Jake Fulkerson

Feeling they need to do something, Park County commissioners have taken a first step toward creating regulations for the growing number of short-term rentals in rural parts of the county.

The commission voted unanimously last week to ask the county’s planning and zoning board to “take a stab at some initial regulation” for properties that are rented out for as little as one night at a time.

Exactly what those regulations might look like has yet to be determined, but, in keeping with public feedback, Commission Chairman Jake Fulkerson said commissioners intend to keep the rules “fairly light.”

Commissioners indicated they will most likely require property owners to register their rentals with the county and perhaps charge a small fee. Beyond that, there didn’t appear to be a clear consensus.

“I would like to keep it as basic and simple as possible, just a registration, so we know what is out there,” said Commissioner Lloyd Thiel.

However, Fulkerson offered that, “in my mind, it’s more than just a, ‘what’s your name and here’s the $25.’”

“I don’t think we’re in agreement on all of it,” Commissioner Joe Tilden summarized a bit later.

After the five-member Planning and Zoning Commission comes up with recommendations, county commissioners will decide which ideas they want to support. Those proposed changes would then go out for more public comment before any final decision is made.

Commissioners and planning staffers have been discussing short-term rentals for more than a year, as the number of properties being rented out for one-night stays has increased dramatically. There are now hundreds of homes, cabins and other buildings in rural Park County that are listed for rent on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Some have drawn complaints from neighbors about noise and trespassing. Further, county planning staffers have been concerned that some property owners are putting more guests in their homes than their septic systems can support.

However, at a series of public meetings, local property owners sought to emphasize the positive economic effects of short-term rentals — including the ways in which they promote tourism. At a meeting in Powell, property owners also stressed that Airbnb guests are well-behaved and said they treat property better than some long-term renters. Many commenters indicated that they were wary of and opposed to any burdensome new regulations.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Park County Planning and Zoning Director Joy Hill told commissioners on Oct. 1. However, Hill indicated that she and planning and zoning board members believe a permit should be required for short-term rentals.

“I think if we do nothing … we’re not being fair in the way we treat businesses, because everybody else needs a permit right now,” she said, “so it doesn’t really make sense that this little population is being isolated for some reason.”

Hill added that she feels some small tweaks to definitions in the county’s current regulations could cover short-term rentals, saying she sees no need for a brand new, full-blown policy.

“But ... there’s going to be some heartbreak that’s going to come out of this, no matter what,” she said.

“It’s definitely heating up,” Fulkerson said, “so I’m glad we’re ahead of it.”

Before last week’s vote to move toward drafting regulations for short-term rentals, Commissioner Lee Livingston said the county is simply looking to keep up with current trends.

“We had to make regulations to address bed and breakfasts, where maybe 20 years ago bed and breakfast wasn’t even thought of; no one knew what the heck you were talking about,” Livingston said. “I just see it as changing with the times.”

Commissioner Thiel called for minimal regulations, suggesting that data gathered from a registration process could help determine if any further rules are needed.

After having been personally impacted by short-term rentals in the past, Thiel said he went into the process with some ideas.

“But after attending all these public meetings, it really opened my mind to other things,” he said. “And I definitely don’t think we should rush into this.”