Grand County Short-Term Rental Permits: What Each Jurisdiction Requires

Short answer: Grand County has no single short-term rental permit. Unincorporated Grand County, Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, and Grand Lake each run their own application, with their own local contact and fire inspection requirements. Find your jurisdiction below, then confirm current requirements with that office.

Where your property sits on the map decides which application you file, which fire district inspects it, and who counts as your local contact. A cabin in unincorporated Grand County follows different rules than a condo in Granby or a home in Fraser.

Quick note on accuracy: Rules and requirements change often. Confirm current details with the office listed for your jurisdiction before you apply or renew. Links to each office are on our sources page.

Step 1: Find your jurisdiction

Grand County has six municipalities: Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, and Winter Park. Everything outside those town limits is unincorporated Grand County, including Tabernash and Parshall.

The county’s short-term rental permit applies only to unincorporated properties. It does not apply inside the town limits of Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, or Grand Lake.

To confirm where a property sits, use the county’s GIS map. Search by the owner’s last name or the property address. Town boundaries show in yellow. Applying to the wrong office wastes time.

Requirements at a glance

• Unincorporated Grand County

  Includes Tabernash and Parshall. Grand County Community Development, 970-725-3737

  PermitShort Term Rental Permit. Renews yearly. Maximum occupancy 16.

  Local contactTwo local emergency contacts, both full-time Grand County residents.

  Response window*Within one hour.

  Fire inspectionAnnual report where applicable. East Grand Fire, Grand Fire, or Grand Lake Fire, by location.

• Winter Park

  Town of Winter Park, STR@wpgov.com

  RegistrationSTR registration plus a business license. Register before you advertise. All registrations expire September 30.

  Local contactOne responsible agent, with an optional alternate. No residency test in the code.

  Response window*Within 60 minutes of a complaint, 24 hours a day.

  Fire inspectionEast Grand Fire Fire & Life Safety Inspection. Updated certificate required at renewal.

• Fraser

  Town of Fraser, Town Clerk

  RegistrationAnnual STR registration plus a business license or STR operating license.

  Local contactOne contact: the owner or a property management company. No residency test.

  Response window*Attend within one and a half hours.

  Fire inspectionCertificate of inspection from East Grand Fire Protection District #4, dated within the previous 12 months, for every registration and renewal.

• Granby

  Town of Granby, 970-887-2501 x240

  PermitTown STR permit under Town Code Chapter 5.20. Renews yearly.

  Local contactOne responsible agent on the application. Two 24-hour contacts posted in the unit. No residency test in the code.

  Response window*Within one hour, 24 hours a day while the unit is occupied.

  Fire inspectionKnox Box and annual inspection through Grand Fire Protection District No. 1.

• Grand Lake

  Town Hall, 970-627-3435, str@toglco.com

  LicenseNightly Rental License, valid one year.

  Local contactOne local contact who lives or works within a 45-minute drive.

  Response window*No time stated by the town.

  Fire inspectionAnnual fire and life-safety report, completed before you apply or renew.

*Response windows are set by each jurisdiction’s own code or regulations. They are not Your Handy Neighbors commitments. Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs are not shown: check directly with each town.

Unincorporated Grand County

Apply for a Short Term Rental Permit through Grand County Community Development. The permit expires one year after approval, so you renew every year. Maximum occupancy is 16.

What the county asks you to have ready:

• Two local emergency contacts, both full-time Grand County residents
• The completed county STR safety checklist
• An annual fire inspection report, where applicable
• Proof of bear-proof trash disposal
• A parking plan
• Proof of liability insurance

East Grand Fire, Grand Fire, and Grand Lake Fire all require annual STR fire inspections. The county’s fire district map shows which one covers your property.

The two-contact rule is the one that catches out-of-area owners. Both contacts must live in Grand County full time, so a manager based in Denver does not qualify.

Unincorporated Grand County STR local emergency contacts →

Winter Park

Short-term rentals must be registered with the town before you advertise or rent. A business license is also required. Units run by a property management company can operate under that company’s business license, with their own registration. Rentals for fewer than 31 days also owe sales tax.

• Your registration number must appear in every advertisement, in the form “Winter Park Short-Term Rental Registration No. [number].”
• You name one responsible agent, and may name an alternate. The agent must be reachable 24 hours a day and respond within 60 minutes of a complaint.
• A rental that sleeps 20 or more people at once is a high-impact rental and needs a special use permit before it can register.
• East Grand Fire handles the Fire & Life Safety Inspection. Start early, because processing slows in busy months.
• Every registration expires on September 30.

Winter Park STR responsible agent requirements →

Fraser

Fraser requires an annual registration for any dwelling rented for fewer than 30 days, plus a business license or STR operating license.

• A certificate of inspection from East Grand Fire Protection District #4, dated within the previous 12 months, is required for every new registration and renewal.
• The registration number must appear in your listing on the rental platform.
• The contact on file is the owner or a property management company.

Fraser STR local contact requirements →

Granby

Short-term rentals operate under Town Code Chapter 5.20 with a Town permit. The town reviews applications within about 10 working days.

• One responsible agent is named on the application, and two 24-hour contacts are posted inside the unit along with the permit. The code sets no residency test.
• The permit number must appear in every advertisement.
• Grand Fire Protection District No. 1 requires a Knox Box and an annual inspection for renewal.
• The code makes a missed response a violation. Not returning an officer’s or the fire district’s call within one hour is a code violation.
• Applications require proof of insurance and evidence of a current sales tax license. If your property is in an HOA, you need the HOA’s written consent.

Granby STR responsible agent requirements →

Grand Lake

Grand Lake calls a short-term rental a Nightly Rental and issues a Nightly Rental License, valid for one year.

• Complete the annual fire and life-safety inspection before you apply or renew. The town accepts the inspection report only. An invoice does not count.
• Submit a site plan showing parking and snow storage. Snow storage must equal 33% of the total parking, pathway, and driveway area.
• Include proof of insurance, and a letter of HOA approval if your property is in an HOA.
• The local emergency contact must live or work within a 45-minute drive. The town’s FAQ describes this as a permanent residence within a 45-minute drive of the rental, so confirm the detail with the town.
• The town reviews applications in up to 10 business days, then notifies neighbors within 100 feet.

Grand Lake STR local emergency contact requirements →

Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs

Check directly with each town for its current short-term rental rules. Sales and lodging taxes generally apply to short-term rental income in Colorado. Confirm the details with the town and the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Who can be your local contact, and what it means in practice

Most Grand County codes let you choose your contact. Residency is the filter in two places: the county requires both contacts to be full-time Grand County residents, and Grand Lake requires the contact to live or work within a 45-minute drive. The Winter Park and Granby codes set no residency test.

Naming a contact does not hand the responsibility to them. Winter Park’s code makes compliance the owner’s responsibility, and it enforces a missed complaint against both the unit and the owner. Repeat violations can mean fines, a pause on renewal, or loss of the permit.

What the job involves

Drawn from the Granby and Winter Park codes:

• Answer the phone at any hour, within the time the code sets.
• Reach the guests by phone, text, or in person and ask them to fix the problem.
• Go to the property when a call does not settle it.
• Tell the town when the problem is resolved (Granby).
• Call the police when health or safety is at risk, and stay out of situations that could cause physical harm (Granby).

Many calls never reach the town: a lockout, no heat, a water leak, a power outage, or a bear in the trash.

Who you might name, and what each choice can mean

• You, if you live in Grand County. You know the house and can act without asking anyone. Winter Park and Granby expect you or your agent to be available 24 hours a day while guests are in the house. A vacation or a flight leaves a gap unless someone else is on file. Winter Park lets you name an alternate agent.
• A friend or neighbor. Often close, with a key and goodwill. Ask whether they will answer at 2 a.m. on a holiday weekend, whether they travel or ski on weekends, and whether they are comfortable calling a guest at midnight. Covering every night of the year is a large request for one person.
• A family member who lives here. The same strengths and the same questions. A family member who lives in Grand County full time also meets the county’s residency rule.
• Your cleaner or housekeeper. They know the house and already have access. Many are hired for turnover days, not for after-hours guest calls, so ask directly whether they want that role. Winter Park’s code lets a responsible agent’s employee or designee respond for the agent.
• A property manager or management company. The Winter Park and Granby codes both allow it, and Fraser’s registration names the owner or a property management company. In unincorporated Grand County, both contacts must still live here full time, so check where the people who answer the phone actually live. Ask who picks up after hours and on holidays.
• A local contact service. A business whose people live in Grand County and whose job includes answering these calls. Neighbor On Call is this service. Where the county asks for two contacts, we can be both.

A few calls, and what each one asks of your contact

• A noise complaint at 11:40 p.m. The contact must respond within 60 minutes in Winter Park and within one hour in Granby. They call the guests, ask them to quiet down, and confirm back. A contact who lives 90 minutes away can answer the phone, but may not be able to reach the house if the call does not settle it.
• The fire district calls the contact number. Granby’s code lets the fire district call the responsible agent. An unreturned voicemail after one hour is a code violation. The contact’s phone has to be on and answered.
• A guest is locked out at 10 p.m. The contact needs a spare key or the door code, and your permission to let the guest in.
• A pipe freezes while you are on a flight. The contact needs to know where the water shutoff is, and needs your okay to call a plumber without reaching you first.

Before you name someone, ask them

• Will you answer at any hour, every day, including holidays?
• How long would it take you to reach the property from where you live and work?
• Do you have a key or code, and do you know where the water shutoff, breaker panel, and trash area are?
• May you call a plumber or electrician without calling me first?
• Who is your backup when you travel?

Give your contact a one-page property sheet: shutoffs, breaker panel, heat, trash day, parking, and where the spare key is kept.

More on this role: What a Grand County STR local contact actually does.

How to get permitted: seven steps

1. Confirm your jurisdiction on the county’s GIS map.
2. Schedule your fire inspection early. Grand Lake requires the report before you apply. East Grand Fire’s processing slows in busy months.
3. Line up your local contact or contacts to match your jurisdiction’s rule in the table above.
4. Gather your documents: proof of liability insurance, a parking plan or site plan, an HOA letter if you have an HOA, and proof of bear-proof trash where the county or town asks for it.
5. Apply with the right office. In Winter Park, register before you advertise.
6. Put your permit or registration number in every listing. Winter Park, Granby, and Fraser all require it.
7. Calendar your renewal. Every jurisdiction renews yearly. Winter Park registrations all expire September 30.

Common mistakes

• Advertising before registering in Winter Park. The code makes it unlawful to advertise before you register.
• Applying to the wrong office. Check the town boundary first.
• Naming an out-of-area contact in unincorporated Grand County. Both contacts must live here full time.
• Missing the response window. Granby treats an unreturned call within one hour as a code violation.
• Leaving the permit number out of a listing.
• Sending Grand Lake an inspection invoice. The town accepts the inspection report only.
• Letting a Fraser inspection certificate age past 12 months.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in Grand County?
Yes. Each jurisdiction with a short-term rental program requires its own permit, registration, or license. Which one applies depends on where the property sits.

Which office issues the permit for a Tabernash address?
Tabernash is unincorporated, so the county issues it.

Can my property manager in Denver be my local contact?
In unincorporated Grand County, no. Both contacts must live in Grand County full time. In Winter Park, Fraser, and Granby the codes set no residency test, but your contact must meet each jurisdiction’s response window. Grand Lake requires the contact to live or work within a 45-minute drive.

Does my jurisdiction require two contacts, and can you be both?
The county requires two local emergency contacts in unincorporated Grand County. Sarah and Rodney both live in Grand County full time, so Your Handy Neighbors can serve as both. Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, and Grand Lake each ask for one contact on the application, and Granby also asks you to post two 24-hour contacts inside the unit.

How often do I renew?
Every year. The county permit expires one year after approval. Winter Park registrations all expire September 30.

Do these rules cover Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs?
No. Check directly with each town.

How Your Handy Neighbors helps

We live in Grand County full time. Through Neighbor On Call, we serve as the local contact on your permit where we meet your jurisdiction’s requirements. Where the county asks for two contacts, we can be both. We walk each property through the annual fire and life-safety inspection items, and we handle bear-proof trash, parking, and snow-storage compliance. Contact us and we will go through what your property’s jurisdiction requires.

Last verified: October 24, 2026.

Disclaimer: This material is provided by Your Handy Neighbors for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal, insurance, financial, permitting, or other licensed professional advice, and does not create any relationship with Your Handy Neighbors. Permit, licensing, and local-contact requirements vary by jurisdiction and change without notice — verify all requirements directly with the applicable permitting authority before relying on this summary. © 2026 Sarastructions LLC dba Your Handy Neighbors.