Tahoe Real Estate – What are Bear Boxes?

When Tahoe buyers look at property in our area the subject of Bear Boxes is a topic that always comes up. What is a Bear Box, and why do you need one for your Tahoe home?

The answer is quite simply a bear box is a bear proof (animal proof) container that houses your garbage cans. So why do you need a bear box for your Tahoe property? Convenience. Safety. Respect for our wildlife.

Each week you roll, or carry out your garbage to the curb on your designated day, and then the local municipality hauls it away. So what makes this routine different Lake Tahoe? Why do you need a bear box?

Reason #1: Convenience If you have a bear box, you can put your garbage out at any time. If you don’t have a bear box, then you need to put your garbage out early on the morning of the same day as pick-up. No leaving it out the night before. Why? Because we don’t want the local bears, raccoons, coyotes, birds, or other wildlife to tear into our trash and spread it out all over the neighborhood. We limit out garbage exposure to just a few hours before we expect it to be picked up.

Reason #2: Practical Solution For second home owners without a bear box, they can either leave their trash in their homes and pray that a local bear doesn’t break into their home and destroy it looking for those tasty treats, or they can take it with them back home and dispose of it there. A bear box allows second home owners to put their trash out at any time without risk of a local animal getting into the trash and making a huge mess.

What does a bear box look like? The pictures here are of a typical bear box. They are normally made of metal, and can hold a couple of garbage cans inside. They range in price from $500 – $1,000. What makes a bear box unique? Notice there are no handles on the box. There is an Allen wrench (hex key) that is attached by a wire on the side of the box. This tool is placed in a small hole, twisted and the door opens. Once the garbage is inside the door is locked, and the tool removed. It’s important to remove the tool from the door as our local bears know how to turn a handle and open the doors.

Are all Tahoe property owners required to have a bear box? The answer is no. They are required to have one if they are going to do vacation rentals at the property. A Tahoe property owner can be required to install one if they’re garbage becomes a problem with local wildlife and more than two complaints are made. Lastly, if you get a building permit for your property, or you are going to build a new home, one of the conditions of your building permit will be to install a bear box if you don’t already have one on site.

Tahoe Buyer Tip: If the property you are considering buying doesn’t have a bear box on the property, you may be able to negotiate with the seller to install one, or get a credit to put one in after the close of escrow.

Investing in a bear box is worth the convenience it gives to a Tahoe property owner and it helps keep our bears and other wildlife safe by keeping them from getting into our garbage and causing a neighborhood problem.

Bear boxes – a value added feature in Tahoe Real Estate.

Thinking about making Lake Tahoe, California your second home? Check out the homes that are for sale in Lake Tahoe, California here:

Want to see what condos are for sale in Lake Tahoe? Here are the current listings:

For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –

Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260 | Laura@TahoeLaura.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304

All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.

Tahoe Real Estate – What are Bear Boxes?