Brace yourself: You may not be able to use the winter vacation home you rented
By now, it's no surprise when the pandemic disrupts your best-laid plans. In fact, I'd say the opposite is true and I'm pleasantly surprised whenever plans any more complicated than making spaghetti for dinner go off without a hitch.
As it has become clear that we've entered another very serious, escalating phase of increased COVID-19 case transmission, any travel plans you may have optimistically set into motion a few months ago when things seemed more stable are now ... potentially in jeopardy. With more restrictive stay-at-home-orders, additional testing or quarantine requirement restrictions, hotels that may close a second time (or delay reopening), there's plenty that can go wrong.
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But today's issue at hand specifically has to do with vacation home rentals that may become unavailable or unusable as parts of the country re-enter more restrictive lockdown rules. Back in March, we saw many areas around the country temporarily ban short-term vacation rental housing in an effort to support shelter-at-home initiatives.
Now, many months later, vacation home rentals are largely back on the market -- but with a big potential catch. As we enter the winter months, even a house built for 22 people may only be eligible to be rented by one household.
Related: What happened when I tested positive for COVID-19 on a trip
Big Colorado ski houses can only be rented by 1 household
While this situation is not limited just to Colorado, for example, we see similar restrictions in California, with ski season and Colorado's restrictions ramping up at the same time, winter ski trips to Colorado may be greatly impacted.
If your travel group turned to whole-home rentals to be more self-contained than you could be in hotel rooms, your perfect ski home bookings may sit in the crossfires as Colorado looks to regain progress against rising COVID-19 caseloads.
In Colorado, counties are given a color ranging from green (good) to purple (very, very bad) based on the number of new cases, the percentage of positive tests in the county and the impact on hospitalization rates. Currently, no county in Colorado is green, only one is at the second-best level of blue and most are on the bad end of the spectrum in orange or red.
This matters to home rentals because once a county reaches the red (second-worst) COVID-19 designation, short-term rentals cannot be occupied by more than one household. Note that the rule is not more than one "family" (aka, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.), but more than one actual household that shares the same physical address.
Already, several key ski counties, Summit (home to Keystone, Breckenridge, etc.), San Miguel (home to Telluride) and Clear Creek (home to Loveland) have hit the red destination.
The popular ski counties of Eagle (Vail, Beaver Creek) and Pitkin (Aspen) are just one step below that at the orange level. Even at the orange level, social gatherings of all kinds (including sharing home rentals) are technically limited to no more than 10 people from no more than two households.
In practice, what this means is that if your group bought ski passes and planned to share that big six-bedroom home rental in a Colorado county that has now hit the red designation (or will before your travel date), you can't legally share that rented lodging, even if you've all quarantined before travel, taken COVID-19 tests, etc.
Related: What it's like to ski with COVID-19 restrictions
Winter travel plans now up in the air
For me, this isn't just a theoretical problem.
We have a ski rental home booked in Telluride for later this winter, still several months away.
The plan was to share the home with a small number of family members who aren't a part of our household. Through the use of pre-travel testing, being cautious, etc. we've successfully taken a few trips this year where we shared a home rental with our travel bubble. While there is admittedly still some risk involved, getting the kids out on the snow this winter sounded like a fun, distanced, outdoor activity.
However, as Telluride's San Miguel County entered the red restrictions this past week, the owner of the home reached out to verify with me that only one household will be staying in the home rental. Unfortunately for all involved, this large multi-bedroom home that rents for around $1,000 per night all-in during ski season, was to be used by more than one household.
Hopefully, the situation in the Telluride area will improve before our planned travel dates. But, as it stands, the options are: Keep the rental just for my family of four and spend $1,000 per night for an excessively large home (leaving others in the family to secure their own lodging), cross our fingers that things improve by later in the ski season or cancel now.
This particular home rental owner is willing to provide a refund right in light of the new occupancy restrictions. However, that does not mean that all other related expenses (such as ski passes) are refundable. In fact, they aren't.
Related: How to use points for vacation home rentals
Bottom line
I've canceled several upcoming trips simply because the surge in cases makes those near-term trips feel unwise, but I still had hope for an outdoor-focused trip several months out.
And while I haven't fully given up on the dream of spending time safely on the mountains this winter, exactly how that will be accomplished is now a more layered problem. Extended family could all rent multiple ski-friendly hotel rooms. But with less space and often no kitchen, that introduces new problems of its own.
Due to the time it takes for a county to move to less-restrictive designations and current trends, it seems all but certain some Colorado counties will still be in the red zone as we hit the upcoming peak winter holiday weeks.
Those with shared home rental bookings scheduled in that timeframe in impacted counties may need to make alternate arrangements to comply with public health orders. Would-be travelers with potentially impacted lodging bookings later in the winter might still be able to take a wait-and-see approach -- and cross their ski mittens that the severe impacts of COVID-19 start going in the opposite direction in a hurry.
But again, this is not a Colorado-specific situation, so keep a close eye on local regulations wherever your future vacation home rentals may be.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.