Rent Local
Rent Local helps Big Sky homeowners rent to local workers with cash incentives and lease support. If you’re new to long-term renting, we make it simple to get started.
Owner applications are open.
Rent Local provides cash to qualifying homeowners who lease their homes to local workers for two years. The program includes free tenant-matching services — marketing, tenant screening, and a lease template — to support a smooth transition to long-term renting.
Eligibility requirements are below; applications are available upon request.
How Rent Local Works
To qualify for Rent Local incentives, homes must:
- Contain 3 or fewer bedrooms;
- Be located in Big Sky;
- Not leased long-term in the past 12 months;
- Have at least one tenant working 30 hours per week in Big Sky;
- Make a two-year commitment;
- Pass a basic safety and habitability inspection;
- Charge rent at or below the updated caps;
Total incentive amounts for a two-year commitment:
- 1 Bedroom — $11,000
- 2 Bedroom — $13,500
- 3 Bedroom — $15,000
Total incentives are paid in three equal installments after compliance checks, not repeated per year or per installment.
Thank you to Resort Tax, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation, Moonlight Community Foundation, and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation for funding Rent Local.
Rent Local: the First Step to a Lasting Solution
In a town with as many dogs as people, veterinary services are essential. When Dr. Syd Desmarais opened Lone Peak Veterinary Hospital in 2017, she struggled to recruit and retain trained technicians because they could not find housing. She quickly realized that caring for Big Sky’s pets depended on securing homes for the people who work with them.
Rent Local helped her stabilize the clinic. By renting an affordable condo for employees, she could expand recruiting and keep skilled staff in the community. But a longer-term plan was still needed. Dr. Syd did not have a permanent residence of her own, and the clinic continued to operate in a rented space.
In 2025, she advanced a lasting solution. With $578,850 from BSCHT’s Good Deeds program, Dr. Syd is building a new veterinary clinic and shelter with five deed-restricted apartments above. These homes will remain affordable for animal care professionals and support reliable veterinary care in Big Sky for decades.
Construction began in August 2025, with an opening anticipated in 2026. Once complete, the people who keep Big Sky’s pets healthy will finally be able to live where they work.
“To keep employees in Big Sky, you need to build housing for your staff, but I don’t even own a house. I can’t afford a house.”
~Dr. Sydney Desmarais
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What if I want to rent my unit furnished?
What should I charge for rent?
Rent cannot exceed the following caps:
- 1 Bedroom — $1,750
- 2 Bedroom — $2,650
- 3 Bedroom — $3,550
Owners can separately charge utilities to their tenants.
What other property management services do you offer?
Big Sky Community Housing Trust does not offer full-time property management services at this time. Owners participating in Rent Local may choose to self-manage or hire a property manager of their choice.
What if I already rent my property on the long-term market?
Because Big Sky still has a 0% vacancy rate, the Housing Trust currently offers an incentive only to owners bringing new long-term rental inventory to the market.
When will I receive my reward for renting on the long-term market?
BSCHT will mail the first disbursement 30 days after the start of the lease, after their one-year compliance check, and after the completion of the final compliance check at the two-year mark.