License Application

Short-Term Rental License Application

If you own property within unincorporated Summit County (outside the boundary of an incorporated town) and are interested in renting it for periods of less than 30 consecutive days, you are required to obtain a short-term vacation rental (STR) license.

All STR licenses will be valid through September 30 with annual renewal required by September 30 of each year. Renewal reminders will be emailed to all license holders at least 30 days prior to expiration.

A current list of all active STR licenses in unincorporated Summit County is available and updated every week in pdf format. To search for an address, use Ctrl F to activate the search function.

Before beginning the online Summit County STR license application, check the Property Search and Mapping Tool to verify whether your STR is located within town limits or within unincorporated Summit County. It is important to verify the jurisdiction in which your property is located, as each jurisdiction has its own STR regulations and applicable taxes.

STR Mapping Tool

Looking for a specific STR property or license number? Curious what the current cap levels are in each basin? Check out our new interactive map where you can search for short term rentals in unincorporated Summit County:

• Email us
• Phone: 970-668-4186
• Office location: Summit County Planning Department, 0037 Peak One Drive, Frisco, CO 80443 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

In the Resort Overlay Zone, a conditional use permit (CUP) application is required for any short-term vacation rental (STR) proposing an occupancy of 20 or more people, or proposing to deviate from the occupancy, parking or other site standards in the Summit County STR regulations.

Summit County staff will review the CUP application in the context of the property and neighborhood to consider whether the types of uses in the neighborhood, the home size, lot size and distance to neighboring properties could potentially enable these properties to accommodate higher occupancies and/or additional vehicles parked on site.

CUP applications will be referred to agencies such as the water and sanitation districts (or State Engineer and Environmental Health Department for units on well and septic systems), fire department and building department to evaluate whether the unit is able to adequately accommodate the proposed occupancy and vehicle parking, given the capacity of the existing services and infrastructure and the potential impacts to adjacent residents.

Type I STR licenses are still being issued and do not count towards the cap. To see if you meet the criteria for a Type I license, please review Section 6.2.l of Ordinance 20-C.

If you wish to apply for a Type I license, you must first verify you have all of the required documents as set forth in the Ordinance, including but not limited to:

• Evidence showing the STR Qualified Occupant (QO) has a mailing address in Summit County.
• Evidence showing the QO works in Summit County (paystub, W-2, etc)
• Copy of a lease to QO (if applicable)
• At least 2 of the following showing the STR address:
  • Voter registration
  • Tax returns or other tax documents
  • Motor Vehicle Registration

  Resort and Neighborhood Overlay Zones
  
  Summit County has adopted STR Overlay Zones to acknowledge the distinction between neighborhoods and resort communities. If your property is located in the STR Resort Overlay Zone (ROZ) which includes Copper Mountain, Tiger Run Resort, some undeveloped portions of Keystone and unincorporated areas at the base of Peak 8 in Breckenridge, you will apply for a Resort License. Resort Licenses have greater occupancy, allowances, and no restrictions on the number of nights rented.

  If your property is not located in the Resort Overlay Zone then it is in the STR Neighborhood Overlay Zone (NOZ)

  Verify Your Property Jurisdiction and Locate Your Schedule Number
  
  The County STR regulations do not apply to properties located inside the boundaries of incorporated towns.

  Before beginning the online Summit County STR license application, check the Property Search and Mapping Tool to verify whether your STR is located within town limits or within unincorporated Summit County. It is important to verify the jurisdiction in which your property is located, as each jurisdiction has its own STR regulations and applicable taxes.

  If your property is located within town limits, you do not need an STR license from Summit County. You do need to apply for an STR license from the applicable town. If your property is located within unincorporated Summit County (outside town limits), you must obtain an STR license with the County in order to short-term rent. Please note that the following neighborhoods are located in unincorporated Summit County, not an incorporated town (this list is not comprehensive):

  • Buffalo Mountain
  • Copper Mountain
  • Dillon Valley
  • Heeney
  • Keystone
  • Mesa Cortina
  • Peak 7
  • Silver Shekel
  • Summit Cove
  • Wildernest
  • Resort Overlay Zone - Resort License: $285/year
  • Neighborhood Overlay Zone - Type I: $230/year
  • Neighborhood Overlay Zone - Type II: $350/year

  License fees cannot be prorated and are non-refundable.

  All STR license application fees are analyzed annually during review and adoption of the Summit County Planning Department Development Review Fee Schedule in March of each year, and will be adjusted annually as needed based on the volume of STR licenses and associated administrative costs.

  We also recommend you contact your Water and Sanitation Department to see what your new rates will be when you begin short term renting.

  Materials Needed to Apply for a Short-Term Rental License
  
  Applications will be denied if they contain unverified bedrooms or incorrect information. Please confirm the number of official bedrooms in your unit with the Summit County Assessor prior to application and ensure all information, including unit number, is correct.

  Please read through all regulations and requirements before applying. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted and refunds will not be issued. Please verify you have the following information and documents:

  • If your property is on a septic system, you will need an OWTS pumper report from within the last 3 years. If you need help locating your pumper report, either use the County's eTRAKiT tool or contact Environmental Health at 970-668-4070.
  • Sales tax license number and certificate with Summit County listed as the jurisdiction. If you are using Airbnb, VRBO, or other Expedia Group websites, please visit the Tax Information page on our website. If you have questions regarding sales tax, please contact the Finance Department at 970-453-3439.
  • Completed and signed Acknowledgement form
  • If the property is owned by a Trust, LLC, Inc. or other multi-party entity, documentation listing all owners of a property, including form of ownership and percentage share, as applicable.
  • If property is on a well, you must submit the well permit. Please visit the Colorado Division of Water Resources to locate the permit. If the property also has a hot tub being served by a well, you are required to submit proof that the well has been properly augmented. For more information on water augmentation, please visit the Vidler Water website.
  • Proof of fire pit permit issued by Summit Fire and EMS, if property has an outdoor fire pit.
  • If property is owned by an LLC, Trust, or other organization, you must list all members/owners of the group and fill out the Property Entity Membership Form.
  • Only applicable for Type I licenses:
  • Evidence showing the STR Qualified Occupant (QO) has a mailing address in Summit County.
  • Evidence showing the QO works in Summit County (paystub, W-2, etc)
  • Copy of a lease to QO (if applicable)
  • At least 2 of the following showing the STR address:
    • Voter registration
    • Tax returns or other tax documents
    • Motor Vehicle Registration

    Please note that incomplete or incorrect applications submitted will be rejected and no refunds will be issued.

    For Properties in the Neighborhood Overlay Zone
    
    Staff is currently only accepting applications for Type I licenses in the Neighborhood Overlay Zone. No Type II license applications are available at this time. People can apply for the Type I license only if the Qualified Occupant meets all required criteria as described in STR Ordinance 20-C. Any Type I application that does not meet the requirements will be rejected and no refunds will be issued. Please note: Type I licenses do not count towards the CAPs and there is no limit to how many will be issued.

    For more information on the current cap numbers in the Neighborhood Overlay Zone, please visit our Basin Caps page.

    If you have all required documents and are ready to apply for your Type I license, please click on 'Apply for a short term rental license' in the Host Compliance Portal.

    To apply, update, or renew a Summit County Short-Term Rental License, make sure you’re using Chrome or FireFox.

    You do NOT have an STR license until you receive an approval email from the Summit County Planning staff and/or Host Compliance with the approved details of your license.

    Please note that staff will not accept applications that do not meet all required criteria and no refunds will be issued for incorrect or incomplete submittals.

    For Properties in the Resort Overlay Zone
    
    There are currently no limit to the number of licenses available for properties in the Resort Overlay Zone.

    To apply, update, or renew a Summit County Short-Term Rental License, make sure you’re using Chrome or FireFox.

    You do NOT have an STR license until you receive an approval email from the Summit County Planning staff and/or Host Compliance with the approved details of your license.