Short Term Rentals

We heard your comments and have adjusted our licensing process for short term rentals in order to have the easiest application process possible. Formerly, STR Helper was our portal for applying for a short term rental license, as well as a non-compliant property search tool.  

Starting July 1, 2019 the Planning Division will be taking over the processing and accepting of paper applications in our office at 1445 10th St. Golden, CO 80401. STR Helper will continue assisting us in the search for non-compliant properties, as well as code enforcement efforts. 

 Our new application process can be found here!

Please note: If you received your short term rental certification through the website, it is still valid. The Planning Division is now your go-to for any questions.

Email salexander@cityofgolden.net with your Short Term Rental questions or call us at 303-384-8097

The City has hired a short-term rental compliance company, STR Helper, to monitor short-term rental activity in Golden beginning in January of 2019 and including managing a call center for help with the licensing process and to report nuisance complaints. STR Helper will also issue notices of violation as needed on behalf of the city. The goal of using a service like STR Helper is to ensure better compliance with the city’s regulations around renting on a short-term basis and to protect neighborhood character in Golden.

The most noteworthy of the 2018 adopted short-term rental regulations is the provision that requires all dwelling units located in residential zoning districts to be the primary residence of the owner of record at least 10 months a year. A sales and use tax license, insurance, life/safety certification, and parking requirements must also be met to receive a license.

Residents currently operating a short-term rental, or wishing to do so, must apply for and receive a short-term rental license (residential zoned property) or tourist home license (commercial zoned property) to avoid a citation. Learn everything you need to know about operating a short-term rental in Golden and apply for a license using the new online application portal by visiting www.cityofgolden.net/shorttermrentals. For help with the application process or concerns regarding a neighbor's short-term rental (think noise, trash, parking, etc), contact the new short-term rental call center at 303 479 3193. 

On May 24, 2018, City Council approved on second reading Ordinance 2078, as amended, enacting Chapter 18.22 of the Golden Municipal Code titled Temporary Lodging Regulations and including a license requirement for short-term rentals or those less than 30 days. The final Ordinance is provided below. The ordinance also ends the moratorium on new short-term rentals as of it's effective date of June 11, 2018. At that time staff will be accepting license applications at the Planning and Public Works Offices located at 1445 10th Street. More information on licensing is available at www.cityofgolden.net/shorttermrentals. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact Amber Wesner, City Planner, at awesner@cityofgolden.net.

City Council held a first reading on the proposed Ordinance 2078, enacting regulations for short-term rentals on May 10, 2018. The second reading and hearing will be Thursday, May 24, 2018, with an opportunity for public comment. Staff has provided the original memorandum on the proposed Ordinance as well as a supplemental memorandum in response to Council's requests for clarification and questions which were brought forth on May 10 in the document center. If you have additional questions, please contact the Case Manager, Amber Wesner, at awesner@cityofgolden.net or comment in the forum below. 

The Draft Ordinance to be considered for short-term rental regulation is now available to view below. The ordinance was discussed at a Hearing of Planning Commission on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, at 6:30 p.m., where it passed unanimously and a recommendation of approval was drafted for City Council's consideration. City Council will hear the draft ordinance with a first reading on May 10.  The second reading and Hearing will be held on May 24 at 6:30 p.m. with public notification provided. If you have any questions please contact the Case Manager, Amber Wesner, at awesner@cityofgolden.net or comment below. All comments and survey results on Guiding Golden will be included in Council's packet in advance of the second reading. 

Staff met with City Council on January 18 in Study Session to discuss Planning Commission and staff’s recommendations regarding regulation of short-term rentals in Golden. Council agreed further regulation was necessary and directed staff to begin to work with the City Attorney to draft an ordinance for Planning Commission and Council’s further review and discussion. Council has indicated that they want all future applications for this type of land use to be considered based upon updated criteria and requirements. As a result, Council has decided to put a moratorium on new residential short term rentals (Tourist Homes) in place for six months, in order to give the City time to draft, review and agree upon an ordinance to create this new regulatory framework.

Several regulatory changes are being further investigated and considered for short-term rentals in Golden including the following:

·  Currently vacation rentals such as AirBnB and VRBO, to name a few, are regulated under “Tourist Homes.” Short-term rentals, indicating rentals less than 30 days, should align with the sales and use tax code and be defined in the Golden Municipal Code as Short-term Rentals.

·  Short-term rentals should require a special use permit and be reviewed administratively similar to small animal permits and neighborhood farmer’s markets, with an appeal process to Planning Commission.

·  Short-term rental special use permits should be subject to a 2-year renewal requirement rather than a five-year requirement, currently available to Tourist Homes. The fee for a two-year permit would be $200.

·  All residentially zoned districts (RE, R-1, R1-A, R2, and R3) and Planned Unit Developments (PUD) which are residential in nature, would allow short-term rentals with the following limitations:

o        The property in which the short-term rental is to be located must be the owner of record’s primary residence or, in the case of multiple dwelling units on one lot, the owner must reside in one of the dwelling units.

o       The owner of record must occupy their primary residence for at least 10 months per year; this allows for limited short-term whole house rental (such as a “home exchange”) in residentially zoned districts.

o        No more than 4 unrelated or related and unrelated individuals may occupy a dwelling unit, which can be tracked by requiring owners to submit rental agreements upon request

·  While the regulations would be different if the short-term rental is taking place in a commercial zoned districts (C1, C2, CMU), where vacation and short term rentals are a use by right, all short term rentals would need a sales and use tax license, a life safety affidavit, and proof of liability insurance.
 

·  Council wishes to further research parking requirements for short-term rentals, as well as how this would fit into the current context of residential parking requirements. This could include no off street parking requirement, a requirement for one parking space per short-term rental dwelling unit (similar to the requirement for 1 parking space for an Accessory Dwelling unit), or a requirement to park per bedroom rented.

·  A lodging tax is very common in other municipalities in Colorado; the tax would be assessed for hotels and bed and breakfasts, but could include short-term rentals. This tax option will be further investigated through Golden’s Investment Forum Task Force. Funds received could help to fund affordable housing, parks, open space acquisition, and more.

·  The condition of the property in which a short-term rental special use permit is requested should be reviewed by staff as a part of the short-term rental permit process. This could include:

o         Review of any past Planning or Building Code Violations and a determination by staff if an inspection is required based on the condition of the structure.

o         Signing of a Life/Safety Affidavit (adequate carbon monoxide alarm, fire alarms, and extinguisher)

o         Proof of Liability Insurance sufficient to cover injuries to guests, as set by the City Manager.

·    Enforcement would include monitoring short-term rentals and citations for non-compliance.

o         Short-term rentals would be required to display a short-term rental permit number on all advertising and on the property (such as in a window) for tracking purposes.

o         Citations would escalate for non-compliance

o         The City Manager would have the authority to revoke a short-term rental special use permit and potentially require that a property owner forfeit the ability to renew based on the type or number of nuisance complaints.

·  As of this writing, there are nine permitted “Tourist Homes” in Golden. These permitted short-term rentals could be grandfathered in, but may be required to provide a life/safety affidavit, posting the permit number on the rental as well as all advertising, and would likely have to comply with the new short-term rental regulations upon expiration of their current permit.

·  Special Use Permits by code typically run with the property. Regulatory changes for short-term rentals would additionally require the permit to be tied to the owner of record, rather than just the property. This would ensure, in the case of a sale, that the new owners are required to reapply for a permit and meet all regulatory requirements. 

*Please share your thoughts on the above referenced regulatory options and any other general feedback on short term rental regulation!