This article has been updated to distinguish the application fees for both Festival Lodging Rental Licenses and to correctly list the source of licensing fees and revenue as of March 9.
Boulder renters can sublease their apartments on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any other rental app for the Sundance Film Festival when it makes its Colorado debut in January 2027.
The Boulder City Council forward on Thursday that expands the city’s existing Festival Lodging Rental License to include tenant-occupied units and second homes. Thursday’s vote was the second reading and the unanimous approval effectively makes it codified. There will be a third and final reading for the ordinance. Tenants would need a co-sign from the property owner to be granted the license.
The festival rental license is seperate from a standard short-term rental license. The festival license can only be used during a city-approved festival, and 10 days before and nine days after said event. It can only be used up to 29 days per year Sundance’s inaugural year in Boulder will go from January 21-31 next year.
Tonia Pringle, senior project manager with the city, said applications can be submitted as soon as today.
The city is leaning laissez-faire when it comes to the financial specifcs of the license. Revenue splits, rent discounts, damage responsibility, all of that is left to the market to decide.
“Airbnb does not allow for one unit as one price, one as another (in the same building),” Jill Grano, a real estate agent and former Boulder City Council member who is working with the Governor’s office on managing housing for Sundance, said during a public hearing on Thursday. “I do anticipate most will be on Airbnb.”
As of Thursday night, single-night Airbnb rentals in Boulder during Sundance 2027 already exceed $1,000. To stay at a guest house on a property in the Whittier neighborhood from January 21-31 is nearly $13,000.
Grano added that Airbnb tracks specifics such as insurance and landlord/tenant split. She added that landlords tend to receive 10-25% of the cut from Airbnb rentals.
“We hope that Boulder landlords are the same here,” she said.
The council approved short-term festival home rentals in December. As of March 9, the city had received 225 license applications, according to a council memo. Those applications carry a $190 fee, which comes out to about $42,750. The new licenses will have a $75 application fee. Expanding festival license eligibility will bring in more revenue and will help serve the massive influx of visitors that are expected to exceed the city’s hotel capacity.
“Boulder’s new short-term rental rules help ensure the city is well-prepared to host its first-ever Sundance Film Festival, while giving everyday residents a direct way to economically benefit from this influx of visitors,” Nathan Rothman, North America policy director for Airbnb, said in a statement. “We stand ready to support the Boulder community as it gets ready for this exciting moment and encourage other leaders in the region to adopt a similar approach.”
Sundance had more than 85,000 attendees in 2025. A city memo looked at the potential of 90,000 attendees in 2027 and said that “roughly one-third of attendees will travel from out of state.”
