Summit County covers 619 square miles of the central Colorado Rockies, straddling the Continental Divide along the I-70 mountain corridor approximately 70 miles west of Denver. The county was established in 1861 as one of Colorado Territory’s original seventeen counties and is named for the summit of the Continental Divide, which traverses the county’s eastern edge. The county seat is Breckenridge (~5,000), Colorado’s second-highest incorporated town at 9,600 feet, a former gold mining camp that has become one of the most visited and best-known ski destinations in the world.
Summit County is the heart of Colorado’s I-70 ski corridor and home to four world-class ski resorts: Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Arapahoe Basin. The county draws millions of skiers and snowboarders annually, generates property values among the highest in the state outside of Aspen and Telluride, and faces one of the most severe workforce housing crises in Colorado. The communities of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon serve as the county’s commercial and residential spine. All landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. No rent control. Evictions are filed in Summit County District Court in Breckenridge (5th Judicial District).
SB 24-094: 72hr begin remedial action; 24hr life-safety
Late Fee Grace Period
7 days; max $50 or 5% past-due rent
Security Deposit Return
30 days; triple damages for wrongful withholding
Court
Summit County District Court — Breckenridge (5th Judicial District)
HB 25-1249
Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Summit County Landlord Rules & Colorado Law
CRS Title 38 applied to Colorado’s most visited ski corridor — practical considerations for landlords in Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon
Summit County faces what is arguably Colorado’s most acute workforce housing crisis. The county’s four major ski resorts together employ thousands of seasonal and year-round workers — ski instructors, lift operators, terrain park crew, resort hotel staff, restaurant workers, retail employees, childcare providers, and support staff — who cannot afford to live in the communities where they work. Property values in Breckenridge, Keystone, and even in the more “affordable” communities of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon have risen to levels that make homeownership and even market-rate renting essentially impossible for anyone earning a resort or hospitality wage. STR conversion of residential units has dramatically reduced the long-term housing supply. The result is a workforce that increasingly commutes from Fairplay (Park County, over Hoosier Pass) or from the Roaring Fork Valley, and a set of employers struggling to staff their operations because workers cannot find or afford a place to live near the job site.
Just-Cause Eviction (HB 24-1098)
Effective April 19, 2024. 90-day written notice required for no-fault non-renewals of tenancies of 12+ months. Valid causes include: nonpayment, material lease violations, criminal activity, nuisance, landlord/family occupancy, sale, substantial renovation, or withdrawal from the rental market. Exemptions: owner-occupied SFH/duplex/triplex, sub-12-month tenancies, STRs, and employer housing. In Summit County’s market, HB 24-1098 significantly constrains the historical practice of cycling properties between ski-season workforce rentals and summer/off-season STR use. Once a tenancy exceeds 12 months, a 90-day notice is required before any conversion or non-renewal. Landlords who want to preserve flexibility should use seasonal leases from the outset and clearly document their lease structure. One rent increase per 12-month period maximum.
Breckenridge & the Four Resorts
Breckenridge Ski Resort (Vail Resorts) is the most visited ski resort in North America by skier visits, consistently ranking first or second in the United States. The resort’s five interconnected peaks, extensive terrain, and reliable snowfall make it a perennial favorite for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. Keystone Resort (Vail Resorts) and Copper Mountain (Powdr Corp) offer additional thousands of acres of terrain accessible via the Epic and Ikon passes respectively. Arapahoe Basin, independently operated, is beloved for its challenging terrain and one of the longest ski seasons in Colorado. Together the four resorts create massive, reliable ski-season demand for both STR visitor accommodation and workforce housing. STR operators in Summit County should verify current STR licensing requirements with the applicable jurisdiction (Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Frisco, or unincorporated Summit County), as requirements and permit caps vary and have evolved in response to the housing crisis.
Frisco, Silverthorne & Dillon: The Community Core
Frisco (~3,000), Silverthorne (~5,000), and Dillon (~1,000) form the commercial and residential backbone of Summit County’s year-round community life. These towns, situated around Lake Dillon Reservoir along I-70, provide the grocery stores, hardware stores, healthcare facilities, school district, and government services that the county’s permanent population relies on. They are also the communities where the county’s remaining long-term rental housing stock is most concentrated. For landlords, these communities offer the best combination of year-round LTR demand, community infrastructure, and relative affordability (compared to Breckenridge itself). Summit County has been actively developing affordable workforce housing through various programs; landlords should verify whether any properties they consider carry deed restrictions or participate in county housing programs.
Security Deposits & HB 25-1249
Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1249 caps security deposits at one month’s rent for conventional long-term tenancies. At Summit County’s rent levels — among the highest in the state — this cap is a meaningful constraint in absolute dollar terms. Return within 30 days; itemized statement required; triple damages for wrongful withholding. STR damage deposits for vacation rentals are governed by the rental agreement. Late fees: 7-day grace; maximum $50 or 5% of past-due rent. SB 24-094’s habitability standards apply fully; at 9,000+ feet with heavy snowfall, heating system maintenance is a year-round necessity, not just a winter concern.
CRS Title 38, Article 12 — statutes, procedures, and landlord rights applicable in Summit County
⚡ Quick Overview
10
Days Notice (Nonpayment)
10
Days Notice (Violation)
30-50
Avg Total Days
$85
Filing Fee (Approx)
💰 Nonpayment of Rent
Notice Type10-Day Demand for Compliance or Possession
Notice Period10 days
Tenant Can Cure?Yes
Days to Hearing7-14 days
Days to Writ48 hours after judgment days
Total Estimated Timeline30-50 days
Total Estimated Cost$150-$500
⚠️ Watch Out
HB 24-1098 (2024) increased notice period from 3 to 10 days for nonpayment. Tenant can cure by paying full rent owed. Late fees cannot be charged during the 10-day period. Landlord must accept partial payment if offered during notice period in some cases.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the County Court. Pay the filing fee (~$85).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Colorado eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Colorado attorney or local legal aid organization.
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Underground Landlord
🏙️ Communities in Summit County
Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Keystone, and Copper Mountain
One of CO Territory’s original 17 counties (1861). County seat: Breckenridge (~5,000) at 9,600 ft. Breckenridge Ski Resort — most visited ski resort in North America. Keystone, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin also in county. Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon — community core. Lake Dillon Reservoir. I-70 corridor; 70 miles from Denver. Colorado’s most acute workforce housing crisis. 5th Judicial District.
Summit County
Breckenridge & Summit County Landlord Essentials
STR: exceptional returns at all four resorts; verify STR licensing per jurisdiction (Breck, Silverthorne, Frisco, unincorporated vary). LTR workforce housing in extreme demand — resort workers desperately need it. HB 24-1098: use seasonal leases from the outset if you want flexibility; 90-day notice locks in after 12+ months. Verify county/town affordable housing deed restrictions before purchase. HB 25-1249: 1-month deposit cap Jan 1, 2026 (LTR). Evictions: 5th Judicial District, Breckenridge.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Summit County, Colorado
Summit County covers 619 square miles of the central Colorado Rockies, straddling the Continental Divide along the I-70 corridor approximately 70 miles west of Denver. It was established in 1861 as one of Colorado Territory’s original seventeen counties and named for the Continental Divide — the summit of the Rocky Mountains that forms the county’s eastern boundary. The county seat, Breckenridge, sits at 9,600 feet in a broad valley on the western slope of the Tenmile Range, a former gold mining camp that has been transformed over the past six decades into one of the most visited ski resort destinations on earth.
The I-70 Ski Corridor: Four Resorts, One County
Summit County’s claim to being the center of the Colorado ski industry rests on a remarkable concentration of resort infrastructure. Breckenridge Ski Resort, operated by Vail Resorts, encompasses five interconnected mountain peaks with more than 3,000 acres of skiable terrain and consistently ranks as the most visited ski resort in North America by skier visits. The resort’s combination of varied terrain, reliable snowfall, extensive lift infrastructure, and proximity to the Denver metro area via I-70 and US-9 makes it the dominant ski destination in the country by sheer volume of visits.
Keystone Resort, also operated by Vail Resorts and accessible to Epic Pass holders, adds another 3,000 acres of terrain including North America’s largest groomed night skiing operation. Copper Mountain, operated by Powdr Corp and accessible via the Ikon Pass, is beloved by expert skiers for its natural terrain separation by ability level and its less crowded slopes. Arapahoe Basin, independently operated, sits at the highest base elevation of any ski area in Colorado and is famous for its challenging steep terrain, no-frills atmosphere, and one of the longest ski seasons in the state, sometimes extending into early summer. Together the four resorts draw millions of visitors to Summit County each ski season, generating extraordinary demand for accommodation and a workforce requirement that the local housing market has been fundamentally unable to satisfy.
The Housing Crisis: A System Under Extreme Stress
Summit County’s workforce housing crisis is not a new problem — it has been building for decades as property values driven by resort investment and second-home demand have progressively priced out the working population. What has changed is the scale and urgency. The widespread availability of STR platforms has allowed property owners to convert residential units from long-term workforce housing to short-term visitor accommodation at unprecedented rates. The resulting reduction in the available long-term rental supply has pushed the workforce housing shortage from severe to acute.
The consequences are visible and well-documented. Summit County employers — from the ski resorts themselves to restaurants, childcare facilities, healthcare providers, and retail businesses — regularly report staffing shortages caused not by lack of interested applicants but by the inability of interested workers to find or afford housing. Workers commute from Fairplay in Park County, crossing Hoosier Pass (11,542 feet) in all weather conditions; from the Roaring Fork Valley through Glenwood Canyon; and from increasingly distant communities as affordable options near the resorts disappear.
For landlords, this crisis creates a compelling opportunity in long-term workforce rental. The hospitality and resort workforce that keeps Summit County’s economy running is in desperate need of stable, reasonably priced long-term housing, and landlords who provide it will find near-zero vacancy, motivated tenants, and the satisfaction of addressing one of the region’s most pressing community needs. Colorado’s HB 24-1098 requires 90-day notice for no-fault non-renewals of tenancies of 12 or more months — landlords who want the flexibility to shift between long-term and short-term use should structure their leases as seasonal arrangements from the outset. STR operators must verify current licensing requirements with the applicable jurisdiction. HB 25-1249, effective January 1, 2026, caps security deposits at one month’s rent for conventional long-term tenancies. Evictions are handled by the 5th Judicial District courthouse in Breckenridge.
Summit County landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. Verify county and town affordable housing deed restrictions before purchasing any Summit County residential property. STR: verify licensing requirements with applicable jurisdiction (Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, or unincorporated Summit County). Just-cause eviction (HB 24-1098): 90-day no-fault non-renewal notice required for tenancies of 12+ months; STRs and employer housing are exempt; structure lease terms carefully. Habitability (SB 24-094): 72-hour begin remedial action; 24-hour for life-safety. Security deposits: HB 25-1249 caps at 1 month’s rent for conventional LTR from Jan 1, 2026; STR damage deposits governed by rental agreement. Late fees: 7-day grace; max $50 or 5% past-due rent. No state rent control. One rent increase per 12 months maximum. Evictions filed in Summit County District Court in Breckenridge (5th Judicial District). Consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Summit County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
