El Dorado County Supervisors vote to change VHR regulations at Lake Tahoe

During Tuesday's El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting they quietly voted to change the ordinances regulating vacation homes in the Lake Tahoe portion of the county (Meyers and all unincorporated areas on the South Shore). Missing was the heated public comments from the Vacation Home Rental owners as seen at South Lake Tahoe City Council meetings.

The changes for VHRs in the Tahoe side of the County (the Board of Supervisors at a duly noticed meeting shall have the authority to impose additional standard conditions applicable to vacation home rentals as necessary):

Prohibited use or operation of outdoor spas or hot tubs after 10:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m.

Owners must include the Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate number (aka Permit #) in all advertisement soliciting for guests for the location being rented.

Owners are now required to post a visible and legible notice with notification that "the use or operation of outdoor spa or hot tub is prohibited after I 0:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m."

They adopted the same maximum number as the City: The owner shall, by written agreement, limit overnight occupancy of the vacation home rental to the specific number of occupants designated in the permit; with the number of overnight occupants not to exceed two persons per bedroom meeting building code requirements, plus four additional persons per residence.

The owner shall, by written agreement, limit the number of vehicles of overnight occupants to the number designated in the permit; with the number of vehicles of overnight occupants not to exceed the number of designated on-site parking spaces and/or spaces on the street immediately in front of the vacation home rental property.

The owner shall use best efforts to ensure that the occupants and/or guests of the vacation home rental do not use or operate any outdoor spa or hot tub after 10:00 p.m. and before 8:00a.m. or create unreasonable noise or disturbances, engage in disorderly conduct, or violate provisions of this Code or any State law pertaining to noise or disorderly conduct by notifying the occupants of the rules regarding vacation home rentals and responding when notified that occupants are violating laws regarding their occupancy. It is not intended that the owner, local agent or contact person act as a peace officer or place him or herself in harm's way.

The owner shall, upon notification that occupants and/or guests of his or her vacation home rental have created unreasonable noise or disturbances, engaged in disorderly conduct or violated provisions of this Code or State law pertaining to noise, or disorderly conduct, promptly use best efforts to prevent a recurrence of such conduct by those occupants or guests.

Trash and refuse:

Bear-resistant garbage can enclosures are mandatory unless, upon certification by the property owner or the owner's agent, that independent garbage collection and disposal measures are sufficient to mitigate bear or wildlife access. The owner of the vacation home rental shall comply with and use his or her best efforts to achieve compliance by the occupants with all the solid waste management provisions of Chapter 8.42. Except as provided in Subsection A.S.b of this section, vacation home rental owners shall provide approved bear-resistant garbage can enclosures. The owner of the vacation home rental shall require occupants and/or cleaning personnel to deposit all trash and refuse in the containers without exception.

Any failure to adhere to the trash requirements will result in revocation of the exemption. Failure to comply with the bear-resistant garbage can enclosure requirement within 30 days of the exemption revocation date shall constitute a violation of this chapter. Continuing noncompliance shall constitute an additional violation for each week beyond the initial 30-day period.

For the full ordinance, view here.

This ordinance shall take effect on July 28, 2016.