Placer County, California, issues moratorium on new short-term rental permits in North Lake Tahoe
- Aug 17, 2021 | Jennifer Sokolowsky
The Placer County Board of Supervisors has approved an urgency ordinance establishing a 45-day moratorium on issuing new short-term rental permits amid concerns about a growing regional housing crisis.
During the temporary moratorium, county officials plan to review the county’s current vacation rental ordinance that went into effect in January 2020.
The ban on new permits applies within the transient occupancy tax (TOT) boundaries in eastern Placer County. Short-term rental renewals will still be allowed for existing permits with no outstanding fees or violations. Placer County has issued 2,382 permits for short-term rentals so far this year.
In addition to getting a short-term rental permit, Placer County vacation rental hosts must follow county rules including regulations on noise, garbage collection, parking, occupancy, and special events. To get a permit, vacation rentals must be inspected by the fire department to verify fire code compliance as well as the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Short-term rental owners must also designate a local contact who can be on hand to respond to calls and complaints.
Hosts are also required to apply for a TOT certificate, collect TOT from guests, and file quarterly returns. While Airbnb collects lodging taxes in nearby El Dorado County, neither Airbnb nor Vrbo collect TOT for hosts in Placer County, leaving hosts solely responsible for tax compliance.
MyLodgeTax can help Placer County short-term rental hosts automate lodging tax to streamline and simplify their lodging tax compliance.
Other local governments in the Lake Tahoe area have also been active in regulating short-term rentals. In Douglas County, Nevada, a United States District Court ruling has delayed implementation of parts of a new short-term rental law. However, some elements of the law have moved forward, including a tiered short-term rental permit system based on home size and a limit to the number of vacation rental permits in Tahoe Township.
Several other Lake Tahoe–area governments have also recently made moves to control short-term rentals. El Dorado County capped the number of short-term rentals, limiting them to 900 in unincorporated parts of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Last year, the city of South Lake Tahoe passed a new law allowing hosted short-term rentals in the city. Nearby Truckee also created new short-term rental rules that went into effect in January.
For more on TOT in California, see our state Lodging Tax Guide. If you have tax questions related to vacation rental properties, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you with answers.
