News | Feb 10, 2026 – by Katelyn Welsh – kwelsh@tahoedailytribune.com
In solving challenges surrounding short-term rentals, Placer County staff and an advisory group will continue to refine proposed solutions after the Board of Supervisors offered feedback on draft amendments to the county’s STR program and related ordinance amendments. The supervisors provided the input at the board’s meeting at Granlibakken Tahoe on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
To start, county staff offered an update on the county’s Short Term Rental (STR) Advisory Group which has investigated a variety of topics related to STRs in a data-driven approach since its first meeting in February 2024.
The group was formed to include a variety of stakeholders such as property owners, managers, residents and others to ensure the STR program considers economic, community, and environmental concerns.
Over the course of meetings, the group found that property owners not acquiring a permit is the biggest non-compliance with the county’s STR program.
Another insight is finding that only a small percentage of the STRs are suitable for workforce housing and that in most cases, STR owners are people who want to use their home and would not make them available for the workforce.
Overall, the group felt that increasing the quality of the STR operator through education and enforcement, rather than increasing regulations or rules, was a better approach.
County staff have utilized the group’s research and conversations to propose STR program changes and draft ordinance modifications presented to the board for feedback.
There were four main proposals outlined and described in further detail below that came from the STR advisory group’s input:
- 180-day waiting period
- owner education requirements
- two-tier permit structure
- permit exchange program
The proposed 180-day waiting period would apply to new property owners who must wait the six month period before applying and receiving an STR permit. The waiting period is intended to ensure that the new owners are informed of ordinances and responsibilities, obtain defensible space inspections, and address other considerations.
In staff’s proposal, educational requirements would be a parameter for property owners to obtain a new STR permit.
A two-tier permit structure was proposed to align with the Tahoe Basin Area Plan which seeks to focus lodging in town centers or resort areas. The idea is to divide permits between tier-1 units (two bedrooms and under) and tier-2 units (three bedrooms and above). As new hotels are developed, STR permits would retire, starting with tier-1 units at a one-to-one ratio with new hotel units.
The staff’s proposed STR permit exchange program would act similarly and as an extension to the Least to Locals program, incentivizing tier-1 property owners to permanently retire their STR permit and rent the unit long-term to local workers.
While supervisors were open to the permit exchange program and viewed educational requirements as a good idea, remaining items would need more fine-tuning before receiving full support, particularly the waiting period. There was concern that the period could be too long or unfair to properties that have a well-informed property manager or a history as an STR.
On the two-tier permit structure, Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said the intention made sense, but cautioned that with many different types of condos in the area (some located in resort areas and others not), they need to be careful with how the tiers are applied. Supervisor Bonnie Gore also addressed the two-tier program and said it needs more research.
Following feedback from the board, Deputy County Executive Officer Stephanie Holloway and Senior Management Analyst Nicholas Martin said they will assess refining the waiting period to consider the type of applicant, the applicant’s STR experience and the property’s history.
In response to other feedback, staff said they would incorporate the educational component and ensure the property’s local contact is also in the loop, not just the owner.
Per other inquiries from the board, staff will bring the discussion to the advisory group centered around STR economics. The two-tiered permit structure will also return to staff and the advisory group for more refinement and consideration.
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