The advent of the Internet has made it easy to for pretty much anyone to offer short-term vacation rentals—and over 200 of these operators in Marin, many of whom are renting their homes, are either unaware of, or are ignoring, a county tax. Over the last year, the finance department has searched for providers not collecting the Transient Occupancy Tax from customers, and an amnesty program approved by supervisors on Tuesday gives operators until the end of the year to start paying. The tax applies to people with vacation rentals, cabins and retreat centers; its proceeds cover the cost of infrastructure and county services available to them, such as public safety and emergency services. Announcements are being mailed to non-compliant businesses this week. Non-compliant businesses that do not enroll in the amnesty program will be subject to fines. For more information about the tax call (415) 473.6123.