By Murat Gocmen, Broker, Real Estate Tahoe | Firm: CA DRE #02235314 · NV B.1003327.LLC | September 2026
Real Estate Tahoe's short answer: as of September 18, 2026, three of the seven Lake Tahoe jurisdictions still issue a new short-term rental permit to an ordinary applicant today: Washoe County (Incline Village and Crystal Bay, no cap), Placer County's North and West Shore (3,900 cap, about 3,393 active on Real Estate Tahoe's count, so roughly 500 left), and unincorporated Nevada County (no permit at all, just a tax certificate). El Dorado County issues outside its 500-foot buffers with a waitlist; Douglas County sits at 560 of 600 and takes applications only in neighborhoods under their density limit; the City of South Lake Tahoe put all new residential applications on a waitlist on August 21, 2026; Truckee's cap is full with 324 waiting and a 19.6-month estimated wait. Permits never transfer to a buyer anywhere, so the availability above is what a buyer inherits. Figures checked September 18, 2026; Real Estate Tahoe updates the table below as the counties publish new numbers.
Permit availability by jurisdiction, September 2026
Seven local governments permit short-term rentals around the lake and in Truckee; TRPA delegates STR permitting to them. Full rules live on our Lake Tahoe STR rules hub; this page tracks only permit availability.
| Jurisdiction | Cap | Permits issued (date, source) | New applications today? | Waitlist and wait | What opens a slot | Use-per-year rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe County (Incline Village, Crystal Bay, NV) | None | Not published | Yes | None | Not applicable | None |
| Placer County, North and West Shore (CA) | 3,900 | 3,393 active, Sept 16 2026, Real Estate Tahoe registry count | Yes | None until capped; then quarterly | Not applicable until capped | 30 rented nights per year once capped (owner-occupied exempt) |
| Nevada County unincorporated (Donner Summit, Kingvale, CA) | No permit; TOT certificate only | Not published | Yes | None | Not applicable | None |
| El Dorado County, Tahoe Basin (Meyers, Tahoe Paradise, CA) | 900 | 746 active, Aug 28 2026, Mountain Democrat (secondary) | Only outside 500 ft buffers | About 250 countywide; $141 fee; length unknown | Non-renewal or sale | 10 rented nights per year |
| Douglas County, Tahoe Township (Stateline, Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, NV) | 600; 15% per neighborhood | 560, Sept 15 2026, county waitlist page | Only in neighborhoods under their density limit | $120 fee; wait not published | Non-renewal or change of title | 8 rented nights per year (Dec 2025) |
| City of South Lake Tahoe (CA) | 900 in residential zones | 382 residential, March 10 2026, South Tahoe Now (secondary) | Residential: waitlist since Aug 21 2026. Tourist Core and Commercial: yes | Length not published | Holder closes account, fails to renew, or sells | None stated |
| Town of Truckee (CA) | 1,255 | 1,255 (full), Sept 8 2026, town waitlist page | No | 324 waiting; 19.6-month estimate; last release Aug 12 2026 | Non-renewal; 365-day wait after ownership change | None stated |
Jurisdiction by jurisdiction
Washoe County (Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada)
The county FAQ states "There is no cap on the number of STR permits in Washoe County"; Tier 1 permits (10 or fewer occupants) are allowed in every residential zone, and nothing has changed since the Article 319 amendment of August 20, 2024. This season: apply the day title records, pass the NLTFPD defensible-space inspection, clear the HOA first. See the Washoe County STR page and our Incline Village permit guide.
Placer County, North and West Shore (California)
Article 9.42 caps residential STR permits at 3,900 and the county's STR page says applications are open. Real Estate Tahoe counted 3,393 active permits in the county's public registry on September 16, 2026, about 507 below the cap. Amendments effective January 16, 2025 clarified that each STR must rent at least 30 nights per year once the cap is reached and barred ADUs from April 1, 2025. This season: the only capped California jurisdiction still issuing, with about 500 permits of headroom. See the Placer County STR page.
Nevada County unincorporated (Donner Summit, Kingvale, California)
No Planning Department permit is needed; the owner registers with the Treasurer-Tax Collector for a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. No cap, no waitlist; ADUs built after April 25, 2019 carry a deed restriction against short-term rental. See the Nevada County STR page.
El Dorado County, Tahoe Basin (Meyers, Tahoe Paradise, California)
Ordinance 5135 limits the Basin to 900 permits, and the county FAQ says parcels within 500 feet of an active VHR cannot apply. Outside the buffers, applications are online, the waitlist fee is $141, and the wait length is unknown. The Mountain Democrat reported 746 active Basin permits and about 250 waiting on August 28, 2026, a secondary figure. The county is reviewing the ordinance as of August 18, 2026; the buffer stays. This season: the parcel map decides. See the El Dorado County STR page.
Douglas County, Tahoe Township (Stateline, Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, Nevada)
Ordinance 2023-1617 allows no more than 600 permits in the Tahoe Township and no more than 15% of dwellings in any residential community. The county waitlist page reported 560 permits on September 15, 2026 and takes applications only in neighborhoods under their density limit, many marked Full. The Record-Courier reported on November 28, 2025 that a December 2025 amendment requires eight rented nights a year. This season: the neighborhood is the gate, and every permit needs a $250 Tahoe Douglas Fire inspection. See the Douglas County STR page.
City of South Lake Tahoe (California)
Ordinance 2026-1203, effective April 23, 2026, sets a 900-permit cap in residential zones, and since August 21, 2026 new residential applications wait, unreviewed, for a space to open. Tourist Core and Commercial zones are outside both. South Tahoe Now reported 382 residential permits issued and 291 denied on March 10, 2026, a secondary figure. This season: residential means a queue of unpublished length; Tourist Core still applies today. See the South Lake Tahoe VHR page.
Town of Truckee (California)
The town's registration page says the 1,255 cap is reached, 324 are waiting, the August 12, 2026 release lent 12 registrations, and as of September 8, 2026 the trend is a 19.6-month wait. Ordinance 2023-01 bars any application within 365 days of a change of ownership. This season: a year before you can apply, then a queue behind 324 others, so a whole-home STR in Truckee is a 2028 plan. See the Truckee STR page.
How a slot opens
No permit follows a home to its buyer, so every capped jurisdiction refills through non-renewal, sale, or revocation. The cadence differs.
- South Lake Tahoe: a residential slot appears only when a holder closes the account, fails to renew, or sells.
- Truckee: batch releases as registrations lapse (12 on August 12, 2026); published estimate 19.6 months.
- Placer County: nothing to wait for under 3,900. Once capped, the waitlist opens quarterly and the 30-rented-nights-per-year rule switches on.
- El Dorado County: 90 days to apply when called; the place is void if the property changes hands.
- Douglas County: a township slot opens below 600, but a neighborhood at 15% stays Full until one of its own lapses.
Exemptions that sidestep the caps
- Placer County: owner-occupied homes (ten months a year, homeowner's exemption) with a current TOT certificate, plus hotels, condo-hotels and timeshares.
- South Lake Tahoe: hosted rentals (owner or tenant on site, six guests maximum), plus Tourist Core and Commercial zones.
- El Dorado County: hosted rentals, owner or long-term tenant in the home, two bedrooms maximum.
- Truckee: a hosted-rental certificate (one bedroom, owner present).
- Douglas County: Tier 1 owner-occupied permits.
What the counts do not tell you
An issuing jurisdiction can still refuse a specific parcel. Four filters sit between the county number and your address.
- HOA and CC&R bans override the county permit everywhere. Real Estate Tahoe's table of 144 Incline Village and Crystal Bay associations shows 61 prohibit short-term rentals, 54 allow them and 29 are unclear. See STR investing in Incline Village.
- ADU bans in South Lake Tahoe, Placer (since April 1, 2025), El Dorado, Truckee and Washoe's Tahoe planning area (since 2024); Nevada County deed-restricts post-2019 ADUs.
- El Dorado's 500-foot buffer around every active VHR, regardless of the cap.
- Douglas's 15% neighborhood density, so a subdivision can be Full while the township has 40 permits to spare.
So the parcel check matters more than the county count: see which Lake Tahoe properties can be an Airbnb and the risks of buying a Lake Tahoe Airbnb. Sellers: read selling a Lake Tahoe home with an STR permit. Real Estate Tahoe does not give tax or legal advice; ask a CPA or attorney.
How Real Estate Tahoe keeps this current
We mirror Placer County's public permit registry twice a month, read the other counties' waitlist pages, and update the table when a number moves. Before any client writes an offer, we verify eligibility for that parcel: jurisdiction, zone, buffer or density status, ADU status and the CC&Rs.
Every listing at /properties/ carries an STR-eligibility verdict (yes, no, verify with HOA, or unknown) and an "STR Permit on File" badge where the address matches an active Placer County permit; the badge never means the permit comes with the sale. Our broker Murat Gocmen operates 45 Lake Tahoe short-term rentals through MG Vacation Rentals, so the brokerage sells and manages STRs with the same checklist. See also the 2026 STR investment guide and the TRPA rules for buyers.
Watch: a permit never transfers with the sale
Why a seller's permit does not carry over, and what that means in a capped jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lake Tahoe jurisdictions still issue short-term rental permits?
As of September 18, 2026, Washoe County (Incline Village, Crystal Bay), Placer County's North and West Shore, and unincorporated Nevada County issue to an ordinary applicant today. El Dorado County issues only outside its 500-foot buffers; Douglas County only in neighborhoods under their density limit; South Lake Tahoe's residential zones and Truckee are waitlist only. Real Estate Tahoe updates this page as the counties publish new numbers.
Can I buy a Lake Tahoe home that already has an STR permit and keep it?
No. In all seven jurisdictions the permit ends when the property sells: Douglas County voids it on a change of title, South Lake Tahoe counts a sale as a slot opening, and Truckee will not take an application for 365 days after a change of ownership. The buyer applies fresh under whatever cap or waitlist applies that day. Real Estate Tahoe's "STR Permit on File" badge shows current rentability only.
How many Placer County STR permits are left under the 3,900 cap?
Real Estate Tahoe counted 3,393 active permits in Placer County's public registry on September 16, 2026, about 507 below the 3,900 cap, and the county still accepts applications. Once the cap is reached, the waitlist opens quarterly and every non-owner-occupied STR must rent at least 30 nights per year to keep its permit.
Is there a minimum length of stay for Lake Tahoe short-term rentals?
No jurisdiction sets a minimum length of stay. Three set a minimum number of rented nights per year to keep the permit: Placer County requires 30 rented nights per year once its 3,900 cap is reached, El Dorado County requires 10, and Douglas County has required 8 since December 2025. Washoe County states there is no minimum.
Sources
- Washoe County STR FAQ (no cap, no minimum rented days, new owner must apply, HOA covenants not overridden)
- Washoe County ordinance changes (last Article 319 amendment second reading August 20, 2024)
- Placer County Article 9.42 (3,900 cap, owner-occupied exemption, quarterly waitlist when capped)
- Placer County STR page (applications open; 30-night rule begins once the cap is reached)
- Placer County STR ordinance update (30 rented nights per year once capped; January 16, 2025 amendments)
- Nevada County short-term rentals (no planning permit; TOT certificate; post-2019 ADU deed restriction)
- El Dorado County Ordinance 5135 (900 Basin cap; waitlist request void on change of ownership)
- El Dorado County VHR FAQ, rev. April 6, 2026 (500 ft buffer, $141 waitlist fee, 10-night per year use)
- El Dorado County Vacation Home Rentals Division (ordinance under review as of August 18, 2026; buffer remains)
- Mountain Democrat, August 28, 2026 (secondary: 746 active Basin permits, about 250 on the waitlist)
- Douglas County VHR permit waitlist (560 permits as of September 15, 2026; $120 fee; neighborhoods marked Full)
- Record-Courier, November 28, 2025 (secondary: eight rented nights per year requirement adopted December 2025)
- Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District VHR inspections ($250 inspection for all permits)
- City of South Lake Tahoe Vacation Home Rentals (Ordinance 2026-1203; 900 residential cap; waitlist from August 21, 2026)
- City of South Lake Tahoe VHR FAQ, waitlist (a slot opens on account closure, non-renewal or sale)
- City of South Lake Tahoe VHR FAQ, hosted rentals (hosted rentals outside the cap)
- City of South Lake Tahoe 2026 VHR changes (buffer removed, renters 25 or older, family trust provision)
- South Tahoe Now, March 10, 2026 (secondary: 382 residential permits issued, 291 denied)
- Town of Truckee registration count and waitlist standings (1,255 cap full; 324 waiting; 19.6-month trend; August 12, 2026 release)
- Town of Truckee Ordinance 2023-01 (365-day wait after change of ownership; hosted certificate)
- TRPA housing webinar Q&A, September 2023 (TRPA does not permit STRs; local governments do)
Search homes with the STR-eligibility filter at /properties/ to see the verdict on every listing before you tour. For the rules behind each verdict, start at the Lake Tahoe STR rules hub.
