Vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe continue to divide community

Cities around the country are having ongoing discussions and debates about single family homes in their community being used as short-term vacation rentals. South Lake Tahoe is not alone in this issue which has pitted home owners vs. home owners vs. community members. As with any divisive issue, there is no easy answer.

The subject is once again on the City Council agenda. This time a review of what has happened since the City hired an outside patrol company to respond to vacation rental issues will be given. A common thread of previous complaints was the fact police officers were unable to respond to noise complaints in a timely fashion, resulting in no noise being heard upon arrival.

The public asked the South Lake Tahoe City Council for an ordinance regulating vacation home rentals (VHRs) in the city limits, so the SLT Vacation Rental Ordinance that went into effect on October 1, 2015 to replace previous ordinances.

These updated rules are in place, and homeowners need to abide by them in order to use their homes as a vacation rental, and those that don't keep in compliance lose their ability to rent their home, whether it is for extra income a few days a year, or a few months a year.

A few points of the 2015 ordinance:

- Notification of neighbors within a 300 foot radius when homes apply for a permit
- A home inspection by the City's Building Division, and a hearing with the Zoning Administrator if requested
- Paved parking for all cars renting a home
- Garbage kept off the streets until the scheduled pick up date
- Hot tubs are turned off by 10:00 a.m.
- All homes must have a local contact person that is available by text 24/7

Michael Baker International was hired by the City to conduct a socio-economic study on the impact of vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe, the results of which should be available soon.

During the past few months, Zoning Administrator (ZA) hearings have been held on all applications for vacation rental permits, even those operating for decades but are now under the new ordinance and need an inspection and new approval. When the ordinance was created, City Council said they wanted an opportunity for the public to speak out on rentals in their neighborhood. If people had issues, a hearing would be held. Now that has changed into a hearing for all properties, and most who are given a permit to permit are given one for one-year only, or less. This move eliminated the fee those objecting would have to pay in order for their complaint to be heard.

Home owners now wait months to get approval due to the number of homes on the ZA's agenda. Kevin Fabino, who as the Development Services Director also is the Zoning Administrator, has had to balance the needs of the locals with the needs of the visitors and second home owners.

Some in South Lake Tahoe are happy with the process, others are not. It is a balancing act without a victor.

During last week's Planning Commission meeting, City Manager Nancy Kerry spoke to the commissioners about vacation rentals in the community.

"VHR permits are exception to the Code," she said. "They do not have to be granted. If you've met that criteria (to become a VHR) you aren't guaranteed it will be a VHR."

Josh Priou, Director of Product Development for Lake Tahoe Accommodations, has sent a letter to the City Council, something he will be presenting during the public comment period at Tuesday's meeting.

He is questioning the City's statistics presented during the Council's December 13, 2016 meeting. At that time it was said that from November 1, 2015 to November 30, 2016 there were 793 instances of warnings, advisories and citations issued to vacation home owners and renters, including noise calls that were unfounded upon arrival.

Priou's company paid almost $200 to receive backup to those figures and he says he found a big discrepancy.

"I went through every piece of paper that was provided to me and put together my own investigation," said Priou in his letter to Council. "My report was derived from the same exact information that the City Staff used for their report. My findings are quite different."

Priou's figures show 208 total incidents:
Total Quiet on Arrival or not unreasonable noise: 101
Total Noise Complaints: 52
Parking: 11
Trash: 14
Other: 30

The City Council meeting on April 18, 2017 begins at 9:00 a.m. at the airport.