LOUISVILLE, Colo. — As the Sundance Film Festival makes its move to Boulder next year, city leaders in Louisville are considering a temporary lift on a ban of short-term rentals during the event.
“Sundance is very big event. People come from all over the world,” one Louisville resident told Denver7.
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About 30,000 rooms are needed for people coming from out of town for the festival, but the City of Boulder only has 3,000 rooms.
“There's a big need for housing during the festival to support those who are coming to volunteer or work at the festival and those just coming to participate in the festival,” Louisville Community Development Director Rob Zuccaro said.
Nearby cities like Louisville are looking to fill that gap.
Right now, the city does not allow short-term rentals, but if approved Tuesday night, the proposed ordinance would create a limited window for short term rentals before, during and after the festival.
The 10-day event is estimated to bring in around $196 million in economic impact. 85,000 people attended the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in 2025.
Some Louisville residents are on board with the proposal.
“Having gone to Sundance in the past, I definitely support it. It's a wonderful event, and Louisville should let the rentals happen during the time,” Louisville resident Diana said.
Louisville leaders said it’s not just about accommodating visitors but also creating opportunities for both residents and the city itself.
“It gives them an opportunity to also rent their homes and then provide some income for our residents. Anybody who gets a city license would also have to pay the city lodging tax, which would help the city collect some additional revenues and also benefit from the festival,” Zuccaro said.
The proposed ordinance going before council Tuesday night does not have a limit on how many short-term rentals are allowed during the festival period.
“It would really be open to anyone who wants to rent their home. It's also open to renters if they have the owner's permission,” Zuccaro said.
The city said it did not put any specific provisions in the proposed ordinance around parking or noise.
“This is the first year of the festival and we are certainly going to monitor how things go. In future years, if we do have issues, we could put provisions around parking or noise. What we've heard from other people's experience who have done similar short-term rentals, it hasn't generally been a problem,” Zuccaro said.
City leaders told Denver7 a lot of other cities around Boulder County already allow short-term rentals and the City of Boulder recently approved for short-term rentals during the festival period.
As of March 4, the City of Boulder has received 180 applications for its festival lodging rental licenses.
