Short-term rentals (STRs) are an undeniable part of our modern landscape. Whether you love them or loathe them, platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have changed how travelers experience destinations like ours in Eagle County. They’ve also changed how homeowners use their properties—offering an opportunity to generate income, offset mortgage costs, and contribute to our region’s tourism economy.

Yet, despite these benefits, the push to regulate STRs has grown stronger in recent years. Some local governments have proposed caps, steep permit fees, and outright bans in certain areas, arguing that STRs disrupt neighborhoods, drive up housing costs, and create enforcement challenges. While there are certainly valid concerns that need to be addressed, overregulating STRs isn’t the answer. It risks doing more harm than good—stifling economic opportunity, reducing lodging availability, and taking decisions out of the hands of those who know their communities best.

Tourism is the lifeblood of Eagle County. Visitors don’t just stay in hotels; they rent condos, townhomes, and single-family homes. A huge percentage of these units are in our resort core areas of Vail Village, Lionshead, Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead. A much smaller percentage of the units are scattered throughout residential neighborhoods.

Many of these rentals accommodate families and groups who might otherwise choose a different destination. Restrictive policies that make it harder or more expensive to operate an STR will inevitably lead to fewer available rentals, driving up costs for visitors and potentially pushing them to destinations outside our county. That’s bad news for local businesses that depend on tourism-driven spending.

Beyond tourism, STRs play an important role for homeowners. In a high-cost housing market like ours, the ability to rent out a property—even occasionally—can make the difference between affording a home and being forced to sell. At a time when we’re all discussing workforce housing challenges, limiting a homeowner’s ability to generate incremental income doesn’t seem like a productive solution.

There’s also the question of who should be making these decisions. While some level of regulation is necessary to ensure STRs operate responsibly, heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all rules from towns or counties often miss the mark. The best place for STR management isn’t a government office—it’s within local homeowner associations (HOAs) and property owner associations (POAs). These organizations have a direct pulse on their neighborhoods and are in a much better position to create and enforce rental policies that reflect neighborhood priorities.

A purpose-built condominium in Beaver Creek or Lionshead has vastly different needs than a home in Homestead or EagleVail, and a blanket STR ordinance simply cannot account for those differences. Local governance should remain as local as possible, and the people who live in and own property within a neighborhood should have the most say in how STRs are handled there.

Rather than pursuing reactionary policies that restrict and regulate STRs, we need a more balanced approach. Reasonable licensing, clear guidelines on noise and parking, and better enforcement of existing regulations can address concerns without putting an unnecessary burden on property owners. Let’s trust HOAs and POAs to do their job—because they’re far better equipped to regulate their communities than a town or county.

Short-term rentals aren’t a problem to be solved; they’re an asset to be managed. If we go too far with restrictions, fees, and taxes, we risk damaging our tourism economy and harming local homeowners. We should focus on smart governance that protects community interests without sacrificing economic opportunity. Because in the end, local decisions should be made by those who know their communities best—not through a one-size-fits-all big government approach that fails to recognize the unique character of the places we call home.

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, 3-time national chamber of the year. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com