The City of Boulder recently handed down 20 cease and desist letters to Boulder real estate owners with properties listed for rent on the popular short-term rental sites VRBO.com and AirBNB. The issue? The City had received complaints about the properties acting as unsanctioned hotels/bed-and-breakfasts and therefore, owners were told to put an end to renting else unspecified penalties would be levied.
C&D letters like these are the result (apparently) of a single woman filing 25 complaints against various short-term rental properties through the Inquire Boulder portal. The City says the C&Ds are only issued on a complaint basis, so if you got one of these lovely letters, you can complain to and about that one anonymous lady.
By acting as an unsanctioned hotel/bed-and-breakfast, the bottom line is that there is no tax being collected per stay and there are no regulations for renting of the properties. As well, fellow Boulderites cited in the article over at the Daily Camera are glad that the City is finally taking these short-term rentals up as an issue.
Why?
Everything ranging from safety to absent property owners can muddy up waters in neighborhoods and fast. With simple property searches on both sites bringing up over 250 properties listed on VRBO and over 1000 listed on AirBNB, perhaps Boulderites have cause for alarm. You’re generating revenue in the City using your property (and one you might not have the legal right to list for rent in whole or part) and not paying any proceeds to the City.
Sooooo, heads up to those who have short-term rentals listed on these go-to traveler websites. There’s one woman in Boulder on a mission to report ’em and the City has perked up and taken notice. It’s an issue they’re bringing to the City Council while reviewing what other cities have done when faced with the same issue.
