for four years.
First, obtain a Festival Lodging Rental License. Second, prepare your home for listing and rental yourself or through a property management company (consider coordinating through Visit Boulder). Third, when the city has approved a festival event to occur in the city, you will be notified via email of the dates you can use your license. Once notified, you can list your home for rental only for the dates provided. Any nights your home is rented will be subject to the city’s short-term rental tax.
The Festival Lodging Rental License is for homes within the City of Boulder. Boulder County’s website has more information on their Short-Term Dwelling and Vacation Rental License.
No. With a Festival Lodging Rental License you can only advertise and rent your home for dates when the city has approved a Special Festival Event. The city will notify all Festival Lodging Rental License owners of approved Special Festival Events and dates that you can rent your home.
If you are interested in using your home for a short-term rental for more than just during Special Festival Events, you will need to obtain a Short-Term Rental License. Learn more about the city's Short-Term Rental License.
Only property owners can apply for a rental license for the unit, not tenants. Properties with Long-Term Rental Licenses are not eligible to have more than one rental license per unit. If you want to have visitors stay in your rented home during a city-approved Special Festival Events, consult your lease terms and speak with your landlord or property management company.
