PLACERVILLE, Calif. — El Dorado County is moving toward a significant rewrite of its vacation home rental regulations on the West Slope, with proposed changes that could expand where and how short-term rentals operate while adding new fire-safety and enforcement provisions.
The Board of Supervisors received a presentation Aug. 18 on recommendations developed by the West Slope Vacation Home Rental Ad Hoc Committee. The Board’s agenda item was approved Aug. 18 and directs the county to move forward with the ordinance-amendment process.
The proposals are aimed specifically at long-running questions surrounding vacation home rentals in the county’s rural and residential communities west of the Sierra Nevada crest, where property owners, neighbors, tourism interests and local officials have debated the effects of short-term rentals on housing, neighborhood character, property rights and county enforcement.
The county’s agenda materials say the committee reached a “solid set of recommendations” after reviewing code-enforcement data, county regulations and public input.
Occupancy rules could expand
One of the most consequential changes would restore the “plus 2” to the West Slope occupancy formula.
The current West Slope standard is described by county staff as two occupants per bedroom. The proposed change would add two additional occupants to that calculation. The committee also recommends increasing the age at which children are excluded from the occupancy calculation from 5 to 10 years old.
For families renting larger homes, the changes could mean substantially more people are legally permitted to stay in a property.
That proposal comes as the county’s public-engagement process showed competing concerns. County officials reported that some respondents said occupancy restrictions deter bookings and make rentals less practical for families, while others warned that additional VHR activity could affect neighborhood character and reduce available housing for local residents.
500-foot buffers targeted for major changes
The county also is proposing significant changes to the 500-foot buffer that has limited the concentration of vacation rentals.
Under the committee recommendations, the 500-foot buffer surrounding hosted home rentals would be removed on the West Slope.
The proposal also would exempt West Slope parcels of 5 acres or more from the 500-foot buffer provision. That could be particularly significant in rural portions of El Dorado County, where larger properties are more common and neighboring homes may be separated by substantial distances.
The county currently has 192 active VHR permits and 18 active hosted home rental permits on the West Slope, according to the Aug. 18 staff report. There are also 17 people on the West Slope VHR waiting list who are currently blocked from applying because they are within a 500-foot buffer of an existing VHR.
The buffer issue was one of the original subjects assigned to the Ad Hoc Committee when the Board created it in October 2025.
Detached guest houses could become short-term rentals
Another potentially significant change would allow detached guest houses to be rented as short-term accommodations countywide.
Attached guest houses are already allowed under the proposed framework, while the committee is recommending that detached guest houses also become eligible for short-term rental use.
The issue is particularly relevant in El Dorado County, where rural residential properties frequently contain detached structures that can serve as guest accommodations.
The committee’s work was specifically directed to examine whether attached and detached structures should be included in the VHR program and how those rules should interact with existing county regulations governing accessory dwelling units and other residential structures.
The county’s current zoning code separately defines and regulates guest houses and accessory dwelling units, underscoring why the ordinance revision requires coordination with other land-use regulations.
Hosted rentals could become less restrictive
The proposed changes would also remove the current limit of two bedrooms that can be rented in a hosted home rental.
Hosted home rentals differ from traditional VHR operations because the property owner or host remains present at the residence. County survey feedback indicated that some respondents believe hosted rentals generate fewer neighborhood problems and therefore should face fewer restrictions.
At the same time, county staff is proposing a more formal process for verifying hosted home rentals and additional enforcement tools.
The staff recommendations include clarifying that VHR enforcement can be conducted proactively, strengthening trash-removal requirements and allowing safety inspections of permitted VHRs with written notice.
Fire safety remains a major concern
The proposed loosening of several land-use restrictions would be accompanied by stronger language addressing fire safety.
The committee recommends revising restrictions involving grills, fireplaces and fireworks to strengthen and emphasize fire-safety requirements countywide.
That issue carries particular weight in El Dorado County, where West Slope communities have experienced destructive wildfires and where rural properties can present unique access, vegetation and emergency-response challenges.
The county also is considering stronger trash-removal provisions and the ability to conduct safety inspections at permitted VHRs. Under the staff proposal, an operator could be required to make a rental available for a safety inspection within 48 hours of written county notice.
The debate reflects competing interests
The VHR review did not produce unanimous agreement among residents.
The county reported roughly 360 responses to its public survey. While responses were mixed, county staff said a majority supported the county’s proposal.
Public feedback identified both economic and neighborhood concerns.
Some participants cited financial hardship associated with changing regulations and property “red-tagging,” as well as frustration over inconsistent enforcement. Others called for clearer definitions and more reasonable pathways for detached units.
At the same time, respondents raised concerns that allowing more vacation rentals could affect residential neighborhood character, reduce the local housing supply and push residents out of the community.
Those competing interests have been central to the county’s VHR debate for years.
In 2024, the Board adopted Ordinance 5209, which amended Chapter 5.56 of the county code and included changes involving vegetation-management compliance, enforcement procedures, fines, hosted home rentals and local-contact requirements.
The latest review represents another attempt to balance those regulations against conditions specific to the West Slope.
How the review began
The current process began Oct. 21, 2025, when the Board established the West Slope VHR Ad Hoc Committee and appointed Supervisors George Turnboo and John Ferrero to serve on it.
The Board directed the committee to focus on the West Slope, examine VHR buffer zones, consider attached and detached structures, review code-enforcement data and ensure that any changes were consistent with county regulations involving ADUs, ranch marketing and agricultural lodging.
The committee subsequently held a public listening session March 4, 2026, as part of the review.
The Aug. 18 presentation represents the next major step in that process.
The proposed rules are not yet law
For West Slope property owners and residents, one point is important: the proposed changes have not yet taken effect.
County staff is expected to draft ordinance amendments based on the Board’s direction. The county’s stated process calls for a first reading before the Board, followed by a separate second reading and adoption meeting. If adopted, the revised ordinance would take effect 30 days after adoption.
The Board’s Aug. 18 agenda materials describe the matter as a direction to staff regarding potential amendments rather than final adoption of the proposed VHR rules.
Residents who want to influence the final language will therefore have additional opportunities to comment before the ordinance becomes law.
The official Aug. 18 Board agenda and supporting documents include the committee presentation, public comments, survey results, a large-parcel VHR map and proposed hosted-home rental procedures.
Residents can also watch the county’s Aug. 18 Board of Supervisors meeting through the county’s official meeting page.
A major shift for West Slope VHR policy
Taken together, the proposals represent a substantial policy shift.
The county is considering more flexibility for property owners through increased occupancy, fewer buffer restrictions, additional guest-house options and fewer limitations on hosted rentals. At the same time, officials are proposing more explicit fire-safety standards and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
For El Dorado County residents, the outcome could affect far more than vacation-rental operators. It could influence the availability of short-term lodging, tourism-related economic activity, neighborhood conditions, property values, housing availability and how rural properties are used.
The next stage will be the drafting of the actual ordinance language — where broad policy recommendations become enforceable rules.
Official sources: The county’s Aug. 18, 2026 Board agenda item and supporting documents are available through the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors legislative record. The county’s official page for the Aug. 18 Board meeting is available here.
