Special City Council meeting addresses Vacation Home Rentals

Vacation home rentals (VHRs) in South Lake Tahoe are again the subject of a City Council meeting. In an effort to come to an ordinance that satisfies all sides, the October 3 council meeting will look at several topics that were discussed at the September 5 VHR workshop.

The VHR industry in South Lake Tahoe contributes more than $2M a year to the City's general fund through Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues. Not only does that money support public services such as police, fire and public works, but through the passage of Measure P, two percent of the TOT goes to build a new recreation center. Tourists around the country VHRs are finding living in a vacation home for their vacation gives them a glimpse into life as a local, and makes motels a less desirable choice for many.

Not only does the VHR industry bring money into the City, it also keeps many individuals employed and boosts the local economy.

Four main issues surrounding the controversy of vacation home rentals being in neighborhood involve noise, trash, overcrowding and a change the character of that neighborhood.

The current ordinance, and those before it all attempted to solve those issues, but with a lack of enforcement the complaints continue.

Recommendations at the September meeting were the result of a council sub-committee made up of Mayor Austin Sass and Mayor Pro Tem Wendy David.

They included:

• Create a minimum distance standard between VHRs to address saturation in neighborhoods, reduce impacts and improve quality of life for residents. The suggestion of having a 250 foot buffer zone would result in 573 VHRs in the City (instead of the current 1,400+)
• Set a "cap" as to the maximum number of VHRs allowed in residential areas
• Change the application and renewal process to provide clear criteria for more certainty
• Eliminate citation warnings given to VHR owners
• Extend the violation "strike" period to 24 months from 12 months
• Require owner-guest face-to-face meetings to ensure regulations are understood
• Eliminate "smaller homes" (1100 sq. ft.) from VHR program (through attrition) to support local housing supply
• Require VHR owners to comply with VHR codes at all times (not just while renting the property.)
• Provide code exceptions for HOAs
• Require bear boxes for all VHRs to be installed by 2019

After the workshop the following points were agreed on by the Council:

• Eliminate citation warnings given to VHR owners
• Require installation of bear boxes by 2018 (rather than 2019)
• Reduce the number of violations leading to VHR permit revocation from 4 to 3 (accomplished by elimination of the warning)
• Extend the violation "strike" period to 24 months from 12 months
• Allow HOAs to request exemption from minimum distance standards (should they be adopted)
• Reduce occupancy to two per bedroom for houses three bedrooms or larger; and two (2) per bedroom, plus two (2) for houses for studios, one (1) bedroom and two (2) bedroom homes
• VHR Application approval and renewal process

They eliminated:

• The proposed in-person meeting
• The proposed minimum size of home

And the points they could not come to an consensus on:

• A minimum distance standard between VHRs
• Setting a total "cap" on the number of VHRs authorized in non-tourist core areas of the City
• Requiring VHR owners to comply with VHR ordinances at all times (not just while renting the property.)

The public is invited to attend Tuesday's 9:00 a.m. meeting at the Lake Tahoe Airport, and for those unable to attend and want their voice heard, an ecomment can be made through the City's website here: http://www.cityofslt.us/index.aspx?NID=84.