Nevada officials are “actively investigating” whether President Joe Biden improperly rented billionaire Tom Steyer’s $18 million Lake Tahoe mansion.
Last Friday, Biden arrived at the Nevada property for yet another weeklong vacation. Amid criticism that Biden has stayed for free at vacation homes owned by rich Democrats, the White House clarified in a statement that Biden is paying to rent Steyer’s home.
“The First Family is renting the home for fair market value,” the statement said.
But the home is apparently not a registered vacation rental in Douglas County, Nevada, prompting complaints from local residents and an investigation into whether Steyer improperly rented the house.
“Several inquiries have been received on this address. We cannot comment further as we are actively investigating any Douglas County Nevada code violations on this rental,” said Douglas County head of code enforcement Ernie Strehlow in an email to the Nevada Globe.
Douglas County’s policies on vacation rental homes are clear: you need a permit to rent a house. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $20,000. The policy states:
The owners of any property being advertised and/or operated as an unpermitted vacation home rental located anywhere within Douglas County in violation Douglas County Code and the Nevada Revised Statutes may be subject to a civil penalty of up to $20,000.
Moreover, The Record-Courier, the local newspaper in Douglas County, reported on Monday that Strehlow had confirmed that Steyer does not hold a proper permit to rent the home. But it was not clear whether officials would issue a citation.
“I do not know details until we investigate the terms of the rental,” Strehlow told the newspaper. “We treat it as any other complaint on illegal renting we receive from the public.”
As the newspaper noted, the investigation into an improper rental will come down to the agreement between Biden and Steyer and whether money actually exchanged hands.
Moreover, despite the White House’s statement, unless Biden voluntarily discloses the supposed rental transaction, it will not be possible to verify that he rented the home “for fair market value” as claimed.
