10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Placer County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated eastern Placer County (North Lake Tahoe, above 5,000 feet), every short-term vacation rental needs a county STR permit under Code Article 9.42, plus a TOT certificate and business license. Western Placer County requires only a TOT certificate.
Placer County Code § 9.42.030 (Short-Term Vacation Rentals)
Any property owner or professional property management company who leases, rents or otherwise makes available for compensation a short-term rental unit for a period of fewer than 30 days must first obtain a short-term rental permit pursuant to this article prior to advertising and/or operating the STR unit. The short-term rental permit is in addition to the transient occupancy tax permit that i...
Placer County STR guests must comply with County Code Article 9.36 (Noise) and the Tahoe Basin Area Plan CNEL limits. Article 9.42 adds quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., during which amplified sound is prohibited. Noise limits must be posted inside every rental.
Placer County charges Transient Occupancy Tax of 10% in the eastern slope (North Lake Tahoe) and 8% on the western slope, plus a North Lake Tahoe TBID assessment of 1-2%. STR fees include a $326.02 application fee and a $507.02 interior fire inspection.
Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector — TOT Tax Rate
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) rates in Placer County: Eastern Slope (North Lake Tahoe Area) - 10%; Western Slope - 8%. For properties in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, an additional 1% assessment is due for bookings made before and up to January 31, 2023; for bookings made on or after February 1, 2023, this assessment amount is 1.5%. North Lake Tahoe TBID properties are assessed an extra 1%...
Placer County Code Article 9.42 requires STRs to provide on-site parking or a county-approved off-site parking plan. All permitted parking locations and vehicle counts must be stated in rental agreements and online listings, a key concern given Tahoe Basin snow and on-street restrictions.
Placer County Code Article 9.42 sets maximum STR occupancy at two people per bedroom plus two additional people, excluding children under 16, and caps overnight occupancy regardless of square footage. The director may approve case-by-case increases.
Placer County Code § 9.42.060 (Operating Standards - Occupancy)
Nighttime occupancy is defined as two people per bedroom, plus two additional people, up to a maximum of 12 guests, excluding children under twelve (12) years of age. Occupancy limits may be increased on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of the agency director or if a permit has been issued by the county pursuant to Placer County Code Section 17.56.300(B) and shall not exceed occupancy de...
Placer County Code Article 9.42 does not impose a specific liability-insurance mandate on short-term rental operators. Its safety focus is on fire life-safety and defensible-space inspections, not a minimum insurance policy. Carrying STR liability coverage is strongly recommended but not a county permit condition.
Placer County caps total residential STR permits at 3,900 in eastern Placer County (owner-occupied excluded). There is no annual rented-nights limit per home; instead, once the 3,900 cap is reached, non-owner-occupied STRs must be rented a minimum of 30 nights per year.
Eastern Placer County STR operators register annually through the county's online program, submitting the property address, APN, local contact, occupancy, parking and trash details, plus passing fire inspections. Renewals require current inspections, an updated local contact, and the application fee.
Placer County does not require the host to be on-site, but Article 9.42 requires a designated local contact person who is available by phone 24/7, lives within 35 driving miles, and can be physically present at the rental within 60 minutes of a complaint.
Placer County does NOT limit STR permits to primary residences. Non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are allowed in eastern Placer County, but owner-occupied STRs get distinct treatment: they are excluded from the 3,900 permit cap and exempt from the future 30-night minimum.
3 cities in Placer County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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