Washoe County Launches “Lease to Locals” Pilot Program in Incline Village/Crystal Bay to Incentivize Year-Round Rentals
January 22, 2025 | Member Submitted

Submitted by Placemate, Chase Janvrin, 01/22/2025
Thanks to funding provided by Washoe County, Placemate, Inc. is pleased to launch the Lease to Locals pilot program, an innovative initiative aimed at addressing the lack of long-term housing options in the Incline Village / Crystal Bay area for local workers.
IVCBA is helping to spread the word of this new program in the area, and build on the efforts already implemented by Placemate in neighboring communities of East Placer County, The Town of Truckee, and South Lake Tahoe. IVCBA is hosting an event on Thursday, January 23rd to highlight the program.
This new program will provide up to $18,000 in incentive payments to property owners who convert their housing units from short-term rentals or from sitting largely vacant, into year-round or seasonal rentals for the local workforce.
“Our community has struggled with housing for our workforce. Unlocking housing stock through Lease to Locals offers some relief to landlords willing to provide new rentals and some relief to workers who struggle with the lack of available rentals.” commented Linda Offerdahl, IVCBA Community and Business Association Executive Director.
Placemate brings a proven track record and operational capacity to Incline Village / Crystal Bay. They have run similar Lease to Locals incentive programs not just in the Tahoe area, but across the country in resort communities in Ketchum, Idaho; Eagle and Summit Counties, Colorado; and Nantucket and Provincetown, Massachusetts. The programs incentivize long term rentals to full time workers, as an alternative to short term renting or sitting vacant. Across the various markets Placemate operates, they’ve unlocked 688 units and housed 1,561 locals, as of January, 2025.
Program Details:
To qualify, properties must be located in Incline Village / Crystal Bay, and not have been rented full-time in the past 12 months, and are subject to a maximum rental rate of $4,500/mo.
Property owners who rent their property to “qualified tenants” for a minimum five month period are eligible for a one-time financial incentive ranging from $2,000 to $18,000, based on the number of qualified tenants they rent to, and the length and type of lease.
Local workers searching for a property can create a Renter Profile on the Placemate website. Creating a renter profile is fast, free, and easy, and allows Placemate to match renters to potential homes that fit their criteria.
Tenants and property owners can learn more about the program, and get started by creating their tenant or property owner profiles, by visiting https://placemate.com, calling Placemate at (775) 415-9172, or emailing lori@placemate.com.