South Lake Tahoe real estate has always been a second home, resort market. Due to Measure T, a ban on vacation rentals in the city on the California side of the South Shore has been a hot topic. Recently, voters opted to ban real estate in South Lake Tahoe being used as vacation rentals. While there were certain neighborhoods in the city close to casinos that’s would likely be exempt from this ban, Measure T has created a division amongst locals. Previous to said ban, there were protocols put into place to try and help find a balance. Those for the ban felt that as homeowners, they shouldn’t have to deal with homes next day operating as hotels and that with less vacation rentals, locals could find more affordable housing. Those of us not in favor of the ban knew the economic impact would be detrimental, not relieve the affordable housing situation and that what we really needed was a compromise. After all, there are a lot of travelers that aren’t coming to Tahoe just to gamble and don’t want to stay in a hotel. They want the comforts of home while still being able to accommodate larger groups. So while Measure T passed by just 58 votes, a judge recently put a halt on the law passing.
Previous to the passing, occupancy levels allowed two per bedroom plus four people. Measure T mandated that, regardless of size, real estate in South Lake Tahoe being used for vacation rentals could only allow up to 12 people max. A group of property owners were able to put a restraining order on the measure for 30 days to allow for previously booked holiday rentals to proceed based on the old occupancy rates.
The lawyer for the local homeowner group stated it was unconstitutional as homeowners have a right to use their South Lake Tahoe real estate as they see fit and they can’t be discriminated against based on where one lives. The next court date on the matter is at the end of the month so stay tuned! For more information on real estate in South Lake Tahoe, feel free to reach out.
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