Program Overview

Purpose

The Town began the expedited process of creating a permit program in early August 2020 in response to heightened community interest and concern. The ordinance is intended to strike a balance between welcoming visitors to Truckee while reducing neighborhood nuisance issues associated with short-term rental properties.

Quick Guide to Requirements

This is not an exhaustive list. Please review the full ordinance for additional details. A short-term rental is a stay of less than 31 continuous nights. Short-term rental requirements apply to a registered property at all times, regardless of whether the property is being used as a short-term rental on a given day.

Noise Restrictions

Quiet hours are required between 10 pm and 7 am.

Trash Collection

Each rental is required to have a weekly two-bin garbage service and a bear bin is required at each rental. Accumulation of trash outside a rental is prohibited.

To subscribe to a two-can service, call Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal at 530-583-7800.

View detailed bear bin requirements (PDF).

Parking

On-site paved parking is required and no parking is permitted on the street or in an unpaved area.

Occupancy Limits

No more than two people per bedroom plus two additional people are permitted, excluding children under thirteen.

Fire Safety

Working fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, visible address numbers and defensible space will be required at each rental. Truckee Fire Protection District may conduct an inspection once every three years to ensure compliance with these requirements.

A fire safety self-certification is required during registration. Learn more details on our Fire Inspections page.

Barbeques & Fire Pits

Charcoal grills, wood-burning pits, bonfires and campfires are prohibited. Propane grills and natural gas outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are permitted, if set back 10 feet from any structure or combustible material.

Special Events

Weddings, corporate events, commercial functions and similar events are prohibited, unless such events comply with all STR requirements including occupancy limits, parking, and noise.

Interior Posting

Each rental is required to post detailed information for renters, including the rental's occupancy limit, trash disposal requirements, parking, and potential fines for violations. A detailed list and resources for your interior postings can be found on our Key Resources page.

Complaint Resolution

You will be required to designate a contact person to respond to complaints regarding your property. 24/7 helpline available for the public to report short-term rental compliance issues.

If a violation is reported, the helpline will call the property's designated contact person. The designated contact person must:

Within 30 minutes: Respond to the helpline by phone.
Within 60 minutes: Resolve the violation.

Following a citation/violation/fine, for a period of one year a local contact person will be required to be physically present at the rental within 60 minutes of contact.

Learn more about the short-term rental helpline.

Enforcement

Both guests and property owners may be cited and fined for non-compliance, with citations up to $1,500 per day for the first violation, up to $3,000 per day for the second violation, and $5,000 per day for each additional violation. After 3 strikes, a rental's registration certificate will be revoked and no new certificate will be issued for 12 months.

All STR advertisements must include the property's Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate number, the maximum number of occupants, and the maximum number of parking spaces available onsite.

Short-Term Rental Helpline

Call our 24/7 bilingual Short-Term Rental Helpline at 530-450-2430 for assistance in resolving short-term rental compliance issues. Once a call is placed to the Helpline, the Helpline Agent will call the local emergency contact associated with the short-term rental notifying them of the complaint so the local contact can remedy within 60 minutes.

A web form can be submitted as well but this will not trigger a notification to the local contact to remedy the complaint. This will only notify STR Division staff.

Lease to Locals Program

The Town of Truckee Lease to Locals Program unlocks existing housing stock for the local workforce. The program includes a set of incentives for homeowners that shift from renting their home short-term (or not renting at all) to 5 to 12-month-plus lease arrangements with locally employed tenants. The Town is partnering with Truckee-based local housing business, Placemate, to market and administer this successful program. Participating and qualifying homeowners will receive grants ranging from $2,000 to $18,000 and can self-list their rental property on Placemate's site and connect with potential renters as part of the program. Tenant qualification in this program is based on annual income.

Please note: The average annual income of adult residents of a household (unrelated or related) can not be more than 150% of the area median income ($130,800). Download the Lease to Locals Program Guidelines in English (PDF) or in Spanish (PDF).

Tenants and homeowners can learn more about how to participate in the program by visiting the Placemate - Truckee page, emailing Placemate, or calling Placemate at 530-290-6949.

Questions?

If you have a general short-term rental or Transient Occupancy Tax question, email TOT@townoftruckee.gov or call 530-582-5280.