Beyond Boulder: How Louisville, Superior, and Lafayette Are Handling Short-Term Rentals for Sundance 2027
QUICK ANSWER
Three cities next to Boulder are handling short-term rentals for Sundance 2027 in three different ways. Louisville normally bans short-term rentals citywide but has created a temporary festival exception. Superior has set up its own separate Festival Short Term Rental License. Lafayette has not created any festival-specific program, so its standard rules, including a primary-residence requirement, still apply. All three details come from each city’s own government website.
Last verified: September 10, 2026
Three cities, three different rules
| City fact | Status |
|---|---|
| Louisville normally prohibits short-term rentals citywide but now allows them Jan. 11 to Feb. 9, 2027, for stays of 29 days or fewer | Confirmed |
| Louisville requires an application, a signed Life Safety Affidavit, proof of insurance, and a license number on all listings | Confirmed |
| Superior’s separate Festival Short Term Rental License is valid Jan. 11 through Feb. 10, 2027, capped at 29 days, issued per unit | Confirmed |
| Lafayette has no festival-specific rental program; its standard $200, two-year license and primary-residence requirement still apply | Confirmed |
Louisville’s change is the biggest shift of the three. The city normally bans short-term rentals outright, but its city council approved a temporary carve-out tied specifically to the festival, according to Louisville’s own announcement that it is now accepting applications. The window runs January 11 through February 9, 2027, covering stays of 29 days or fewer, and it applies to a wide range of property types including single-family homes, condos, apartments, townhomes, mobile homes, and accessory dwelling units. Owners and renters with owner authorization can both apply, but participants must remit sales and lodging taxes, and listings outside the approved window are subject to enforcement.
Superior took a different approach, creating a standalone Festival Short Term Rental License that runs on its own track from the town’s standard short-term rental process. According to the Town of Superior’s own notice, the festival license is valid January 11 through February 10, 2027, limited to 29 days total, and must be applied for separately for each rental unit and re-licensed for any future festival.
Lafayette is the outlier. Its official short-term rental page makes no mention of Sundance 2027 or any temporary festival accommodation. That means Lafayette’s standard rules apply as they always do: a $200 application fee, a license valid for two years, and a requirement that the rental be the owner’s primary residence, which by design excludes most pure investment properties from operating as short-term rentals there.
Why it matters
If Boulder proper is fully booked or priced beyond your budget, these three cities are realistic fallback options, but each comes with different inventory and different rules than Boulder’s own Festival Lodging Rental License or the county’s short-term rental rules for unincorporated Boulder County. Louisville’s temporary lift in particular could meaningfully add to the region’s supply, which matters given the gap this site has already covered between Boulder’s roughly 2,900 hotel rooms and expected visitor demand.
What we’re watching
We’re watching for Louisville and Superior to publish licensing fees and application volume as the festival gets closer, and for Lafayette to say whether it plans any festival-specific accommodation of its own before January.
