City Watch
Short-term rental rules in South Lake Tahoe, CA
How South Lake Tahoe regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Measure T (2018) residential phaseout — struck 2025 on equal-protection grounds
- Replacement Ord. 2026-1203 residential cap: 900
- Residential cap reached; waitlist as of 2026-08-21
- Tourist core commercial zones exempt no cap
- 150 ft buffer eliminated, replaced by numeric cap
- Residential operating conditions: monitoring and inspection
Based on: South Lake Tahoe Municipal Code VHR Ordinance, amended by Ordinance 2026-1203 (eff 2026-04-23)
Summary of the rule
Ord. 2026-1203 §3.50.380(F): 'The total number of vacation home rental permits issued in residential areas shall not exceed 900'; 'residential areas' expressly EXCLUDES the Tourist Core Area Plan + named plan districts (§3.50.370)
Active litigation / open question
challenge to Measure T (2018 VHR phase-out) — court struck Measure T as unconstitutional (favored local-resident owners); city did not appeal Source ↗
Reported as fact only, reflecting the code as currently in effect — not legal advice, and not a prediction of the outcome. Verify current status before relying on it.
Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring South Lake Tahoe · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.