North Lake Tahoe’s short-term rental ordinance amended but defensible space deadline remains

Published Nov. 21, 2024

The Placer County Board of Supervisors advanced two amendments to the county's short-term vacation rental ordinance Monday and heard an annual update for the STR program, including input from the Short-Term Rental Advisory Group and community feedback.

The board also declined to extend the Nov. 30 deadline for current and prospective STR homeowners to pass defensible space inspections to retain their permits or obtain a new one.

The board is scheduled to consider the changes for final approval Dec. 3, which would then take effect 30 days later. The amendments include expanding rules for multiple STRs on a single property and requiring each STR to rent at least 30 nights per year once the region hits the STR maximum permit cap, which is currently set for 3,900. Homeowners would need to become compliant with the 30-night minimum within one year of the county hitting the available permit cap. Owner-occupied STRs are exempt from this requirement.

"We heard from the community and our STR advisory group how important refinements are for the success of the short-term rental program," Deputy County Executive Officer Stephanie Holloway said. "Today's decision signals our board's willingness to work to find a balance while recognizing permit holders who have worked hard to following our defensible space requirements."

Originally adopted by the Board of Supervisors in November 2019, the county's short-term vacation rental ordinance was put in place to address community concerns related to nuisance issues - including noise, safety and trash - while ensuring compliance with building and fire codes. The board subsequently refined the STR ordinance in February 2022 to address major areas of operation for the program.

Monday's decision will affect those operating multiple STRs on a single property. If the Board adopts the changes in December, property owners wanting to rent more than one unit must:

• Apply for individual STR permits for each unit;

• Have held STR permits prior to March 31;

• Be in good standing as defined in county code section 9.42.040(B)(6);

• Demonstrate proof of short-term renting of all participating STRs between Jan. 1, 2020, (effective date of the first STR ordinance) and March 10, 2022 (effective date of the comprehensive update to the STR ordinance).

Following extensive discussion, the board also declined to extend the Nov. 30 deadline for STR permit holders to pass defensible space inspections to continue renting under their permit. All STR homeowners will be required to possess a passing defensible space inspection by Nov. 30 or face the possibility of permit suspension. Today, at least 490 STR properties in the North Lake Tahoe region have not received a passing inspection.

If you still need a passing defensible space inspection under the STR requirements, reach out to the local fire district in your area before the deadline.

At Monday's meeting, county staff also delivered a yearly update on the STR program to the board, sharing successes of the program, recent data for code enforcement efforts, fire-life safety checks and more. Staff outlined four primary areas of the program and ongoing management efforts, including the county's ramped-up community engagement efforts, based on the board's input to establish a better represented Short-Term Rental Advisory Group .

Formed in January 2024, the Short-Term Rental Advisory Group is tasked with on-going evaluation of the program's success, providing community lead discussions and consensus-based improvements.

Working together with the Tahoe County Executive Office, the county's Community Development Resource Agency STR program team is tasked with implementing the ordinance, processing permit requests and tracking permit data, while ensuring adequate enforcement of the ordinance standards.

Learn more about the short-term rental program by clicking here .

Learn more about the advisory group here .

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