Key takeaways
- Right now neither is easy. Frisco's town-wide cap of 900 licenses filled in February 2023, so a buyer goes on a waitlist, while Breckenridge caps licenses by zone.
- Frisco's waitlist costs $25 to join. Applicants from 2023 and 2024 waited twelve to fourteen months, and the town now says the wait for any given property is unknown.
- In both towns the license stays with the seller. Breckenridge has narrow exceptions, like moving the property into the owner's own LLC or trust, or an inheritance.
- Frisco charges a flat $250 a year and Breckenridge $756 per bedroom, but Frisco's town taxes on a stay are higher at 9.35%, including a 5% STR excise tax.
Frisco: one cap, and it's full
Frisco capped short-term rental licenses with Ordinance 22-10, adopted October 11, 2022. The cap is 25% of the town's residential housing stock, which works out to 900 licenses. The town hit it in February 2023 and has run a waitlist ever since.
- Waitlist: $25 to join, non-refundable. Applicants from 2023 and 2024 waited twelve to fourteen months, and the town now says the wait for any given property is unknown.
- On a sale: licenses aren't transferable. The seller closes their account, and a buyer starts on the waitlist.
- Cost: $250 a year. Every license expires April 30.
- House rules: occupancy of two per bedroom plus four, an on-site parking plan, a life-safety affidavit and a contact who can respond around the clock.
Breckenridge: it depends on the zone
Breckenridge splits the town into zones, each with its own cap and its own waitlist. Licenses that existed before the caps were grandfathered, and the town expects counts in the tighter zones to drift down as homes sell. Our Breckenridge page has the zone caps and waitlist rules in detail.
- On a sale: not transferable, with narrow exceptions like moving the property into the owner's own LLC or trust, or an inheritance.
- Cost: an annual regulatory fee of $756 per bedroom (or studio), plus the town's business license.
Side by side
| Frisco | Breckenridge | |
|---|---|---|
| New investor license today? | Waitlist | By zone |
| How the cap works | One town-wide cap, 900 licenses, full since Feb 2023 | Separate cap and waitlist per zone |
| License transfers to buyer? | No | No, with family and entity exceptions |
| Annual town fee | $250 flat | $756 per bedroom |
| Town taxes on a stay | 2% sales, 2.35% lodging, 5% STR excise tax | 2.5% sales, 3.4% accommodation |
State, county and district sales taxes apply on top in both towns. Frisco's town taxes add up to 9.35% because of its 5% short-term rental excise tax, which applies to stays checking out on or after June 1, 2022. Frisco puts the all-in rate a guest pays at 15.725%.
Where I'd start: in towns like these, the question isn't really Frisco or Breckenridge. It's which specific buildings and zones still give a new owner a realistic path to a license, and what that's worth in the price. That's the conversation I have with every Summit County buyer before we tour anything.
Related: Colorado mountain towns still issuing STR licenses, does an STR license transfer when you buy, and STR lodging taxes by town.
Questions investors ask
Can I get a short-term rental license in Frisco, Colorado?
Only through the waitlist. Frisco capped STR licenses at 900 (25% of housing stock) under Ordinance 22-10 and reached the cap in February 2023. Joining the waitlist costs $25, and recent applicants waited twelve to fourteen months.
Does a Frisco STR license transfer when you buy the house?
No. Frisco says STR licenses are not transferable. The seller closes their license and the buyer applies to the waitlist.
Does a Breckenridge STR license transfer when you buy the house?
No. Breckenridge licenses don't transfer on a sale, with exceptions for things like moving the property into the owner's own trust or LLC, family gifts and inheritance.
Which has higher taxes on short-term rentals, Frisco or Breckenridge?
Frisco. Its town taxes on a stay total 9.35%, including a 5% short-term rental excise tax, versus Breckenridge's 2.5% sales tax plus 3.4% accommodation tax. State and county taxes come on top in both.
Sources
- Town of Frisco, How to apply for a short-term rental license (read Oct 24, 2026)
- Town of Frisco, Short-term rental guide and FAQs
- Town of Frisco, Short-term rental taxes and payments
- Town of Breckenridge, Accommodation Unit (Short-Term Rental) Licenses
- Town of Breckenridge, Development of License Caps and Regulations
- Town of Breckenridge, Accommodations Tax
Looking at Summit County? Start with Covest.
Send me the building or the address. I'll tell you what a new owner can actually get for a license there, and whether the price reflects it.
Talk to ShalomCovest LLC is a licensed Colorado real estate brokerage. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Confirm current requirements with the town or county before you buy.