SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Lake Tahoe City Council adopted an amended vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance at its meeting on June 17. The ordinance amends the regulations that were in place before Measure T was passed by the voters not allow VHRs in most South Lake Tahoe neighborhoods.
The initial application period will only be open to those who previously had a VHR in good standing and Qualified VHR (QVHR) permittees.
The ordinance will become effective on July 17, 2025. Although the city will not issue permits before July 17 (30 days after passing of the ordinance), the city will begin an initial 60-day VHR permit application period on June 23. This initial application period will only be for applicants in good standing whose previous VHR permits at the same properties expired in 2021 and were not renewed at that time because of Measure T, and previous QVHR permittees in good standing whose permits became void in April 2025 because of the court’s ruling in the Measure T lawsuit. After the initial 60-day period, applications will be accepted from applicants not in these categories. VHR applications will only be accepted through the online portal that will be active at 9:00 a.m. on June 23 and accessible through the city’s website.
The proposed ordinance includes a 150-foot buffer between single-family VHR properties outside of the Tourist Core area in an effort to avoid negative impacts to neighborhoods caused by VHR clustering. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are deemed complete, so applicants are encouraged to submit complete and accurate applications and to respond promptly to city communications regarding their application.
The City Council has also directed that a report and discussion item be brought back for review of the VHR ordinance implementation efforts and code enforcement issues at their September 9 regular meeting.