Nomad Property Management manages vacation rentals around Lake Tahoe, with homes in Northstar, Olympic Valley, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, Nevada. We handle listings, pricing, guests, cleaning and upkeep, and we handle each home's short-term rental permit and lodging tax filing under the rules of its county or city, which differ around the lake. With homes on both the north and south shores, we know how different the rules can be a few miles apart.
The lake is split between two states, several counties and one incorporated city on the south shore, and each sets its own rules. Here's where things stand (checked October 29, 2026 on each official site):
Placer County (North Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Northstar, Olympic Valley). In eastern Placer County, stays under 30 days need a short-term rental permit, renewed every year, and the permit number must appear in every ad. Permits are capped at 3,900, with a waitlist once the cap is reached; owner-occupied homes are exempt from the cap. A permit ends when the property changes owner. Guests pay a 10% transient occupancy tax in the North Lake Tahoe area. Sources: Placer County Short-Term Rental Program, Placer County Code Article 9.42, and Placer County transient occupancy tax rates.
Town of Truckee. Stays of 30 days or less need a town registration certificate. The town caps certificates at 1,255; the cap has been reached and new applicants join a waitlist. Guests pay a 12% transient occupancy tax plus a Truckee Tourism Business Improvement District assessment. Sources: Town of Truckee short-term rentals, registration count and waitlist and transient occupancy tax.
City of South Lake Tahoe. The city's current vacation home rental ordinance took effect April 23, 2026, after a court struck down Measure T. Every rental needs a city permit, renewed yearly, with an inspection, a designated property manager and the permit number in every ad. Residential areas have a cap of 900 permits, and since August 21, 2026 new residential applications go to a waitlist; the Tourist Core and commercial areas have no cap. Renters must be at least 25. The application fee is $548 and the inspection fee $285, with annual fees that vary by occupancy and zone. Guests pay a 12% transient occupancy tax (14% in some redevelopment areas). Sources: City of South Lake Tahoe vacation home rentals and transient occupancy tax.
El Dorado County (unincorporated Tahoe Basin, outside the city). Vacation home rental permits in the county's Tahoe Basin are capped at 900, new permits must be at least 500 feet from another rental, and a permit ends when the home sells. Source: El Dorado County Vacation Home Rentals Division and Ordinance 5209.
Douglas County, Nevada (Stateline and the east shore). Stays of 28 days or less need a vacation home rental permit, with a fire and life safety inspection. The Tahoe Township is capped at 600 permits, with neighborhood density limits and a waitlist; the county counted 563 permits as of October 20, 2026. Source: Douglas County vacation home rentals.
What this means for owners: in Placer County and El Dorado County, a permit ends when the home sells, and most areas around the lake have a cap and a waitlist. If you're buying, check the rules for that exact address first.
Tahoe has two high seasons. Winter brings skiers to Northstar, Palisades Tahoe and Heavenly, with the holiday weeks booking earliest. Summer brings lake days, hiking and families, and is just as strong for homes close to the water. Spring and late fall are the quiet shoulder seasons, when smart pricing and weekend stays carry the calendar. Homes near lifts, beaches or a hot tub tend to hold demand best year-round.
We run the whole rental for you, so you can own a vacation home without a second job:
We're owner-operators, not a call center. We take on a small number of homes in each market and treat each one like it's our own.
We manage 11 homes around the lake:
Together these homes have 1,375 Airbnb reviews with an average rating of 4.93 out of 5, and 8 of the 11 are rated 4.9 or higher (individual homes range from 4.76 to 5.0). Source: public Airbnb listing pages, checked October 29, 2026.
Our pricing depends on the home, so we share it with your free, no-obligation income projection. Tell us about your property at https://nomadequity.com/projection and you'll get the projection and our pricing for it together.
Yes, almost everywhere around the lake. Placer County, the Town of Truckee, the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Douglas County, Nevada each require a permit or registration, and most cap how many they issue. Truckee's cap has been reached, and new residential applications in South Lake Tahoe go to a waitlist. We handle permits and renewals for the homes we manage. We checked each official source on October 29, 2026.
In residential areas, not right away. The city caps residential permits at 900, and since August 21, 2026 new residential applications go to a waitlist. Homes in the Tourist Core and commercial areas aren't subject to that cap. Every permit is renewed yearly and needs an inspection and a designated property manager. We handle the permit, renewals and inspections for the homes we manage, and we're the property manager of record on each. We checked the city's rules on October 29, 2026.
For the South Lake Tahoe homes we manage, Nomad is. The city requires every vacation home rental permit to name a property manager, and we're the property manager of record on each of our homes' permits, so the city and guests have one accountable contact.
Guests pay the lodging tax on top of rent. It's 10% in Placer County's North Lake Tahoe area, 12% in the City of South Lake Tahoe (14% in some redevelopment areas), and 12% in Truckee plus a tourism district assessment. We collect and file it with the county or city for the homes we manage.
Yes, whether you're with another manager now or managing the home yourself. We plan the handover with you: listings, calendars and future bookings, cleaning and maintenance, and the permit and tax accounts tied to your home. Guests who have already booked should still get the stay they paid for.
It depends on the home: location, size, amenities, the permit it holds, and how many nights you keep for yourself. We don't quote a number until we've looked at your property. Request a free, no-obligation projection at https://nomadequity.com/projection and we'll send an estimate built for your home, along with our pricing for it.
Tahoe has two peaks: ski season in winter, led by the holiday weeks, and the summer lake season. Spring and late fall are quieter shoulder seasons. A home near the lifts or the water usually stays busy in both peaks, which is why pricing for each season matters so much here.
Own a home at Northstar, on the north shore or in South Lake Tahoe? Tell us about it and we'll build a free, no-obligation projection for your property, with our pricing and what your county's or city's permit rules mean for it.
Request your free, no-obligation projection: nomadequity.com/projection
Nomad Property Management (Nomad Equity LLC) · 260 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660 · (530) 539-4271
Rules and tax rates last checked October 29, 2026. Local rules change often; always confirm with the city or county before you rent.