How much can I charge for my Boulder home during Sundance?

Every January, someone in Park City rented a house for a number that made the newspaper. That number is not a plan.

Start from Sundance's own numbers

The festival publishes a nightly rate framework on lodging.sundance.org: about $250 for a one bedroom, one bath; $533 for a two bedroom, two bath; $850 for a three bedroom, two bath; and $1,386 for a four bedroom, two and a half bath. About 70 percent of Boulder's roughly 3,000 hotel rooms have committed to staying within the festival's rate guidance. That is the ceiling your guest is comparing you to.

Where Boulder homes are landing

Boulder area vacation rentals on the Sundance portal have been advertising about $1,600 to $3,700 a night. In June, some homes on open rental sites were asking $5,000 to $10,000 a night. The homes that booked first in August were priced at a reasonable premium over the framework. Many of the June asks are still open.

What earns a premium

Walking distance. In Boulder, the closer you are to Pearl Street, the CU campus or Chautauqua, the more the festival matters to your price. Then condition, then the things that make a guest's week easy: cleaning, a clear guest packet, transport. Square footage helps at the margin. Geography does the work.

Watch two dates

October 15, when passes go on sale and people start booking travel. And early December, when the film lineup is announced. If your calendar is still empty after the lineup, reprice that week, not in January.