This summer, vacationing in South Lake Tahoe may look a little different, as a new ordinance will impose stricter regulations on vacation home rentals (VHR).
The South Lake Tahoe City Council on June 17 approved the ordinance, which includes a 150-foot buffer between single-family VHR properties outside of the core tourist area to ease crowds in neighborhoods where residents live year-round.
“Enforcement will be strict, and it will be fair. And we can have a community with VHR, and we can have a community that’s peaceful,” Councilmember David Jinkens said at the city council meeting.
In addition, the ordinance requires occupancy limits of two people per room with up to five children under 13 years old, video surveillance, stricter identity verification, and noise monitoring devices.
Property managers must also be available to respond to violations and complaints 24/7. The ordinance will take effect July 17.
VHR permit fees will also increase. Requirements for a VHR application include exterior and interior signage, a bear box, dedicated parking, and photos of the property. South Lake Tahoe’s Community Services Division will be enforcing the ordinance, and those who violate the rules will be fined.
In the city, anything that produces loud noises—such as pools, spas, and hot tubs with the use of jets, blowers, and other mechanical elements—between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is also prohibited.
Public comment during the June 17 meeting included property owners saying that installing the new requirements on their property would be costly and that the long waiting time for permits would encourage tourists to look elsewhere, since they would not be able to confirm their stay in time for summer, cutting the revenue that would have been generated in South Lake Tahoe otherwise.
Council members said this is the compromise after years of locals complaining about tourist noise, trash, and overcrowding during the summer vacation season.
In November 2018, voters passed Measure T, which phased out vacation home rentals in certain parts of the city that were previously allowed. The South Lake Tahoe Property Owners Group filed a lawsuit challenging it, and on March 13, 2025, El Dorado County Superior Court overturned Measure T entirely, declaring it unconstitutional because it discriminated against interstate commerce. The City Council decided not to appeal the court decision.
The city will not issue permits prior to July 17, but it will start the initial 60-day VHR permit application period on June 23. The initial application is for applicants in good standing with permits that expired in 2021 and were unable to renew due to Measure T. After the 60-day period, the city will accept new applications.
