Hosting Your Boulder Home During Sundance

The Sundance Film Festival arriving in Boulder, January 21 to 31, 2027, brings a real opportunity for local homeowners. Visitors will far outnumber the usual lodging supply, and a well prepared Boulder home can welcome festival guests and earn meaningful income during the event. The key is doing it right, which starts with following the City of Boulder's rules and ends with being a thoughtful, well organized host. Here is what hosting during the festival involves.

Start with the License Before anything else, understand the legal requirement. The City of Boulder created a Festival Lodging Rental License specifically for hosting during approved festival events. This license is what allows you to legally rent your home for the festival window, and it is separate from a standard short term rental license. Crucially, your license number must appear in your listing, and the city requires advertisements to show that number along with the maximum allowed occupancy. A licensed, compliant listing protects you, reassures guests, and keeps you on the right side of the city. Apply early, since processing takes time and the festival window is fixed.

Understand the Window The festival license is tied to the approved event dates plus a short buffer before and after, not the whole year. That means you can advertise and host for the festival period and a brief surrounding window, but not beyond it under this particular license. If you want to host more broadly throughout the year, that is a different short term rental license with its own requirements. For most homeowners simply looking to take part in the festival, the Festival Lodging Rental License is the right and lighter weight path.

Prepare Your Home A great festival rental is comfortable, clean, and ready for a Colorado January. A few essentials matter most.

• Reliable heat and a warm, well insulated space, since guests arrive in genuine winter.
• Safe, clear access in snow and ice, including walkways and parking.
• Clean linens, a stocked bathroom, a working kitchen, and fast, reliable internet.
• Clear information on parking, quiet hours, and how things work in the home.

Guests during a festival are often traveling for long days, so a restful, hassle free home earns strong reviews and repeat interest.

Price and Position Honestly Set a fair price based on your home's size, location relative to the venues, and true sleeping capacity, and describe all three honestly. A home that genuinely sleeps your stated number, sits a short walk or easy ride from screenings, and is winter ready can command strong festival pricing. Resist the urge to overstate capacity or proximity, since accurate listings draw the right guests and avoid the disappointment that sinks reviews. Compare your total price, including any cleaning and service fees, to what guests actually see.

Be a Thoughtful Host The best hosts make a guest's festival easier. Share a short guide to your neighborhood, the nearest coffee, and how to reach the venues on foot or by the regional bus. Note that Boulder sits at about 5,430 feet and suggest guests hydrate and ease into the altitude. Leave clear instructions for heat, internet, and parking. Small touches like these turn a transaction into a warm welcome, and festival guests remember it.

Plan the Logistics Early Hosting during a packed event takes coordination. Line up reliable cleaning between any back to back bookings, decide whether you will be in town or away, and plan how guests will access the home. Confirm your insurance situation for hosting and keep good records. The more you sort out before January, the smoother the festival window runs when the city is at its busiest.

List Your Home with Us If you own a Boulder home and want to take part in the festival, listing it is straightforward once you are licensed and prepared. The Boulder Film Collective connects festival visitors with welcoming, properly licensed local homes, and we make it easy to present your home to the right guests. Get your Festival Lodging Rental License in motion, ready your home for a Boulder winter, and reach out to list your home for the 2027 festival. Hosting done right is good for you, good for your guests, and good for the city welcoming the festival to its new home.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to host my Boulder home during Sundance?

Yes. The City of Boulder requires a Festival Lodging Rental License to host during approved festival events, and your license number must appear in your listing along with the maximum allowed occupancy.

Is the Festival Lodging Rental License the same as a short term rental license?

No. The Festival Lodging Rental License is a separate, lighter weight license tied to approved festival dates and a short surrounding window, distinct from a standard short term rental license that covers year round hosting.