Renters In Las Vegas Growing Increasingly Desperate Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the coronavirus pandemic taking its toll upon the Las Vegas economy, there remains some light at the end of the tunnel as the Strip is set to reopen this Thursday. While that is good news for most, some renters who have been laid off or furloughed are still awaiting financial relief in the form of unemployment benefits and they are growing increasingly desperate despite the rental market itself managing to weather the storm, according to reports.

Leading up to the pandemic, which has brought the national economy to a near-standstill, the Las Vegas real estate market was skyrocketing after nearly a decade of dormancy due to the mid-2000’s recession. Construction was rampant, housing was scarce, and rents were rising. When the pandemic hit, real estate was one of the few industries allowed to continue to conduct business, albeit with numerous alterations to increase safety. And while the market certainly took a dive, it did not collapse, and experts are expecting a potentially speedy return to business as usual once restrictions are lifted.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak had mandated that all non-essential businesses close in March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus; he also introduced a temporary freeze on eviction and foreclosure proceedings amid rising unemployment statistics, with the number of those without jobs in the state hitting 28.2 percent.

However, that isn’t making things any easier by renters struggling to meet their monthly payments; according to Nevada HAND, a Southern Nevada organization that operates approximately 4,200 apartment units, there has been a significant increase in the number of individuals requesting help in paying their rent. Overall, however, Nevada HAND noted that the number of tenants that have not made their rental payments is not unusually high, possibly due to furloughed or laid off employees receiving severance or other assistance from their employers.

Shelter Realty, which manages over 500 single family homes, townhomes and condos has had 94.2% of their Las Vegas tenants pay their rent in full for both April and March. In addition, property management company TruAmerica Multifamily, which owns and runs over 5,500 apartments in Las Vegas, also said that a great many of their tenants – 86.4 percent – are still paying the rent on-time, despite some Southern Nevada residents facing delays in obtaining their unemployment benefits. Reports indicate that low-wage workers, including those who work minimum-wage jobs or who might not have adequate savings, are suffering worse than others that were more financially sound at the time that the pandemic hit.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.