Boulder hits Sundance rental goal months early
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Boulder has already beaten its short-term rental licensing goal, three months before Sundance makes its Colorado debut.
Why it matters: More rentals could help Boulder keep festivalgoers — and their spending — in town while giving residents an opportunity to cash in.
Driving the news: As Sundance tickets went on sale this week, Boulder had 1,848 short-term and festival lodging rental licenses issued or pending as of Oct. 1, according to the city and Visit Boulder.
- Of those, 1,525 properties are cleared to advertise, already exceeding the city's goal of 1,500 licenses.
- "This milestone reflects the community's role in welcoming visitors to Boulder and helping create a positive experience for everyone," city officials said in a statement.
State of play: Applications picked up in September, and Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman expects that pace to continue as the festival approaches.
- Airbnb says searches for Boulder stays during Sundance have jumped 500% compared with last year.
Catch up quick: Boulder created a special festival lodging license to make it easier for homeowners to rent their homes during the event.
- The license allows residents and approved tenants to rent their properties for up to 29 days annually during major city-approved events, with fewer requirements than a traditional short-term rental license.
- Airbnb also announced a $200 bonus to qualifying first-time hosts who list their entire home and secure bookings by Dec. 31.
By the numbers: Visit Boulder suggests charging $250–$300 per night for a one-bedroom condo and $1,100 to $1,400 for a four-bedroom house.
- Those estimates draw on two years of booking data from Park City, Utah, Sundance's former home, along with Airbnb and VRBO pricing benchmarks from January.
Reality check: Boulder has fewer than 4,000 hotel rooms, a fraction of the lodging inventory available in Park City, which hosted roughly 85,000 Sundance attendees in 2025.
- Boulder officials have long acknowledged that many visitors will likely stay in surrounding communities, but hope more rentals will keep festivalgoers close to the action.
What they're saying: "Every one of those guests is eating at our restaurants and shopping in our stores, which keeps people working and gives our economy a boost in what is usually a quieter winter month," Hoffman told us.
The bottom line: Boulder has cleared an early hurdle in its scramble to accommodate Sundance.
- The next test is whether those newly licensed homes actually fill up when the festival rolls into town.