A buyer closes on a three-bedroom cabin in Fraser, keys in hand, ready to list it before the first snow.
The listing said STR-friendly.
The buyer already ran the numbers. They searched online for Fraser short-term rental fees, found a Grand County vacation-rental guide, and budgeted $728 per bedroom per year.
There's just one problem.
That number belongs to Granby.
Search a little longer and another number starts appearing: $250 per bedroom.
That one actually did belong to Fraser.
It just expired September 30, 2025.
As of October 1, 2025, the Town of Fraser's published annual short-term rental permit fee is $350 per bedroom, plus a $150 annual application fee.
For a three-bedroom property, that's $1,200 annually before accounting for the separate operating license, fire inspection or any other costs associated with running the rental.
Three numbers.
Three different explanations.
Only one current Fraser fee.
And that's exactly why "STR-friendly" should be the beginning of a buyer's due diligence, not the end of it.
What Does a Short-Term Rental Permit Cost in Fraser, Colorado?
As of September 2026, Fraser's annual short-term rental costs include:
Requirement | Current Fraser Cost |
|---|---|
Annual STR application fee | $150 |
Annual STR permit fee | $350 per bedroom |
Self-managed STR operating license | $40 annually |
Fire inspection | Separate East Grand Fire Protection District process |
Fraser counts bedrooms according to the property assessor plus additional sleeping areas containing beds. Pull-out and slide-out sofas don't count, while a studio counts as one bedroom.
That distinction can change the math.
A property marketed as a three-bedroom home with an additional sleeping area containing a bed may not necessarily be treated as simply a three-bedroom STR for permit-fee purposes.
And the permit fee isn't simply administrative revenue. Fraser directs it toward affordable-housing initiatives and programs approved by the Fraser Housing Authority.
Why Do Some Websites Say Fraser Charges $250 Per Bedroom?
Because until September 30, 2025, it did.
Fraser's fee schedule was deliberately phased:
- October 1, 2022–September 30, 2023: $150 per bedroom
- October 1, 2023–September 30, 2025: $250 per bedroom
- October 1, 2025 onward: $350 per bedroom
That creates an unusually easy trap for buyers researching STR expenses online.
A blog written in 2024 isn't necessarily wrong.
It's simply describing a fee that no longer exists.
And because old property-management guides, blog posts and search results can remain online for years, the distinction between accurate when published and accurate today matters.
And the $728 Fraser Fee?
That's a different problem.
$728 per bedroom is Granby's current annual STR permit fee, not Fraser's.
Granby's own website confirms an annual permit fee of $728 per bedroom, plus a one-time $100 application fee.
That means someone comparing investment properties across Grand County can encounter two neighboring towns using the same basic unit — bedrooms — while charging dramatically different amounts.
And once you leave town boundaries altogether, the formula changes again.
Fraser vs. Winter Park vs. Granby vs. Unincorporated Grand County
As of September 2026, the basic STR fee structures look like this:
Jurisdiction | Published STR Fee Structure |
|---|---|
Fraser | $150 annual application + $350/bedroom annual permit |
Winter Park | $150 annual STR registration |
Granby | $100 one-time application + $728/bedroom annual permit |
Unincorporated Grand County | $100 per maximum advertised occupant annually |
That last distinction is particularly important.
Grand County's $100-per-person model applies to unincorporated Grand County, not properties located inside Fraser, Winter Park, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs or Kremmling.
The county also caps maximum advertised occupancy at 16.
So two properties with "Fraser" appearing in an online search can potentially produce very different underwriting questions depending on the property's actual jurisdiction.
That's why the address is not enough.
The parcel's jurisdiction matters.
Fraser Added Another Requirement in 2025
The fee isn't the only number a buyer needs to know.
On December 4, 2024, Fraser's Board of Trustees adopted Ordinance 516, adding a fire-safety inspection requirement to the town's STR registration process.
Beginning February 28, 2025, every new STR registration and renewal must include a valid Certificate of Inspection from East Grand Fire Protection District #4.
And there's an important detail hiding inside that sentence:
The Town of Fraser doesn't perform the inspection.
East Grand Fire does.
That means buying a property and logging into Fraser's registration portal isn't the entire process. The owner must coordinate with a separate agency and obtain the required certificate before the town will approve the registration.
For someone hoping to close on Friday and have the property live on Airbnb by Saturday, that's worth knowing before closing.
The Existing STR Permit Doesn't Transfer With the House
This may be the most important rule for a buyer.
Fraser issues its short-term rental permit to the specific property owner.
The permit cannot be transferred or assigned to another individual, entity or address.
So when an STR property sells, the buyer doesn't simply inherit the seller's permit.
The new owner needs their own registration.
That includes satisfying the requirements in effect at that time — including the current fee structure and fire inspection.
A listing advertised as an "existing STR" therefore tells you something useful about the property's history.
It does not mean the buyer automatically acquires an active permit at closing.
There's Also a Second License
Fraser separates the property permit from the license required to operate it.
If the homeowner self-manages the rental, they need a Short-Term Rental Operating License, currently $40 annually.
If a professional property management company manages the home, the company instead maintains its business license covering the STRs it manages.
That distinction sounds minor until you're building an operating budget.
The property permit and operating license are separate requirements.
And they don't necessarily operate on identical calendars.
Then There's the HOA
Municipal approval is only one layer.
An HOA can impose restrictions of its own.
That means a property can potentially satisfy Fraser's municipal STR requirements while still being prohibited or restricted from short-term rental use by its governing documents.
No town permit overrides private covenants.
For a buyer purchasing specifically because rental income is part of the financial plan, reviewing the current declaration, CC&Rs, rules and amendments isn't paperwork to save for the end.
It's part of determining whether the deal works at all.
What Should You Verify Before Buying a Fraser STR?
Before underwriting rental income into a Fraser purchase, verify at least five things:
- The property's actual jurisdiction. Don't assume a Fraser mailing address means the same regulations apply.
- The current municipal fee schedule. Fraser's current published rate is $350 per bedroom plus its $150 annual application fee.
- How Fraser will count the property's sleeping areas. The permit calculation isn't necessarily identical to the bedroom count used in marketing.
- Fire inspection requirements and timing. New registrations and renewals require an East Grand Fire inspection certificate.
- HOA restrictions. Municipal eligibility does not override private covenants.
Then run the rental numbers.
Not the other way around.
FAQ
How much is an STR permit in Fraser, Colorado in 2026?
Fraser currently charges a $150 annual application fee plus an annual permit fee of $350 per bedroom. Studios count as one bedroom, and additional sleeping areas containing beds can count toward the permit calculation.
Why do some websites say Fraser's STR fee is $250 per bedroom?
That was Fraser's official fee from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2025. Beginning October 1, 2025, the published rate increased to $350 per bedroom.
Does Fraser charge $728 per bedroom for short-term rentals?
No. The Town of Granby's current annual STR permit fee is $728 per bedroom. Fraser's current published permit fee is $350 per bedroom.
Does an existing Fraser STR permit transfer when a home sells?
No. Fraser's regulations state that the STR permit is issued to the specific owner and cannot be transferred or assigned to another person, entity or address.
Does Fraser require an STR fire inspection?
Yes. Since February 28, 2025, new registrations and renewals must include a valid Certificate of Inspection from East Grand Fire Protection District #4.
Can an HOA prohibit short-term rentals even if Fraser allows them?
Yes. HOA covenants and restrictions operate independently of the town's permitting system. Municipal approval doesn't override private restrictions.
Does Grand County's $100-per-person STR fee apply in Fraser?
No. Grand County's occupancy-based permit applies to properties in unincorporated Grand County. Properties inside Fraser town limits follow Fraser's municipal program.
"STR-Friendly" Isn't the Same Thing as STR-Ready
That's the distinction buyers should carry into a showing.
"STR-friendly" may tell you a property isn't obviously disqualified from short-term rental use.
It doesn't tell you what the current permit costs.
It doesn't tell you whether an existing permit transfers.
It doesn't tell you whether the property has passed the required fire inspection.
And it doesn't tell you what the HOA documents say.
Those details aren't reasons to avoid a Fraser property.
They're reasons to verify the business model before the business model becomes part of the offer price.
At RE/MAX Peak to Peak, that's the level underneath the listing sheet we think buyers deserve to understand — not simply whether a property can be rented, but what today's rules actually require before the first guest checks in.
