Board approves additional funding for Lease to Locals housing initiative in North Tahoe

Published July 25, 2023

Continuing efforts to maximize rental options for North Tahoe residents and local workers, the Placer County Board of Supervisors today approved additional funding for the county’s Lease to Locals program.

The board unanimously approved the allocation of $500,000 in transient occupancy tax reserve funds to continue the program for a second year and provide additional grants to more homeowners with underused properties in North Lake Tahoe who agree to rent only to locals.

“This is a great program and it’s been hugely successful,” said District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “Going forward, I think it’s important we continue to find partners to help fund the program, such as those non-tourism businesses and agencies that could join us to ensure we get the most from our TOT contributions.”

The new funding includes $95,000 for Placemate to continue implementing and marketing the Lease to Locals program over the next year. 

The Lease to Locals program incentives property owners to offer their property for seasonal leases of between five and 12 months or long-term for 12 months or more, with incentivized amounts varying by the length of lease and number of tenants.

Since the program’s implementation in August 2022, 86 local workers have found short-term rental housing through the program.

"We know that local workforce housing continues to be at the forefront of community conversations in North Lake Tahoe," said NTCA President and CEO Tony Karwowski. "We are focused on supporting and advocating for solutions that benefit our residents and businesses and are pleased to recommend turned-back TOT funding for Placement to continue for a second year."

To qualify, a property must be located in unincorporated Placer County within the boundaries of its East Placer transient occupancy tax district. To be eligible, units cannot have been rented long-term within the past 12 months. Property owners also must submit an application, sign a lease with qualifying tenants and undergo lease checks to ensure they are in compliance.

A prospective tenant must be an adult employed at least 20 hours per week at an employment site within the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District geographical boundary and not a blood relation to the property owner.

Placemate, previously known as Landing Locals, handles all qualifying tenants and landlords currently utilizing the program and advertises the availability of rentals throughout the region on their website.

Placemate has similar agreements in place with the Town of Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and other mountain resort communities in Colorado and Idaho.

Learn more about the program here: https://www.placer.ca.gov/8627/Lease-to-Locals

Find housing in eastern Placer here: https://placemate.com/easternplacer/