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Douglas County short-term rental rules make for patchwork map
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County o cials heard opposition to short-term rentals in recent months, and some area residents may feel concerned about the county’s decision to explicitly allow the rentals in certain parts of Douglas.
But a close look at the county’s policy shows that there are large stretches of the county where shortterm rentals — short stays at a property booked through sites like Airbnb or Vrbo — aren’t allowed.
e county’s new ordinance, approved at the July 11 county commissioners meeting, requires property owners to apply for licenses to operate homes as short-term rental properties.
e ordinance de nes a short-term rental as lasting less than 30 consecutive days. It applies to unincorporated parts of Douglas County — areas outside of municipalities.
Under the new law, the moderately populated unincorporated areas where short-term rentals are allowed include Franktown, Louviers, Sedalia, areas west of Larkspur, areas generally east of Parker and some others, aside from areas known as planned developments.
Short-term rentals are also allowed in other small residential pockets of the county, such as Westcreek in far southwest Douglas County.
It all adds up to a patchwork of areas where the rentals can operate, especially with municipalities taken into account. Cities and towns in Douglas County have their own differing rules.
Opposing views
At the July 11 meeting, the Happy Canyon Homeowners Association was among those opposing shortterm rentals, arguing they could a ect the housing market. e county also heard some concerns that short-term rentals would increase crime.
A board member of the Happy Canyon group came to the meeting and expressed concern about the impact of short-term rentals on the supply of a ordable housing, fearing that investors would take housing units out of the long-term rental market.
Research published in Harvard Business Review in 2019 suggested that Airbnb listings may have a relatively small amount of e ect on housing prices.
But how any e ect could play out in rural areas of Douglas County is unclear.
“Folks, we’re not a tourist mecca,” Commissioner George Teal said at the meeting.
In comments to the county before the new law passed, the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce didn’t speci cally argue that the rentals would drive up crime.
“Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce (DCSO) is supportive of the proposed ordinance as long as enforcement action taken by the DCSO remains at the discretion of the DCSO,” a county sta summary reads.
A sheri ’s o cial sent a letter to the county that said: “On a side note, based on my experiences where I live, short-term rentals are di cult to monitor and enforcement is poor.” at comment came from David Walcher, the county’s undersheri .
One member of the public, speaking at the July meeting, argued that short-term rentals should be allowed based on “the principle, simply, of private property rights.” ey want to “augment an already
Teal, who supported the policy, said he heard from a household that lives on a xed income who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to o er a short-term rental.
5.00% limited income as they go into their twilight years,” Teal said at the meeting. e text of the law says a home within a “planned development” shall not be licensed as a shortterm rental property “unless such (planned development) speci cally allows such use.”
Where short-term rentals are allowed Douglas County hasn’t had a general prohibition on short-term rentals for at least the past 20 years, but there were only a few small areas where they were explicitly allowed, according to county sta .
Before the county’s new ordinance, the areas where short-term rentals were explicitly allowed in unincorporated Douglas County were typically associated with some private country clubs to accommodate out-of-town users of a club’s golf course, according to county sta .
Now, under the new law, there are large stretches of the county where the rentals are speci cally prohibited. at includes highly populated spots such as Highlands Ranch and the Pinery area south of Parker.
“Planned development” means land in a special type of zoning that applies to certain areas.
All the communities on the following list, according to county sta , are planned developments that do not allow short-term rentals: Bell Mountain Ranch, Canyons South (Macanta), Chat eld Farms, Cielo, Fox Hill, Highlands Ranch, Intravest 320 (Wildcat Ridge), Keene Ranch, Lincoln Creek Village, Meridian (includes Stepping Stone), Pinery, Piney Lake Trails, Plum Creek PD (Solstice), Province Center, River Canyon (Ravenna), Roxborough Park, Roxborough Village, Sierra Ridge, Sterling Ranch, Stone Creek Ranch, Stonegate and Trails.
“ e (rentals) will not be allowed in their neighborhoods unless there is a zoning change,” Commissioner Lora omas said at the meeting. e new law passed on a 2-1 vote with omas opposed and Teal and Commissioner Abe Laydon voting in favor.
Plus, homeowners associations are able to prohibit short-term rentals under the ordinance, according to county sta .
For a look at the county’s new regulations, see Colorado Community Media’s previous story at tinyurl. com/STRDouglasRegulation.
City, town rules e cities and towns in Douglas County vary on whether they allow short-term rentals. e Town of Larkspur’s policies don’t address short-term rentals except that they are subject to a 4% sales tax and a 6% lodging tax, said Heather Yanda, Larkspur’s town clerk.
“ e Town of Castle Rock doesn’t regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnb or Vrbo. However, all businesses must obtain a town business license and collect and remit applicable lodging and sales tax,” said Melissa Hoelting, a spokesperson for Castle Rock.
In Castle Pines, rentals of less than 28 consecutive days were banned in 2018 via Ordinance 18-07, and that law is still in e ect, said Tobi Du ey, Castle Pines city clerk.
Parker, which o cially refers to short-term rentals as “tourist homes,” does not allow the rentals.
“Prior to 2019, the town’s land development ordinance (LDO) already did not permit ‘tourist homes’ in Parker, but there was not a de nition for such a dwelling included in the LDO,” said a statement from Andy Anderson, a Parker spokesperson.
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