A bill hiking taxes for many short-term rentals in Colorado dies in first committee hearing

 #breckenridge #colorado #realestate

A bill that would have significantly grown taxes for thousands of short-term rentals in the state was killed in its first committee hearing late Tuesday even after the sponsor attempted to make changes to the legislation.

In its original form, Senate Bill 33 would have required any property used as a short-term rental for more than 90 days per year to pay the state’s lodging tax. Colorado’s property tax assessment rate for lodging properties in 2023 was 27.9%. For residential properties, it was set at 6.765%. 

Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill, proposed changing the bill into only a study of short-term rental impacts. His amendment also would have prevented hotels from reclassifying their units as short-term rentals to avoid higher taxes.

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Bill hiking taxes for short-term rentals to be gutted after resistance from AirBnB, VRBO

 #breckenridge #colorado #realestate

A bill that would have quadrupled property taxes for thousands of short-term rentals in Colorado is set to be significantly watered down next week, according to the bill’s sponsor.

Since Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, proposed the bill in the fall, AirBnB, VRBO and other short-term rental owners have rallied against the idea, saying it would devastate the tourism economy that ski towns rely on.

Senate Bill 33 proposed classifying any property used as a short-term rental or more than 90 days per year as a lodging property beginning in 2026. Colorado’s property tax assessment rate for lodging properties in 2023 was 27.9%. For residential properties, it was set at 6.765%. 

If Hansen’s amendments are approved in Tuesday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senate Bill 33 will instead require only a study of short-term rentals in the state. It would also prevent hotels from converting their rooms into short-term rentals to avoid paying the state’s lodging tax, Hansen said. 

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Same 'ole, same 'ole in Breckenridge recent town council and mayor vote

 #breckenridge #colorado #realestate

Once again the voters of Breckenridge have decided to keep the same people in office = mostly.  The new mayor is the former mayor pro-temp after Mamula resigned to move up to the higher paying job of County Commissioner a few months ago.

So, we're stuck with the same anti-short term rental bunch that passed the seemingly unconstitional rules governing short term rentals in Breckenridge.

However, there is an ongoing lawsuite against the town regarding the short term rental regulations.

I believe if we continue down this path for too long, Breckenridge as we know it now will cease to exist.

A gentle reminder:  who pays for all that Breckenridge offers?  Tourists, that's who.  When tourists come to town what is their very basic requirement?  Short-term lodging.

It seems hard to believe the residents and government of Breckenridge wants to kill the goose that laid the golden egg, but that seems to be the case.

My rant is over for the weekend.  Thank you for listening.

Eagle County is a star in NASA’s new moon mission

 #colorado #realestate #Gypsum

Eagle County, over the last few years, has seen regular rotations of NASA astronauts come through what the U.S. Department of Defense calls “America’s highest level of training” at the U.S. Army’s High-Altitude Aviation Training Site in Gypsum.

But that training program could soon ramp up even more as NASA aims to take its preparations to the next level in readying the human landing system component of the upcoming Artemis moon mission.

Doug Wheelock is in charge of building the training program. Wheelock was an experimental test pilot in the U.S. Army before he was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1998. He flew in the space shuttle Discovery in 2007 and was later selected to be the commander of the International Space Station, spending six months aboard the ISS. Wheelock completed six spacewalks before being selected to chair the Artemis mission’s joint test panel for the human landing system.

Eagle County, over the last few years, has seen regular rotations of NASA astronauts come through what the U.S. Department of Defense calls “America’s highest level of training” at the U.S. Army’s High-Altitude Aviation Training Site in Gypsum.

But that training program could soon ramp up even more as NASA aims to take its preparations to the next level in readying the human landing system component of the upcoming Artemis moon mission.

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Months into new regulations, short-term rental owners say they may need to sell their properties in Summit County

 #breckenridge #colorado #realestate

Laura James’s Breckenridge home is dotted with 45 years of family memories. 

A pot-bellied stove stands in the basement where, as a child, James smelled the aromas of coffee and oatmeal as it heated. A pair of 1970s snowshoes that belonged to her dad now decorate a wall. Warm light pours into the living room through her late mother’s handmade stained glass window. 

When James and her husband purchased the home from James’s parents in 2016, they had every intention of making new memories by keeping it in the family. In order to afford the property in addition to their primary residence in Colorado Springs, James said they turned to short-term renting. 

“We’re not a big corporation. This is a family dream,” James said. “Our revenue is solely to cover our mortgage, our expenses and our employment of local workers.”

The couple made it work for years. But now, under new short-term rental regulations in Summit County, James said they’re concerned about the ability to hold onto their Breckenridge property. 

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