Festival Lodging Rental Licenses

The Festival Lodging Rental License allows Boulder homeowners and tenants to rent out their home for 29 days or fewer 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 Festival Lodging Rental License may only be used from Jan. 11 to Feb. 9, 2027.

Updates

Applications for the Festival Lodging Rental License are now open for use from Jan. 11 to Feb. 9, 2027, during the 2027 Sundance Film Festival.

City Council approved the Festival Lodging Rental License Ordinance 8715 for property owners at the Oct. 9 meeting and on April 2, 2026, approved Ordinance 8743 with updates to the Festival Lodging Rental License ordinance. Key updates to the license include:

  • New options for owners of and tenants in properties with Long-Term Rental Licenses or exemptions to rent out their space during city-approved Special Festival Events. Requires property owner’s consent to participate.
  • Allowing property owners with vacant units that have a Long-Term Rental License to participate.
  • Establishing a new one-year license term, with a $75 fee, eligible on properties holding a Long-Term Rental License.
  • Balancing additional lodging opportunities with the desire to ensure the primary use of most residential properties remains housing for long-term residents.
  • Increasing lodging opportunities for festival attendees along major transit corridors, where many existing Long-Term Rental Licenses are located.

The updates are intended to promote equity for all community members and property owners to rent an entire residence or individual bedrooms during city-approved Special Festival Events.

Program Goals

  • Create lodging opportunities for attendees to Special Festival Events, while ensuring the primary use of most homes in Boulder is for city residents.
  • Support the local economy by creating lodging opportunities in Boulder for visitors to Special Festival Events, rather than visitors staying outside Boulder and commuting in.
  • Reduce the climate and traffic impacts of visitors, including carbon reduction and fewer vehicle miles traveled, by creating lodging opportunities within, rather than outside of, the city.

Licensing Requirements

The Festival Lodging Rental License can be used for city-approved Special Festival Events. Requirements include the following:

  • The license is limited to 29 days per year
  • Any property ownership type is allowed to hold the license
  • Non-primary resident property owners are allowed a license - eligible residential units do not have to be owner-occupied
  • Tenants in properties with a Long-Term rental license are eligible
  • A safety affidavit and contact information
  • Compliance with existing occupancy standards for safety
  • Usage is limited to when the city issues a Festival Event License plus 10 days before and nine days after the festival dates
  • The Festival Lodging Rental License application fee is:
    • For licenses issued on units without a current rental license - $190 for a four year license
    • For licenses issued on a unit with a valid long-term rental license - $75 for a one year license
  • The Business License application fee is $25 per unit (dwelling and rooming units)
  • Annual recertification is not required

Special Festival Events

City-approved Special Festival Events include:

  • 2027 Sundance Film Festival | Jan. 21 to 31, 2027

Frequently Asked Questions

A Festival Lodging Rental License is a rental license that the city has created to allow people to rent out their space 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 Event 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 (15,000+ attendees), multi-day 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 and tenants to rent a residential unit for less than a month.

No. Applications are open year-round. We encourage those interested to apply early. Applications can take two to six weeks to process, and you are not eligible to offer or advertise your property until the license is issued. In addition, applicants must plan for time to prepare and list your home, which can take up to six months for the best results.

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.

Below is a comparison of the two license types:

License ProvisionShort Term Rental LicenseFestival Lodging Rental License
Who Can Apply
  • Natural person whose name is on the deed.
  • Trust, if beneficiary is a natural person.
  • Not-for-profit corporation.

  • Any ownership type.
Ownership Proof
  • Documentation showing proof of requirements above, including driver’s license, documents proving eligibility such as a deed, trust paperwork, sworn statement, or corporate status.
  • Affidavit of ownership eligibility.
Application Requirements
  • Certification of life safety equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Occupancy shall not exceed what is permitted in the Property Maintenance Code.
  • Sleeping areas must be “habitable” as defined in the property maintenance code.
  • Only one rental license per property.
  • ADUs are only eligible if established prior to 2/1/2019 and meet certain requirements.
  • Must be the applicant’s principal residence.
  • Certification of life safety equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Occupancy shall not exceed what is permitted in the Property Maintenance Code.
  • Sleeping areas must be “habitable” as defined in the property. maintenance code
  • Only one rental license per residential unit.
  • Does not need to be the applicant’s principal residence.

Annual requirement
  • Annual affidavit certifying principal residence.
  • None
Duration
  • Four years
  • Four years
Maximum Days
  • No limit if the property meets the definition of a principal residence when renting the entire home.
  • An accessory unit may be rented up to 120 days per year (no more than 29 days at a time).
  • Maximum 29 total days per year
License Cost
  • $190 application fee + $25 business license + $20 annual affidavit fee
  • $190 application fee + $25 business license for licenses issued on units without a current rental license
  • $75 application fee + $25 business license for licenses issued on a unit with a valid long-term rental license

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 fewer restrictions to qualify.

Yes, unlike a standard Short-Term Rental License, a Festival Lodging Rental License does not restrict ownership to principal residences.

If your unit has a Short-Term Rental License, no, you can only have one rental license. If you have two or more dwelling units on your property (for example, a primary home and an ADU), you can have a Festival Lodging Rental License on the unit that does not currently have a Short-Term Rental License.

Yes, if your unit has a Long-Term Rental License,you can now apply for the Festival Lodging Rental License. The license allows property owners with vacant units that have a Long-Term Rental Licenses to participate. There is now a new one-year license term, with a $75 fee, eligible on properties holding a Long-Term Rental License.

Yes. For example, if you rent one unit (like your ADU or one side of a duplex, and you reside in the other unit such as the house or other unit in the duplex), you can have a Festival Lodging Rental License for the unit you live in. You cannot have a Festival Lodging Rental License for the unit with an existing rental license.

Yes, in addition to full homes, the Festival Lodging Rental License also applies to spare bedrooms.

Yes. With permission from the landlord/property owner, tenants can now apply for Festival Lodging Rental Licenses for their spaces.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their property manager/ property owner before applying. While a tenant festival permit may be allowed under city ordinance, individual properties may impose additional requirements. These may include, but are not limited to, lease addenda, written agreements, insurance requirements and access (key) or parking restrictions. If your property owner has not given consent for tenants to obtain a Festival Lodging Rental License, the city will notify them and request consent.

As part of the application process, you will be issued 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, is $190, plus a $25 business license application fee. The license is valid for four years.

There is also now a one-year license term, with a $75 fee, eligible on properties holding a Long-Term Rental License.

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.

No, your festival license can only be used for events that the city approves and cannot be used for CU Graduation, Football Games or other events in the city like the BolderBoulder or Boulder Creek Festival. Currently, the only festival that has been approved is the Sundance Film Festival for 2027.

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.

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