Case study · Vacation rental · South Lake Tahoe
Standing out when Tahoe's vacation rental market saturated overnight
When we bought our first unit in South Lake Tahoe's Lakeland Village in July 2024, we were one of a couple hundred vacation rentals. We launched it as The Pads within weeks and booked 284 nights in its first year. Then South Lake Tahoe opened up more short-term rentals, and the market got even more crowded overnight. Our answer was to offer amenities and a group capacity that few others could match.
Year one
284
nights booked
Booking capacity
8 → 16
guests after adding the second unit
Guest rating
4.91★
across 57 guest reviews, Airbnb Superhost
The challenge
An already competitive market that became even more saturated overnight when more short-term rentals were allowed.
What we did
Stood apart on amenities and capacity, adding the unit next door to grow from 8 to 16 guests.
The result
284 booked nights in year one, a 4.91★ rating with Superhost status, and two units that book apart or together.
The challenge
Lakeland Village sits on the lake in South Lake Tahoe, about a mile from Heavenly and downtown. When we bought our first unit in July 2024, we were one of a couple hundred vacation rentals, and a new listing still had to give guests a reason to choose it and start earning quickly enough to cover HOA dues and carrying costs.
About a year later, South Lake Tahoe opened up more short-term rentals. Overnight, the market went from competitive to saturated, with far more listings chasing the same guests. Looking like every other rental wasn't going to be enough.
What we did
- Bought the first unit below market value in July 2024, gave it a complete makeover with new appliances and all-new furniture, and had it taking bookings in about 3 weeks
- When the market saturated, focused on what most rentals couldn't offer: amenities that set us apart and room for larger groups
- Bought the unit right next door in December 2025, also below market value, and had it fixed up and booking in about 3 weeks, expanding our booking capacity from 8 to 16 guests
- Set the two side-by-side units up to book separately or together, so large groups can stay together, something few rentals in the area can offer
- Marketed them together as The Pads on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, with their own website and an Instagram following of 2,000+
- Keep improving both units with projects during the off-season, so they stay competitive without giving up peak-season bookings
- Kept the books and handled the taxes in-house, so every renovation, furnishing and operating cost is tracked by unit
The result
The first unit booked 284 nights in its first year, and The Pads hold a 4.91★ rating across 57 guest reviews with Airbnb Superhost status. By offering a capacity and amenities that few rentals in the area can match, The Pads compete for group bookings instead of getting lost among hundreds of similar listings.
Why it matters for your rental
We don't just keep the books for vacation rental owners. We've bought, renovated, launched and run rentals ourselves, and adapted when the market changed underneath us. We know what renovation, furnishing, HOA dues, platform fees, cleaning and occupancy taxes do to your numbers, and how to set up your books and taxes so you can see whether a property is really working.
See The Pads at thepadslt.com.
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