Winter Is Coming: How City Managers Can Tackle STR Challenges During Peak Snow Season
From Vermont’s pristine ski slopes to Colorado’s snow-capped peaks, winter transforms skiers' favorite US cities into bustling tourist destinations. According to the National Ski Areas Association, there were more than 60.4 million visits to American resorts in the 2023-24 season.
This seasonal influx brings a surge in demand for short-term rental (STR) properties on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, among others. For instance, in Placer County, CA - home to many resorts surrounding Lake Tahoe - bookings soar nearly 50% between fall and winter, while Telluride, CO, experiences a staggering 110% rise in rental activity.
But with this surge come challenges. STRs can strain local infrastructure and disrupt neighborhoods with noise, traffic, and unauthorized parties. Addressing these issues requires proactive strategies, and city managers can turn to STR management tools for assistance.
Simplifying Issue Reporting with Streamlined Processes
Winter tourism often brings noise and parking problems, turning quiet neighborhoods into bustling hubs. Enforcing “good neighbor” policies and streamlining reporting systems are key to addressing these challenges and ensuring community wellbeing. Rentalscape’s 24/7 Complaint Hotline and Online Complaint Portal support city managers with a scalable way to address STR disruptions and empower residents to report issues in real time.
- 24/7 Complaint Hotline: Residents can call anytime to report STR issues. Bilingual, U.S.-based representatives collect detailed information, including the property address and incident type, and notify either the city contact or the STR host’s emergency contact.
- Online Complaint Portal: For non-urgent concerns, residents can submit reports via a digital form. Complaints are logged and directed to the appropriate department.
Tackling Winter STR Challenges with Rentalscape
Chelan County, WA, is no stranger to the challenges posed by the winter surge in short-term rentals. City officials found that the influx of winter visitors brought a sharp rise in STR-related complaints. Traditional complaint-handling methods proved insufficient.
To address this, Chelan County implemented Rentalscape’s 24/7 Complaint Hotline and Online Complaint Portal, streamlining the process for residents to report disturbances.
“Establishing a short-term rental monitoring service for better regulation has been a long time coming—and one Community Development has been working on for over a year,” said Kirsten Ryles, Assistant Director of Community Development at Chelan County. “With three options for reporting short-term rental violations, I encourage people to use these tools. The tools are in place to encourage short-term rental owners to be good neighbors.”
The results have been tangible: the tools’ flexibility, allowing both phone reports and online submissions, enhanced the county's responsiveness, helping staff and STR owners maintain peaceful, thriving communities.
Establishing a short-term rental monitoring service for better regulation has been a long time coming—and one Community Development has been working on for over a year. With three options for reporting short-term rental violations, I encourage people to use these tools. The tools are in place to encourage short-term rental owners to be good neighbors.”
Enhancing City Management During Peak Season
Managing STRs during winter is more than solving problems. For many city managers, it's about information accessibility and turning STR-related challenges into growth opportunities. STR management tools like Rentalscape help city managers enforce rental compliance, boost transparency, and recover short-term rental tax revenue, even during peak seasons.
"Across Colorado’s mountainous regions, local communities encounter distinct winter challenges, such as parking shortages caused by limited space and heightened demand. Solutions like Rentalscape’s 24/7 Complaint Hotline and Online Complaint Portal empower citizens to quickly and easily report issues, allowing local agencies to address specific complaints with greater efficiency and effectiveness."
By integrating data and automation into their workflows, cities can streamline oversight, strengthen community trust, and sustain local economies. The right tools don’t just make winter’s challenges manageable—they turn them into a foundation for long-term success.
"Across Colorado’s mountainous regions, local communities encounter distinct winter challenges, such as parking shortages caused by limited space and heightened demand. Solutions like Rentalscape’s 24/7 Complaint Hotline and Online Complaint Portal empower citizens to quickly and easily report issues, allowing local agencies to address specific complaints with greater efficiency and effectiveness."
Discover why Rentalscape is No. 1 for STR compliance
See for yourself why Rentalscape is the US’ No. 1 STR compliance and management tool, trusted by more than 500 jurisdictions.
Contact our team to schedule a demo to see what Rentalscape can do for your community.
