02/13/2026
Open Letter Regarding Short-Term Rentals and Property Use in Teller County
ATTN: Dan Williams, Erik Stone, and Bob Campbell
Teller County Board of County Commissioners
Dear Commissioners,
I write to address a core issue in this discussion that is often misunderstood: a short-term rental and a long-term rental are the same use of the same property, differentiated only by the length of the lease.
Consider a single-family home in Teller County. It has bedrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, parking, utilities—everything that defines a residence. That home can be rented to a family for a year, a contractor for several months, or a visiting family for a weekend.
In every case, the use of the property is exactly the same: residential living.
The structure does not change.
The zoning does not change.
The impact does not inherently change.
Only the duration of occupancy changes.
And duration alone does not create neighborhood problems. Behavior does.
Noise, parking congestion, trash, and nuisance issues are not unique to short-term rentals. They occur with long-term renters, owner-occupied homes, and even extended family stays. That is precisely why Teller County already has comprehensive tools in place to address these concerns.
We already have noise regulations that prohibit unreasonable or excessive disturbances.
We already have parking and roadway safety rules that apply to all vehicles and all residences.
We already have nuisance ordinances that allow the County to address repeated disturbances and unsafe conditions.
We already have solid waste and health regulations enforced at the county and state level.
None of these laws ask how long someone has been staying in a home. They ask one question: Is there a problem?
If a property—any property—creates excessive noise, it can be cited.
If it creates unsafe parking conditions, it can be cited.
If it becomes a nuisance, it can be cited.
These tools already exist. They already work. And they apply equally to homeowners, long-term renters, and short-term guests.
Creating a separate regulatory category based solely on lease duration does not enhance enforcement. It shifts the focus away from conduct and onto lawful property use—and onto owners who are already complying with the rules.
From a legal standpoint, that distinction is not supported by land-use law or by long-standing principles of property rights. A dwelling used for residential living does not become a different use simply because the lease term is shorter. Regulating identical homes differently based solely on rental duration is arbitrary, undermines equal treatment under the law, and exceeds the proper scope of zoning authority. When existing ordinances already address noise, parking, safety, and nuisance issues, imposing additional restrictions on short-term rentals is not regulation of impacts—it is regulation of ownership rights. That is neither necessary nor appropriate, and it sets a precedent that should concern anyone who values consistency, fairness, and lawful governance.
At its core, a home is still a home—no matter how long someone stays in it. Protecting neighborhoods is best achieved through consistent enforcement of existing rules, not by redefining property rights based on arbitrary timelines.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
