Own a home in Mammoth Lakes?

You could earn up to $18,000 by converting your property into a new long-term rental for local employees.

What is Lease to Locals?

The Town of Mammoth Lakes has partnered with Placemate to launch the Lease to Locals Program, an innovative initiative aimed at addressing the lack of housing options for the local workforce. The program offers one-time cash incentives to homeowners who convert their housing units into seasonal or long-term rentals to locally employed tenants.

Are you a renter? Click here to create a renter profile and we will be in touch with more details.

Results to Date*

# of properties

People housed

*Data as of December 1, 2024

How the Program Works

Verify property qualifies

The property must be located within the Town’s Urban Growth Boundary, and must not have been rented long-term in the past 12 months. The property must be a single-family home, condo, townhome, multi-family home of up to 2 units, or a vacant room in an owner-occupied property.

Secure tenants

The Property Owner must identify a Qualified Household to rent their property to that is not of blood relation to the homeowner. See more info on Qualified Household/Tenant in the FAQ below.

Sign a Lease

Property Owners must sign either a seasonal (5-11 months) or long-term (12+ months) lease with a Qualified Household. The homeowner must rent at or below the maximum rental rates indicated in the FAQ below.

Complete full application

Placemate will provide property owners and tenants with an online application which needs to be completed before the incentive can be disbursed. The payments will be issued in two equal installments — half at the beginning of the lease, and half at the end of the lease.

Compliance

Property owners and tenants must comply with midway (long-term leases only) and lease-end check-ins to ensure they are in compliance. If the property is found out of compliance, the grant payment(s) may be withheld.

Incentive Amounts (effective August 5, 2024)

Lease Length	1 Qualifying Tenant*	2 Qualifying Tenants	3 Qualifying Tenants	4 Qualifying Tenants
Seasonal (5-11 months)	$2,000	$4,000	$6,000	$8,000
Long term (12+ months)	$4,500	$9,000	$13,500	$18,000

*A qualifying tenant is defined as an adult working locally, with an average annual income of all adult residents of a household (related or unrelated) less than 150% of the area median income ($111,200) for Mono County. Children can count as additional qualifying tenants. Complete the form below to learn more!

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of properties qualify for this grant program?

Any single-family home, condo, townhome, mobile home, accessory dwelling unit, or a single room or group of rooms in an owner-occupied property, that has not been rented full time in the past 12 months. Multi-family homes greater than two units, hotels and motels are not eligible for the Program.
If you are already renting your property long-term (even on a month-to-month lease), or have rented it long-term in the past 12 months, the property would not qualify for the grant.

Am I required to rent my unit at a certain price per month?

Rental rates are set by the property owner or property manager and there are no rent requirements for the program, however the rent can not exceed $1,000/mo for a private room, $1,500/mo for a studio, $1,700/mo for a 1BD, $2,500/mo for a 2BD, and $3,500/mo for a 3BD home (not including utilities and/or pet fees).

What is the definition of a Qualified Household and Tenant?

A Qualified Household is any group of individuals who intend to occupy the Property together as their primary residence, where at least 50% of the adults are a Qualified Tenant. The average annual income of all adult residents of a household (related or unrelated) cannot exceed 150% AMI for Mono County (the 2024 150% AMI limit for a 1-person household is $111,200).

A Qualified Tenant is an adult currently employed an average of at least 30 or more hours per week, or who meets full time employment equivalency with employer verification, based out of or at a site within the Mammoth Unified School District geographical boundary, who is not of blood relation to the Property Owner.

What are the income limits for renters in this grant program?

The average annual income of all adult residents of a household (related or unrelated) can not exceed 150% of the area median income ($111,200) for Mono County.

How do payments work for property owners?

Prior to disbursing grants, our partners at the Town of Mammoth Lakes will review documentation submitted by Placemate, including a copy of the fully executed lease agreement, proof of status for qualifying tenants, and a property owner application.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes will issue 50% of the payment to the Property Owner within forty-five (45) days of a seasonal or one-year lease commencement and confirmation of eligibility, and 50% within forty-five (45) days of a successful end of lease.

Please note, each Property may only participate in the Program one time and there are no incentives after year one.

Tell us more about your property, and we'll get in touch

Please only fill out this form if you are a property owner. If you are a tenant seeking housing, please visit our Renter Page.