NEDERLAND — Preparations for the Sundance Film Festival are well underway, with Boulder City Council recently passing an ordinance to expand the parameters of the city’s Festival Lodging License to allow streamlined subleasing to festival-goers in an effort to accommodate the estimated 90,000 attendees.

But will Boulder County or Nederland utilize some of these same measures? 

The City of Boulder’s Festival Lodging License was originally instituted on October 9 of last year. Ordinance 8743, updating and expanding the capabilities of that particular license, was approved on April 2, 2026. 

Jill Grano, Governor Jared Polis’ Director of Housing for the Sundance relocation, described the ordinance as truly “open[ing] up many second homes, many ADUs,” and “all corporate rental housing” in preparation for the influx of people wanting to stay on the Front Range and beyond. 

A Festival Lodging License allows property owners with Long-Term Rental Licenses and renters—with the property owner’s consent—to be able to rent out entire homes or specific rooms and spaces for up to 29 days per year during “city-approved Special Festival Events.” 

The new license, which costs $75 annually for tenants, $190 for owners, is available to “any property ownership type,” meaning those who wish to obtain licenses for multiple dwelling units or second homes may do so.

The license also applies to non-primary residents, to both long-term and short-term rental license holders, and only requires compliance with the existing occupancy standards for the property and a signed safety affidavit. 

Currently, the City of Boulder classifies only Sundance as an approved Special Festival Event, and the city’s website specifies that CU graduation or sporting events are not so classified. 

The ordinance did not include specific parameters for the license application process, a concern noted by City Council member Taishya Adams, as a lack of definition as to how the landlord and tenant should split profits could lead to “abuses.” 

Council member Ryan Schuchard also expressed concern about a lack of language pertaining to renter liability under the new license, which he said presented the possibility of a “structural bias” towards the property owner. 

Despite these concerns, the ordinance passed, becoming the first policy initiative to be passed in relation to the Sundance Film Festival, adding to the $34 million incentive package—offered by the City, Visit Boulder, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, and CU Boulder—which will award $150,000 in renewable energy credits, $355,000 in bus and e-bike passes, $75,000 in administrative support, $200,000 in public safety staffing, and $500,000 in parking access over the next 10 years. 

As for whether Boulder County or the Town of Nederland is planning on instituting the same type of incentives, the short answer is: Maybe.

Nederland’s Community Planner Britt DeMinck stated that such initiatives may be discussed with the Board of Trustees during upcoming Strategic Planning sessions, though those sessions—in which Trustees and Town staff are expected to prioritize a long list of initiatives that have been pitched by Commissioners, Trustees, and residents over the last several months—have yet to be scheduled.  

In the Frequently Asked Questions section of the City of Boulder’s website, for the question of whether those in unincorporated Boulder County could obtain a Festival Lodging License, the City simply offered a link to the County’s page on Short-Term Dwelling and Vacation Rental licenses, where there is nothing to indicate similar incentives to those provided by the Festival Lodging License.

Though Boulder County Commissioners haven’t added any discussions on rental incentives to their agenda, they are still actively involved with matters related to the area’s need for housing services and support. They are hosting a Town Hall at the Nederland Community Center on April 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., to talk specifically about the County’s available programs and services.