I look forward to the Archuleta County Short-Term Rental Task Force (TF) publishing an updated annual ‘STR Policy & Procedure Report’.
A previous ‘STR Policy & Procedure Report’ was published by the TF on December 31, 2022, over a year ago. In that report, it was noted that Phase II of the TF would begin in April 2023, and regularly scheduled meetings would be held to go over data, review trends, and analyze the effectiveness of new policies and recommendations.
The TF report noted that “in an effort of transparency, the TF would like the data to be published” to the public.
Publishing data to the public helps inform the public on key information such as: (1) the total number of Short-Term Rental (STR) Properties, (2) how many STR properties are permitted, and (3) how many non-permitted STR properties are operating illegally.
The TF report also noted that prior to the fall of 2022, “very little has been done to ensure compliance of non-permitted STR properties”. As such, additional software was installed in the fall of 2022 to allow the County to better track the progress of the non-permitted STR properties, and to better manage the STR registration process. Presumably it took a number of months to better appreciate the magnitude of the number of non-permitted STR properties… that choose to operate without a valid Vacation Rental permit.
The TF report noted that at the end of February of 2023, the County started to contact identified non-permitted STR properties in an effort to follow protocols intended to help encourage STR properties to get properly permitted. The TF noted in their report to the public that “per Count Manager, there were approximately 62 non-permitted properties as of February 7, 2023”.
Hopefully in March 2024, the TF now better understands: (1) the total number of Vacation Rental Properties, (2) how many STR properties are permitted, and (3) how many non-permitted STR properties continue to exist.
Region 9 Economic Development District reported its Economic Snapshot 2022. Archuleta County is one of five Region 9 counties.
The Snapshot identifies the region’s ‘base industries’. ‘Tourism’ is one base industry. ‘Households’ are a bigger base industry here. The Snapshot describes the ‘Households’ industry as people “who spend money earned elsewhere (commuters), or at a different point in time (retirees)”. In Archuleta County, Households supported 40% of jobs in 2020, compared to 31% supported by Tourism.
Unlike the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners, the Pagosa Springs Town Council has been active in approving STR regulations to help preserve the residential character of our local neighborhoods. In order to help the public, a Town-run Vacation Rental License website exists. Vacation Rental Property owners are able to fill out a form to contact staff, or staff can be directly called to help address questions on how to apply for a Vacation Rental License.
The website states that “the Town of Pagosa Springs requires a Vacation Rental license for all short-term vacation rentals located within the Town of Pagosa Springs boundaries. Any owner renting a property for a period of less than 30 consecutive days is required to apply for a Vacation Rental License. It is the owner(s) responsibility to know and comply with all ordinances, resolutions, and regulations that apply to vacation rentals within the Town of Pagosa Springs”.
A link to Chapter 6 Business Regulations is provided on the Vacation Rental License website. Article 7 provides an explanation on why proper regulation, and permitting of STR properties is required. The purpose and intent of Article 7 is to ensure that residential properties in the Town used for Short-Term Rental (STR) purposes meet minimum standards for safety and habitability and are operated in a manner consistent with surrounding residential uses and in compliance with the Town’s lodgers’ tax collection, reporting, and remittance requirements.
This website includes information about the the situation within the town limits. We don’t have a similar website for the County. It would appear, however, that more than 80% of the STRs in our community are located outside the municipal boundaries.
Hopefully, we can look forward, this year, to a more robust County STR website, where the public can find information about the impacts in their own neighborhoods, or in the neighborhoods where they may be planning to relocate.
From a publicly-posted letter by local activist Candace Jones, from last April:
People who retire to Archuleta for quiet mountain-town life are a significant economic driver. Ignoring quality of life in Archuleta’s residential areas undermines our local economy.
The tourism and household industries can coexist. To achieve balance between homes and STRs, county government should act on density caps. Community is neighbor helping neighbor. For that, we need neighborhoods where people can get to know each other for more than a week or two.
Hank Lydick took ‘early’ retirement to build a home in Austin, Texas, and a cabin in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.