Xeriscape in Denver

[Micheala Sandor]

I will be moving out of my house hack this winter and turning the upper unit into a 12 month rental and keeping the basement as an air bnb. I am interested if anyone has recommended landscaper for xeriscape in my front yard? Also interested in placing an irrigation system in my backyard and looking for recommendations as well. 

Thanks!

[James Carlson]

@Micheala Sandor

I'll be the second behind @Ben Einspahr to offer that unsolicited advice. Denver's Airbnb law allows Airbnb only in your primary residence. It's okay if it's in a basement apartment or carriage house while you live there because those are considered accessory uses to the primary use and not a second unit. But as soon as you move out, that's not technically allowed. 

Can you get away with it? Maybe, though Denver's pretty diligent about enforcing this law and has a person's who's job is to find homes not operating within the regulations. I've heard of the city looking at Airbnb license renewals, seeing the owner, looking up the owner, seeing that they just bought another place in the city and digging deeper. Anyway, it's good to be ready in case you need to switch to Plan B, which as Ben said might be a medium-term furnished rental to traveling nurses or remote workers. 

The xeriscaping idea is great. We just did this on a yard on a Colorado Springs property. Less maintenance, lower water bill. TaskRabbit's a good idea. I'd also post a request for small-time landscapers on any local Facebook groups. A lot of neighborhoods have their own group on FB, and you can see who else nearby has used someone. This might give you a smaller outfit that does good work but isn't booked out for 6 months like the big shops.

Oh, and if you are going to buy and house hack again in Denver and you like the idea of having a legal Airbnb, consider Littleton, Arvada or Wheat Ridge, all three of which allow non-owner occupied STRs, so you could do Airbnb on it when you move out. (Although Littleton is about to change their law.)

Good luck!