What are the real annual carrying costs of a Breckenridge condo?
The cost to own a Breckenridge condo each year runs well past the mortgage. Property tax, HOA dues, insurance, and town STR fees each have their own math, and one of them scales with bedrooms.
For example, picture a two-bedroom condo in Breckenridge that you plan to rent nightly when you're not using it. Before a single guest books, the Town of Breckenridge charges a regulatory fee of $756 per studio or bedroom per year. On two bedrooms, that's $1,512 a year, plus the town's business license tax.
That fee is one line. The HOA budget, the Summit County property tax bill, and your insurance policy are the others, each set by a different party on a different calendar.
This post shows you how to build the full annual budget for one specific unit, line by line, using the 2026 rates published by the state and the town.
The Five Lines in a Breckenridge Condo Budget
Every Breckenridge condo budget has the same five lines. The amounts change by building.
- Property tax, set by Colorado's assessment rates and your tax area's mill levy
- HOA dues, set by the association's annual budget
- Insurance, your own HO-6 policy on top of the HOA's building policy
- Utilities and services the HOA doesn't cover
- Short-term rental costs, only if you plan to rent
Your mortgage payment sits on top of these. The 1% Breckenridge real estate transfer tax is a one-time closing cost, so it stays out of the annual budget.
Property Tax: The 2026 Colorado Math
Colorado splits residential property into two assessment rates. For tax year 2026, the Colorado Division of Property Taxation lists a residential local government rate of 6.8% and a residential school district rate of 7.05%.
The formula has two steps. Actual value times the assessment rate gives you the assessed value. Assessed value times the mill levy (written as a decimal) gives you the tax.
A Worked Example
For example, say the Summit County Assessor values your condo at $900,000.
- Local government side: $900,000 x 6.8% = $61,200 assessed value
- School district side: $900,000 x 7.05% = $63,450 assessed value
Each mill of local government levy costs you about $61 on that value, and each mill of school district levy about $63. The levy depends on your tax area inside Summit County, so two condos at the same value can carry different bills. Pull the actual levy from the unit's most recent tax bill before you budget.
The Calendar
Tax year 2026 taxes are paid in 2027. The state says bills go out as soon after January 1 as possible, with payment due April 30 in full or in two halves, by the last day of February and June 15. Notices of Valuation for real property are mailed by May 1 each year.
The sales used to value residential property for tax years 2025 and 2026 had to occur between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. If you're buying now, the seller's most recent bill gives you a starting point. Rerun it at the 2026 rates. A CPA can tell you how the tax fits into your own return.
HOA Dues: Read the Budget
HOA dues are often the largest line after the mortgage, and they're also the least uniform. In one Summit County complex, dues may cover heat, cable, internet, snow removal, and the building insurance policy. In another building down the street, you pay most of those yourself.
Ask for the association's current annual budget and read what the dues pay for. A worked example, with illustrative numbers only: dues of $750 a month come to $9,000 a year. If those dues include heat and internet, your utility line shrinks. If they don't, it grows.
Insurance: Your HO-6 Policy
The HOA's building policy covers the structure, and its scope varies by association. Your own HO-6 condo policy covers what the building policy leaves out, which often includes interior finishes, your belongings, liability, and part of any deductible the association passes to owners.
Get the HOA policy's declarations page before you shop for coverage. It tells you where the building's coverage stops and yours has to start. If you plan to rent the unit, tell the insurance agent you talk to, since nightly rental use can change what a standard policy covers.
Utilities and Services
List every service the HOA budget doesn't include. Common ones for a Breckenridge condo:
- Electric, and gas if the unit has its own furnace or fireplace
- Internet and streaming, which renters expect
- Winter heat at a minimum setting while the unit sits empty
- A personal repair reserve for appliances, hot water heaters, and furnishings
Budget winter months at the high end, then average across the year.
STR Costs If You Plan to Rent
The Town of Breckenridge sets its own rules and fees for short-term rentals, separate from Summit County's rules for unincorporated areas.
The Regulatory Fee and License Tax
The town's accommodation unit license page states that the regulatory fee is $756 per studio or bedroom per year. A license also requires the town's business license tax.
| Unit (example) | Regulatory fee per year |
|---|---|
| Studio | $756 |
| One bedroom | $756 |
| Two bedrooms | $1,512 |
| Three bedrooms | $2,268 |
A license requires its own application, and the town caps the number of licenses by zone. Confirm the unit's license status and zone with the town before you count on rental income.
Lodging Taxes
Guests pay sales and accommodation tax on stays under 30 days. The town's sales and accommodation tax page lists a combined rate of 12.275%, which includes a 2.5% town sales tax and a 3.4% town accommodation tax.
Owners who rent through a booking platform or a licensed management company generally don't file periodic returns. If you take payment from guests directly, you remit the taxes yourself.
Build the Budget for One Unit
General averages won't tell you what a specific condo costs. Here's how to build the sheet for the unit you're considering in Breckenridge or anywhere in Summit County:
- Pull the most recent tax bill and the assessor's actual value.
- Get the HOA's annual budget, current dues, and HOA insurance declarations.
- Call for an HO-6 quote with your rental plans stated up front.
- Ask the seller for 12 months of utility bills.
- If you'll rent, confirm the license status, the zone, and the bedroom count the town uses for the fee.
Jamie Bridges, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC, works with second-home buyers in Breckenridge and across Summit County. He holds the Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) designation, and he walks buyers through a unit's tax record, HOA budget, and STR license status before an offer goes in, so the annual number is on paper before the contract is.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Breckenridge short-term rental fee each year? The Town of Breckenridge lists a regulatory fee of $756 per studio or bedroom per year. A two-bedroom condo pays $1,512 and a three-bedroom pays $2,268. A license also requires the town's business license tax.
How is property tax figured on a Summit County second home? For tax year 2026, Colorado's residential assessment rates are 6.8% for local government and 7.05% for school districts. Multiply the actual value by each rate, then by your tax area's mill levy. A CPA can tell you how the bill fits into your own tax return.
Who pays the lodging tax on a Breckenridge rental? Guests pay it on stays under 30 days, at a combined 12.275% according to the town. Booking platforms and licensed managers generally collect and remit it. If you take payment directly, you remit it yourself.
Before you write an offer on a Breckenridge condo, put that unit's five lines on one page. Jamie Bridges is a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC serving the Denver Metro Area and Summit County, Colorado. Call or text Jamie at 720-397-7555 to talk about your next move.
Sources: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, "Understanding Property Taxes in Colorado," 2026 assessment rates (page viewed October 23, 2026); Town of Breckenridge, Accommodation Unit (Short Term Rentals) Licenses page, regulatory fee per Ordinance No. 35, amended November 23, 2021 (page viewed October 23, 2026); Town of Breckenridge, Sales and Accommodation Tax page (page viewed October 23, 2026). HOA, insurance, and dollar examples are illustrative only. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. General information only. This isn't legal or tax advice.
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