Board of County Commissioners Decides to Retain VHR Program and Discusses Future Changes
Minden, NV - The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners and the Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Advisory Board held a joint meeting on October 13th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at the Hard Rock Casino, Lake Tahoe, NV. The meeting included an update from Douglas County staff on the status of the current VHR program, the activities of the Vacation Home Rental Advisory Board, and a discussion by the Board to possibly eliminate the Vacation Home Rental Program.
After carefully considering public comment and thoughtfully deliberating the possibility of eliminating the program, the board decided to retain the program. The meeting concluded with a thoughtful discussion regarding future possible changes to the code including changes to density, occupancy, trash, and noise requirements. Additionally, the Board discussed the importance of enforcing the regulations when complaints are received.
“On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, the Vacation Home Rental Advisory Board, and County Staff, I want to thank the members of the public who participated in this joint meeting today by providing public comment regarding this important matter,” said Mark Gardner, Chairman of the Douglas County Commission. “It is our objective to make this program work to benefit all residents of Douglas County.”
Douglas County’s VHR program is administered by a VHR Program Manager, two full-time code enforcement officers, two deputy sheriffs, and two support staff. There are 532 active VHR permits in the Lake Tahoe Township. VHRs are currently not permitted outside of the Tahoe Township. The program is projected to generate over $800,000 in fees and over $4 million dollars in Transient Occupancy Tax and Tourism Surcharge Tax annually. Taxes generated from the program are used to support a variety of services in the Parks and Recreation Department. Fees collected from the program are used to offset the administrative functions including enforcement, investigations, and permitting. On average the VHR program receives five to six complaints per week.
Vacation Home Rentals or “Short Term Rentals (STRs)” are defined in Douglas County as one dwelling unit, or a portion of a dwelling unit, including either a single-family attached unit, rented for the purpose of overnight lodging for a period of not less than 1 day and not more than 28 days other than ongoing month-to-month tenancy granted to the same renter for the same unit pursuant to NRS Chapter 118A.
The meeting was live-streamed through the County’s YouTube Channel and will be uploaded when ready.
The view our interactive VHR Map click the Map to view.
To view the current VHR ordinance visit the VHR webpage.