Short Term Rentals

Summit County to move to Level Orange on Monday, January 4, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.

Page updated on January 3, 2021 11:30 a.m.

On the evening of December 30, 2020, Governor Polis announced that he was asking Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to move counties like Summit County currently at Level Red to Level Orange on the State COVID-dial.

Summit County will move to Level Orange on Monday, January 4, and Summit County’s amended Public Health Order, revised in response to the State’s decision to move Summit County to level Orange, will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021.

Requirements for Short-term Lodging Operations

• Lodging – hotels, motels, and short-term rental lodging accommodation rentals of 30 days or less (e.g. Airbnb, VRBO, timeshares, RV parks, bed and breakfasts, condo-tels, lodges and retreats)
• Limitations on Public and Private Gatherings: Up to 10 people from no more than two households may be in one unit.
• High Risk Populations: Stay at home.

• Owners and/or entities responsible for the booking and renting of short-term lodging units must validate and confirm the identity of all renters upon arrival to ensure all individuals renting are arriving from no more than two households
• Employee records – Lodging businesses must collect current contact information for all employees, dates of all shifts worked by all employees, and other known places of employment for each employee.

Failure to comply with this Order is subject to penalties contained in Section 25-1-516 and 18-1.3-501, Colorado Revised Statutes, including a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment in the county jail for up to 18 months.

We thank you for your continued cooperation and patience during these unprecedented times and encourage everyone to stay safe and healthy.

Further Guidance

Please continue to review Summit County Public Health’s short-term rental guidelines as well as the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) short-term rental guidance.

• June 1, 2020: All transient lodging facilities must complete the Summit County Business Physical Distancing Protocol Form. This form does NOT need to be submitted to the County but must be available upon request and placed in a conspicuous location at each short-term rental property. It can be placed inside the home near one of the entrances.
• This document outlines safety measures each business will adopt to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in their property.
• Must also post Public Health Order Compliance Poster in your property.
• One hand sanitizer should also be placed near the entrance to the house, but you can certainly put out more throughout.
• In those locations with a central reservations office, the form shall be posted at or near the entrance of the office and shall be easily viewable by employees and customers.
• The transient lodging community shall comply with these protocols and procedures with advice and guidance from the Center of Disease Control (CDC), American Hotel and Lodging Association and Vacation Rental Management Association.
• Expedia Group Cleanliness Standards
• The completed Summit County Business Physical Distancing Protocol Form (PDP) and associated public directives must be made available upon request, and place in a conspicuous location at each property to be available for rental.
• Summit County businesses can make use of the following resources during COVID-19 response, stabilization and recovery – visit COVID-19 Business Resources.

Good Neighbor Guidelines (new June 1, 2020)

The Good Neighbor Guidelines are a code of ethics that visitors should follow to avoid negative impacts on the community. The document contains guidance on topics such as parking, wildfire prevention, respecting wildlife, waste disposal, noise and outdoor lighting.

The guidelines must be posted in a prominent location inside your rental home so that visitors will see them. Download the Good Neighbor Guidelines.

Who Needs a Short Term Rental License?

Anyone renting their Frisco property, or seeking to rent a property in Frisco, for less than a consecutive thirty-day period should be aware of the town’s requirements for short-term rentals. These requirements apply regardless of how the properties are marketed – through a management company, online such as VRBO and Airbnb, newspaper or word of mouth.

The application process requires the following 5 documents:

• Lawful Presence Affidavit – Only required for individuals applying as sole proprietors (file taxes with their social security number), not LLC or S-Corp. If you have an LLC or S-Corp, please provide a signed letter indicating that you are renting under this status.
• Proof of Identification – Copy of Driver’s License
• Self-Compliance Affidavit (Life Safety/Renter’s Information Notice) – this form must be notarized
• Responsible Agent Agreement– this form must be completed even if applicant is named as Responsible Agent
• Parking Plan Form – Indicate location and number of parking spaces dedicated to your unit and available to your guests on either an aerial photograph (Google Maps is a great resource) or a plat map is preferred.

You must have the following financial and rental information ready to complete the application process:

If you have not remitted Frisco sales and lodging taxes in the past, you must have the following rental history and financial information from January 2017 – present, in order to complete the application process. If you have been remitting sales and lodging tax under the previous process and business license, then please just put zeros in each field, as you should not be charged for sales and lodging tax twice.

• Monthly total taxable sales
• Number of nights occupied per month
• Number of nights available per month
• Monthly average nightly rate

Payment and Fees

• STR license application fee is $125.00. Please take note per the STR Ordinance, all STR Licenses expire on April 30th each year. Depending on when you apply, this could affect how many months your license is active before having to renew. The application fee is not prorated at this time.
• STR license renewal period occurs annually from April 1- April 30 and the fee is $125.00
• If you do not renew by the deadline, there is a 10-day grace period to renew, and then your STR license becomes “Expired”. You must reapply for a new STR license at that time if you wish to short-term rent.

Paying Taxes

All STRs are subject to state, county, special district and town sales tax and the town lodging tax.

All short term rental properties will file tax returns online using the Host Compliance site. We will no longer accept paper returns or through Xpress Bill Pay.

The total tax to be collected is 10.725%.

– 2.9% State of Colorado sales tax
– 2.0% Summit County sales tax
– 0.75% Summit County mass transit tax (Summit Stage)
– 0.725% Special District (Summit County Housing Authority) sales tax
– 2.0% Town of Frisco sales tax
– 2.35%Town of Frisco lodging tax

The 2.0% Town of Frisco sales tax and 2.35% Town of Frisco lodging tax (4.35% total) should be remitted directly to the Town of Frisco through the Town of Frisco’s Host Compliance service. Town of Frisco sales tax and lodging tax are due by the 20th of every month.

Summit County Assessor – Valuation of Personal Property

Colorado Statute requires anyone who owns a business or rents out their furnished residential property on a short or long term basis to declare their business equipment or residential rental furnishing/equipment.

Using a Vacation Rental Site Like VRBO?

Booking sites like VRBO and AirBnB do NOT collect Town of Frisco sales and lodging taxes. To collect Town of Frisco tax from your guests, you will need to visit the support page for the booking site that you use to rent your unit and search for “additional payment request”.

State Taxes with Booking Sites

Booking sites such as VRBO and AirBnB are now collecting and remitting taxes on behalf of homeowners directly to the State of Colorado. These tax collections only cover the state, county and special district taxes for a total of 6.375%. Short term rental owners are still required to individually collect and remit monthly 2% sales tax and 2.35% lodging tax (4.35% total) directly to the Town of Frisco using Host Compliance site for online filing.

Staff Assistance

STR Support Staff are available to answer questions and assist with the application and renewal process – Please email.