Quick answer: To rent your home during Sundance, you can choose short-term (under 30 days, needs a city license), mid-term (30 days or longer) or long-term (12 months or more). Boulder's festival license caps festival rentals at 29 days a year.
Thousands of visitors are coming to Boulder for the Sundance Film Festival, January 21–31, 2027, and many homeowners are asking whether to rent their homes. The answer depends on your property, your city's rules and how much work you want to take on. This guide compares the main options so you can decide with clear eyes.
Orchard Real Estate Boulder is a Boulder Chamber of Commerce member and a Friend of Sundance. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and we are not part of the festival's organization.
Table of Contents
Three ways to rent your home during Sundance
| Option | Typical length | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term | Under 30 days | Needs a city license. Highest potential income, but the most guest management. Boulder and Boulder County treat stays shorter than 30 days as short-term. |
| Mid-term | 30 days or longer | More flexible than a year-long lease and outside short-term licensing, though leases, local rules and taxes still apply. Ask the city and a tax professional. |
| Long-term | 12 months or more | Steady income with the least day-to-day work. Boulder has its own long-term rental license. |
The Boulder festival license
Boulder created a Festival Lodging Rental License that lets owners, and tenants with owner approval, rent for up to 29 days a year around city-approved festivals. See our full explainer on the Boulder festival lodging rental license for fees, the rental window and eligibility.
What the market looks like
- As of mid-October, the city counts 1,848 short-term and festival lodging licenses issued or pending, and 1,525 homes approved to advertise.
- Boulder had nearly 3,000 short-term rental hosts before the festival, according to a longtime local host quoted by Denver7, who also described the market as crowded.
- Visit Boulder advises hosts to charge about $250–$300 a night for a one-bedroom condo and $1,100–$1,400 a night for a four-bedroom house, based on Park City booking data and January benchmarks.
- Airbnb has offered a $200 bonus to Boulder residents who list an entire home available in January 2027 and secure a booking by a December deadline. Check the current terms before you count on it.
The takeaway: demand is real, but you will be competing with many other new hosts, and unrealistic pricing is a common mistake.
Doing it yourself or hiring help
Hosting means photos, listings, cleaning, guest communication and handling problems, sometimes at night. Visit Boulder has partnered with professional property management companies and can help list properties on the official festival website. Management typically costs a share of revenue, so compare your net income, not just the nightly rate.
Check these before you list
- License: Confirm which license applies in your city, and apply early.
- HOA and lease: A city license does not override HOA rules or lease terms. Tenants need written owner approval.
- Insurance and mortgage: Ask your insurer and lender whether rentals are covered or restricted.
- Taxes: Rental income and lodging or sales tax can apply. Louisville, for example, says licensed hosts must pay sales and lodging tax. Ask a tax professional.
- Safety and occupancy: Be ready to certify that your property meets safety and occupancy requirements.
- Wear and tear: Budget for cleaning, supplies and repairs.
Is selling the better move?
If you were already thinking about moving, the festival may change your timing. Read our guide to selling a home in Boulder, and ask Orchard about its Move First and Home Sale Guarantee programs. Our broader take on how the festival affects the market is in Boulder real estate and Sundance.
Rent your home during Sundance: common questions
Can you rent your home during Sundance without a license?
Short-term stays under 30 days need a city license. In Boulder, the Festival Lodging Rental License covers up to 29 days a year at city-approved festivals. Confirm which license applies in your city before you list.
How much can you earn if you rent your home during Sundance?
Visit Boulder advises about $250–$300 a night for a one-bedroom condo and $1,100–$1,400 a night for a four-bedroom house. With 1,525 homes approved to advertise, competition is real, and some early listings were priced far above that guidance.
Should you hire help when you rent your home during Sundance?
Visit Boulder has partnered with professional property management companies. Management typically costs a share of revenue, so compare your net income, not just the nightly rate.
Do HOA rules still apply?
Yes. A city license does not override HOA rules, lease terms, insurance or mortgage restrictions, and tenants need written owner approval.
For visitors looking for a place to stay, point them to our Sundance Boulder lodging guide.
Weighing rent, hold or sell? Contact Steve deGuzman at steve.deguzman@orchard.com or 720.330.8827.
Details were last verified October 17, 2026 and may have changed. Official sources: City of Boulder, Visit Boulder.
