Denver revokes first short-term-rental license
The city of Denver has yanked the short-termrental license of Garth Yettick and his Marion Manor, ruling that Yettick wasn’t living at the Country Club neighborhood home as required under city rules.
“Denver welcomes shortterm rentals that operate within the rules to protect the community, but we will not hesitate to take action following legitimate complaints from the community,” Denver Excise and Licenses executive director Ashley Kilroy said in a statement. “Good government begins and ends with our community having their voices heard and their complaints addressed, and that’s exactly what we are doing here.”
To operate a short-term rental in Denver, licensees must show their property is their primary residence and “usual place of return.” Kilroy’s ruling was the first time the city has revoked a short-term-rental license since regulations went into place back in 2017.
The license requirements were put in place to discourage absentee landlords from renting in the short term rather than the long term, to ease disruptions in neighborhoods from rowdy tenants and to protect the investment of hotel owners in providing lodging.
Neighbors complained that the six-bedroom property with a pool, hot tub and gym was turning into the equivalent of a fraternity party house, according to Denver7.
The short-term rental at 410 Marion St. was advertised as a $5 million Country Club Estate that could house 15 people. One listing had the rent at $1,540 per night.
Yettick provided four witnesses to testify that the home was his primary residence, and he showed records of 206 visits to the property between July 24 of last year to Jan. 17. But Yettick admitted he would stay at the property only when it wasn’t being rented out and that he treated his time there as a “minor stay,” according to the final decision from the city.
Seven neighbors testified that Yettick lived at 410 Marion St. prior to summer 2017, until moving vans showed up at the home. Property records show he purchased another home in Cherry Creek, where he works as a money manager at Janus Henderson Investors.
Neighbors said packages stopped being delivered at the home and they rarely ever saw Yettick, even as a steady stream of strangers came through the house day and night. Records also show the property was rented a large number of days.
It appears Yettick is unlikely to appeal. The Marion Manor, at 7,853 square feet, is listed for sale at $5.6 million.
Starting April 10, Denver is tightening rules for shortterm-rental licensees.
Landlords must notify their insurance providers and their HOA of their plans to turn dwellings into a short-term rental. Denver also will have the authority to revoke or deny a license if a rental property adversely affects public health, safety or welfare of the immediate neighborhood. And they have 30 days to inform the city of any change in name or contact information.