Advocacy Isn’t Optional—It’s an Investment in the Future of Your Business
Owning or managing a short-term rental requires careful planning and budgeting. Property owners routinely account for mortgages, insurance, utilities, maintenance, cleaning, taxes, marketing, and repairs. But there is one investment that is often overlooked—and it may be the most important of all.
Advocacy.
The regulatory landscape for short-term rentals continues to evolve across Colorado. Every legislative session brings new proposals affecting property rights, taxation, licensing, occupancy limits, local control, and tourism. At the local level, counties and municipalities regularly consider new ordinances that can directly impact your ability to operate, your property’s value, and your bottom line.
The reality is simple: if our community is not represented when these conversations happen, someone else will represent it for us.
Advocacy Happens Every Day—Not Just During the Legislative Session
Many people think advocacy only happens when the Colorado General Assembly is in session. In reality, the work never stops.
Throughout the year, COSTRA monitors proposed legislation, tracks local government initiatives, meets with legislators and state agencies, builds relationships with elected officials, responds to proposed ordinances, participates in stakeholder meetings, and works with allied organizations across Colorado’s tourism and business communities.
Effective advocacy requires research, preparation, communication, and credibility. It means showing up before decisions are made—not after they have already been finalized.
Advocacy Requires More Than Good Intentions
Professional advocacy is an investment.
Maintaining relationships with lawmakers, hiring experienced lobbyists, commissioning economic research, producing educational materials, traveling throughout the state, organizing grassroots efforts, and responding quickly when new legislation is introduced all require significant financial resources.
One of COSTRA’s most valuable advocacy tools is independent economic research. Comprehensive economic impact studies help quantify the contributions of Colorado’s short-term rental industry to local economies, tourism, employment, tax revenue, and small businesses. These studies are expensive to produce, but they provide the objective, data-driven evidence that legislators and local governments need when considering policy decisions. Facts supported by credible research are far more persuasive than anecdotes alone.
Education Creates Better Advocates
Advocacy is strengthened when our community demonstrates professionalism.
That’s why COSTRA invests heavily in educational resources for homeowners, property managers, and industry partners. Through webinars, conferences, training opportunities, newsletters, legislative updates, and partnerships with leading industry experts, we help members stay informed and operate responsibly.
A well-educated short-term rental community earns credibility with lawmakers and local officials. Professional operators who understand regulations, follow best practices, and contribute positively to their communities strengthen the case for fair, balanced public policy.
Membership Makes Advocacy Possible
Unlike many segments of the tourism industry, short-term rentals do not have a single large corporation representing every owner. Our strength comes from individual homeowners, professional managers, vendors, and supporters who choose to invest in protecting the future of short-term rentals.
Membership dues are what make year-round advocacy possible. They support legislative monitoring, lobbying, legal and policy research, economic studies, educational programming, member communications, coalition building, and the countless hours spent representing the short-term rental community’s interests at both the Capitol and local government meetings throughout Colorado.
Every new member expands our ability to advocate effectively.
There Is Strength in Numbers
When COSTRA meets with lawmakers, one of the first questions we are often asked is simple:
“How many people do you represent?”
Membership is more than financial support—it demonstrates that Colorado’s short-term rental community is organized, engaged, and committed to being part of the conversation. A larger membership gives our organization greater credibility with legislators, local governments, media, and coalition partners.
Every homeowner, every property manager, every supplier, and every business connected to short-term rentals adds another voice to our collective message.
Together, we represent jobs, local businesses, tourism, tax revenue, and thousands of Colorado property owners who deserve fair and balanced public policy.
Your Membership Is an Investment
Joining COSTRA is about more than receiving member benefits. It is an investment in protecting your short-term rental, your property rights, and the future of Colorado’s short-term rental community.
Every membership helps fund the advocacy, education, research, and relationships that ensure our industry has a respected voice wherever important decisions are being made.
Because advocacy isn’t optional.
It’s part of the cost of doing business—and together, it’s one of the smartest investments we can make.