Douglas County, California, commissioners recently debated the county's current short-term rental program with the Vacation Home Rental Advisory Committee and the public. The Lake Tahoe township currently supports 532 active vacation home rentals (VHRs) and the commissioners ultimately voted to keep them, and instructed staff to update areas of concern. Some residents called the rentals essential to the local economy, and to the Tahoe area's competitiveness with other tourist destinations. Others do not see VHRs as suitable for every neighborhood. Resident Kathy Oyster, for one, says property owners that flout the rules create problems for homeowners. "That forces the members of the community to be the code enforcement officers and puts us at risk when trying to document what's going on and what our issues are," she notes. Five to six complaints are submitted to the VHR program on average per week, while Oyster adds that VHRs are taking houses off the market that the local workforce requires. For now, the VHR program will remain unchanged while the boards discuss and provide guidance on possible amendments.
MyNews4 NBC (NV) (10/14/22) Abigail Vaerewyck