In parts of the country considered vacation hot spots, the amount of short-term vacation rental properties are on the rise. It is a natural and obvious evolution as they have become more and more popular as vacation accommodations not to mention people looking towards vacation rentals as investments or ways to add to their income. The problem with the increase, however, is that many properties are offered as vacation rental properties by owners without following the proper channels.
In Boulder, CO, city officials in the zoning office took control of the situation and issued cease-and-desist orders to property owners who rent space in their homes via VRBO and Airbnb. A Boulder Daily Camera News article from last week noted that “The city of Boulder recently sent cease-and-desist notices to 20 property owners who are renting out space in their homes through Airbnb or Vacation Rentals by Owner after complaints were received against them.” Specifically, the article stated that the cease and desist letters came from the city’s zoning enforcement office and stated that the areas in which the rentals were located do not allow for hotels or bed and breakfasts or any lodging for less than a month.