YOUR AD HERE »

Rules for vacation rentals are now in effect

Jeff Munson

Tahoe is a place known for its extreme fun: gambling, skiing, snowboarding and, well, partying.

But those who come into town for the weekend may want to take notice: You can still kick it up a notch inside your vacation unit, so long as you don’t bother your neighbors. If you do, then the company that you rented the home from is subject to fines stiffer than what’s inside that bottle of good whiskey you brought with you.

Vacation homes within the El Dorado County portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin are now required to abide by a county ordinance, which went into effect on Wednesday.



The ordinance, which places more responsibility on the owners of vacation properties, is designed to deal with annoying issues of noise, disorderly conduct, parking and trash. It was approved earlier this year by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and affects about 400 vacation homes inside El Dorado County, outside of South Lake Tahoe city limits.

The city has a similar ordinance on the books, while Douglas County has yet to finalize a plan.



C.L. Rafferty, El Dorado County’s treasurer tax collector, said enforcement of the ordinance depends upon residents who register formal complaints.

Some requirements of the ordinance:

— The number of vehicles of overnight occupants may not exceed the on-site parking spaces designated in the Vacation Home Rental Permit.

— The occupants of the vacation home rental are not allowed to create unreasonable noise or disturbances or engage in disorderly conduct.

— The occupants have been advised of trash pick-up day and are not allowed to leave trash out before 6 p.m. on the day before pick-up.

— A designated local contact person must be identified on the permit with a phone number for emergencies.

Owners of vacation home rentals who fail to comply with the conditions are subject to a warning notice for the first violation. For a second violation within any 12 month period, the fine is $250. A third violation within any 12 month period, the fine is $500, while a fourth violation within 12 months is $1,000 a a suspension of vacation home rental permits. A fifth violation and the homeowner is subject to have his permit revoked.

South Lake Tahoe adopted a vacation rental ordinance two years ago that is similar to the one adopted by El Dorado County. But the county’s rules require a local contact person to show up at a vacation rental within one hour of a request by the sheriff’s department. The county rules also allow the tenant to be cited by the sheriff’s department for violations as they are described in the vacation rental ordinance.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.