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Teller County hears hours of testimony as residents, owners debate short-term rental rules
Summary
Dozens of residents, owners and managers told commissioners May 7 that short-term rentals (STRs) both support local jobs and strain neighborhood character; the Pikes Peak STR Alliance urged data-driven rules and inclusion in ordinance drafting while commissioners stressed workforce-housing risks.
Commissioners spent a large portion of their May 7 meeting on short-term rental policy and heard sustained testimony from property owners, managers and local small-business operators about economic and neighborhood effects.
Jed Olsen of the Pikes Peak Short Term Rental Alliance told the board that tourism is a major part of Teller County’s economy and urged the county to use local data before finalizing rules. "In the county of Teller for 2025, you had $224,000,000 in travel spending," Olsen said, and he estimated conservatively that "about a third of Teller County's tourism economy could potentially be attributed to short-term rental overnight" stays. He recommended three steps: involve the local STR association in ordinance review, anchor any regulation in county-specific data, and target bad actors rather than lawful owners.
Owners and managers said STR income supports local jobs and small businesses. Jacob Mueller, who represents a property-management firm, summarized multiple written statements from owners and vendors and warned that "arbitrary caps and prohibitive fees ... will directly harm the county's financial health." Kayla Olsen, speaking for other owners, stressed that STR revenue supported her military and firefighting work and that hosts use guest rules to limit disruptions: "Airbnb has helped me tremendously," she said.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about housing-pressure calculations, enforcement, and septic and emergency-service impacts. Chair Eric Stone and Commissioner Williams repeatedly emphasized workforce-housing concerns and urged caution: commissioners noted they have gathered public input from surveys and listening sessions and said the county lacks certain tax-breakdowns and local economic studies that would identify precise STR impacts. The board did not take formal action; staff signaled the process would remain collaborative and that any ordinance would be based on feedback and likely a targeted study.
