A Winter Plumbing Plan for Short-Term Rentals in Northstar, California

Northstar Rentals Sit High and Cold

Northstar California, in Placer County, has a base elevation of 6,330 feet (Wikipedia). Short-term rentals are a big part of the region’s housing: a 2019 Mountain Housing Council white paper found that about 13 percent of the North Tahoe-Truckee region’s housing units were registered as short-term rentals.

What Placer County Requires of Your Local Contact

Placer County’s short-term rental permits apply in Eastern Placer County. According to the county’s STR FAQ, a local contact is required (a property manager is not), and that person must:

• Agree to be personally available by telephone on a 24-hour basis.
• Live within 35 driving miles of the rental.
• Have the authority to manage the unit.

That contact is the person a guest or neighbor will call at 2 a.m. when water is coming through a ceiling. The plumbing plan below makes sure they know what to do next.

A Simple Winter Plumbing Plan for Your Rental

• Label the main water shutoff and make sure your local contact knows where it is and can reach it in snow.
• Keep the heat at a safe setting between stays. NAIC notes insurance policies generally require homeowners to keep a home at a minimum temperature.
• Know your water heater and gas shutoffs, and write them down for the local contact.
• Line up a plumber before the first storm, with access instructions and authority to make an emergency repair.
• Add leak sensors near the water heater, washer, sinks and any crawl space access, so an alert reaches the contact early.

If the Rental Will Sit Empty

If you are taking the home off the rental calendar for a stretch, NAIC’s guidance is to shut off the water supply if the home is vacant (NAIC). Our winter plumbing checklist for closing a Truckee cabin covers draining the lines.

Turnover Checks That Catch Problems Early

• Run every faucet and flush every toilet; listen for slow drains or gurgling.
• Look under sinks and around the water heater for drips or damp cabinet floors.
• Check that hose bibs are off and hoses are disconnected.
• Note any loss of water pressure at a single fixture, an early sign of a freezing line.

We serve Martis Valley and Northstar and can be the plumber on your local contact’s list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Northstar short-term rental need a local contact?

Placer County’s STR FAQ says permits in Eastern Placer County require a local contact who is available by phone 24 hours a day, lives within 35 driving miles, and has authority to manage the unit.

Should I leave the heat on in my vacation rental in winter?

NAIC notes that insurance policies generally require homeowners to maintain a minimum temperature, and to shut off the water if the home is vacant. Check your own policy.

What should my local contact know about the plumbing?

Where the main water shutoff, water heater and gas shutoffs are, how to reach them in snow, and which plumber to call for an emergency repair.