Regarding Summit County short-term rental properties located in the Neighborhood Zone, Summit County staff reported to the BoCC that neighborhoods in the Neighborhood Zone were not generally developed as resort locales. While some individual homes may have been designed or purchased with an intent towards short-term rental use, the BoCC found that the overall subdivisions in the Neighborhood Zone were not developed to support intense, hotel-like STR use with tourist amenities. As it pertains to some areas of Summit County area, there are likely many Summit County short-term rental owners who disagree with the preceding Summit County conclusion. Additionally, the BoCC added that short-term rental complaint incidents were relatively high in the Neighborhood Zone (when compared to the Resort Zone). The County cited those complaint incidents as demonstrating tension between traditional neighborhood uses and STRs. Accordingly, the County decided to adopt more stringent restrictions for Summit County short-term rentals in the Neighborhood Zone.

Because all Summit County short-term rental properties are located in the Neighborhood Zone, there are currently two different "active" Summit County short-term rental license types and a third Summit County short-term rental license type that might become relevant once again in the future:

To be eligible for a Type I short-term rental license in the Summit County Neighborhood Zone, the STR Property must be the primary residence of a member of the local workforce, who meets the definition of a Qualified Occupant.  In turn, a primary residence must be occupied by the Qualified Occupant as that individual's principal place of residence for at least 9 months out of the year, and the Summit County short-term rental licensee must be able to provide supporting documentation for that 9-month occupancy.  Maximum occupancy for a Type I Summit County STR license cannot exceed 2 short-term renters per bedroom plus 2 additional short-term renters (unless further restricted by an on-site wastewater treatment system).  When the Qualified Occupant is on-site during short-term rentals and is engaged in partial home rental, no more than 50% of the approved bedrooms in the home - up to 2 bedrooms - may be short-term rented.  A Type I Summit County STR license carries a limitation of no more than 35 "bookings" per year, as calculated from October 1 through September 30.  However, there is no limit on the number of short-term rental nights that each booking can last.  Lastly, there are no caps on the issuance of Type I Summit County STR licenses; the County continues to issue them at present.

This Summit County STR license type is generally targeted toward second-homeowners who want to use their property and also short-term rent it.  During discussions in 2021, Summit County staff anticipated that the vast majority of STRs in the Neighborhood Zone would fall under this license type.  Maximum occupancy for a Type II Summit County STR license cannot exceed 2 short-term renters per bedroom plus 2 additional short-term renters (unless further restricted by an on-site wastewater treatment system).  A Type II Summit County STR license carries a limitation of no more than 35 "bookings" per year, as calculated from October 1 through September 30.  However, there is no limit on the number of short-term rental nights that each booking can last.

Most importantly of all, the County implemented total cap numbers on the issuance of new Type II short-term rental licenses in the Summit County Residential Zone.  The entirety of the Summit County Residential Zone is located within one of four basins as depicted in this map. The County created different short-term rental license caps for properties located in each of the four basins.  Within each of the four basins, the number of active short-term rental licenses in February 2023 already exceeded the established cap numbers for Type II STR licenses.  Accordingly, until the total number of Type II STR licenses in falls below the adopted cap number for each basin through natural attrition, the County will not issue new Type II STR licenses in the Residential Zone. Natural attrition generally occurs when property owners with existing Type II Summit County short-term rental licenses either: (1) do not renew their existing Summit County short-term rental license; or (2) sell their property to a third-party (such a sale extinguishes an existing license). In sum, Summit County short-term rental caps were established by the BoCC as per the chart in the preceding link.  As of December 2023, here are the Summit County short-term license numbers for Type II in the Residential Zone areas:

• • Lower Blue Basin cap: 550  (607 Type II STR licenses issued)
  • Upper Blue Basin cap: 590  (678 Type II STR licenses issued)
  • Snake River Basin cap: 130  (189 Type II STR licenses issued)
  • Ten Mile Basin cap: 20  (30 Type II licenses issued)

When the number of existing STR licenses in any of the four basins eventually falls within 10% of its corresponding cap, the County previously pledged to create a wait list for submitting new Type II Summit County short-term rental licenses.  However, in an email dated February 8, 2024, the County's STR Program Coordinator stated they only check Summit County short-term rental license numbers once a year.  Because that process occurs "every January", the STR Program Coordinator likewise confirmed that they will not have awareness until late December 2024 or January 2025 that existing short-term rental license numbers in any the four basins might potentially have dropped within 10% of its STR license cap.  Accordingly, it appears unlikely that the County will commence a wait list process before January 2025 for submission of new Type II Summit County short-term rental licenses.

In 2018, the BoCC created a Type III Summit County short-term rental license, stating it was most appropriate for investment property STRs.  At that time, the County believed such STRs would rent in excess of 135 nights per year, and the County saw them as more akin to commercial lodging businesses.  However, as part of the adoption of Ordinance 20-C on Feb. 15, 2023, the BoCC, the County eliminated the Type III Summit County STR license.  So, at least for now, there is no Type III Summit County short-term rental license that afforded unlimited short-term rental nights to certain Summit County properties located in the Residential Zone.  While it couldn't do so at the meeting on Feb. 15, 2023, the BoCC did pledge to revisit Type III short-term rental licenses in the near future.  The BoCC stated that it hoped the County would find a way to reinstate a short-term rental license with unlimited rental nights to properties that were originally designed with a primary purpose to host short-term rental occupancies.  However, unless and until that happens, all Type III STR licenses in the Neighborhood Zone will be converted to Type II STR licenses when renewal takes place in 2023.