Great People. Great Places.

Overview

***PAGE UPDATED OCTOBER 12, 2021
Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) have been permitted in the Tahoe Township by ordinance since 2005. VHRs are properties that are rented on a short-term basis (less than 28 days). These webpages have been created to assist the public with accessing VHR information and understanding the program requirements. View the tabs to the left of this page to learn more.

On June 3, 2021, Douglas County made significant changes to the Vacation Home Rental (VHR) program. The new VHR ordinance becomes effective October 3, 2021. Click here to view a copy of the ordinance. If you have questions regarding the ordinance please click on the FAQs tab on the left. This will take you to a page of frequently asked questions.

***On July 15, 2021, United States District Court Judge Robert C. Jones issued a temporary restraining order against Douglas County to restrain it from implementing portions of the County’s new Vacation Home Rental (VHR) regulations, Ordinance Number 2021-1582, pending the trial of the case. The Temporary Restraining Order narrowly impacts certain parts of the new ordinance until such time as a final determination can be made regarding the constitutionality of the ordinance. A copy of the court order can be viewed here. The County's VHR webpages have been updated to reflect the required changes to the program.***

Does this mean the new ordinance is invalid?
No, the court order does not invalidate Ordinance Number 2021-1582 but it does temporarily suspend the implementation of certain changes to the VHR regulations such as tandem parking and the new fines.

Permits & Renewals
Vacation Home Rentals are only allowed in the Tahoe Township area of Douglas County with a permit. Effective July 15, 2021, the owners of any property being advertised and/or operated as an unpermitted vacation home rental located anywhere within Douglas County is in violation Douglas County Code and the Nevada Revised Statutes shall be subject to a $20,000 civil penalty. The advertising or operation of an unpermitted vacation home is a deceptive trade practice subject to the penalties found in NRS Chapter 598. The County may also seek an injunction and/or any other legal cause of action for violation(s) of this code, including, but not limited to, collection of delinquent tax payments and criminal prosecution.

On February 18, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners put a temporary suspension in place on all new VHR permits. The suspension will remain in place until the new ordinance takes effect on July 15, 2021. All renewals up to and including July 14, 2021 will use the current renewal process. Existing permit holders may continue to renew their permits pursuant to Section 20.622.080 of the Douglas County Code. For information related to new or existing permitting or renewals, please use the links to the left.

VHRs are enforced by Douglas County Code Enforcement. Need to contact a Code Enforcement Officer?
Send an email to [email protected] or call the VHR Hotline at (775) 783-6027.

Ordinance
Below you will find the new Douglas County Vacation Home Rental ordinance adopted at the October 3, 2021 Douglas County Board of County Commissioner meeting.

Ordinance 2021-1588

Background:
The rise of online advertising platforms have resulted in a surge in VHRs across the nation. The Board of County Commissioners (the Board) has been considering ways to better regulate VHRs since 2017. In 2019, the Board directed the County Manager to create a citizen’s task force to assist the County Manager with making recommendations regarding possible changes to the program. The VHR Task Force was formed and conducted several meetings in 2019 and early 2020. The County Manager subsequently created the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to review the recommendations of the Task Force and provide further input. Both sets of recommendations are included in the County Manager's report to the Board in October 2020. These recommendations were reviewed by the Board prior to making their final changes and adopting the ordinance.

County Manager Recommendations for VHR Regulation from October 2020