Category Archive : Property Management

LAS VEGAS, NV – The North Las Vegas City Council recently unanimously voted at an emergency meeting to pass an ordinance allowing fines and other penalties to be imposed upon landlords and property managers who are in violation of state and city emergency anti-eviction decrees.

Amid the state of emergency brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak had issued a statewide moratorium on March 29 against evictions, citing the economic issues faced by residents in light of strict business closure and stay-at-home orders. But some landlords have nonetheless defied that decree and have locked out and/or evicted tenants who have been behind on their rent.

The eviction decree by Governor Sisolak applies to all renters in the state of Nevada, be they monthly or weekly, residential or commercial, and applies while the state of emergency is still in effect; in addition, all late fees for back rent during the emergency period are waved. However, the non-eviction order does not apply to individuals who pose a threat to either their property or to others.

The moratorium had a mixed response, with some legal advocates supporting the move while others supported landlords and property managers, noting that they also have their own bills to pay throughout the crisis.

The North Las Vegas City Council, on a vote of 5 to 0, approved an ordinance that will seek penalties imposed upon anyone who violates Governor Sisolak’s decree – or any similar decrees issued by the city of Las Vegas – including fines in the amount of up to $1,000 a day as well as the potentially revoking the businesses licenses and permits.

In addition, according to Councilman Isaac Barron, misdemeanor charges resulting in jail sentences up to six months could also be imposed upon violators. The new rule went into effect immediately following the council’s vote, meaning that enforcement could start right away. “The goal, very specifically, is to stop a handful of bad-actor landlords and property managers from locking people out for failure to make rent,” he said.

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.

Editors Correction: An earlier version of this article mentioned the ordinance was passed this week; it was passed in early April.

CARSON CITY, NV – Yesterday, April 7, 2020, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced $2 million in settlement funding for emergency rental assistance transferred to United Way of Southern Nevada and United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra. This funding will go directly to Nevada families in need of emergency assistance. Additionally, the Attorney General’s Office created an informational flyer (below) on the Governor’s Directive halting evictions to help renters and landlords understand their rights.

“One of the most important things we can do as state leaders and as human beings is to keep Nevada families in their homes and prevent further suffering,” said AG Ford. “Every minute, another Nevada family calls my office for help so they won’t end up homeless. I am immensely proud that my office is able to prevent wrongful evictions, as well as provide emergency rental assistance funding to our trusted community partners at United Way.”

The funding is part of the previously announced settlement agreement with Wells Fargo. The transfer of the funding received approval from the Nevada State Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee Tuesday morning.

United Way of Southern Nevada and United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra are the state’s administering agencies for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program established by Congress in 1983. This additional funding from the Office of the Attorney General will supplement that program until the next set federal appropriation is released next fall. The funding will help thousands of Nevada families stay in stable housing and prevent a further crisis of homeless families in the state.

The Office of the Attorney General has received an unprecedented number of calls from constituents seeking help and information relating to eviction and rental issues. The attached informational flyer on the Governor’s Directive is intended to help renters and landlords understand their rights and obligations during the State of Emergency and answer frequently asked questions.

Editors Note: The appearance of Nevada Attorney General visual information does not imply or constitute Office of the Attorney General endorsement.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, despite a statewide moratorium issued by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak against evictions during the state of emergency brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some landlords have defied that decree and have locked out and/or evicted tenants who have been behind on their rent.

The eviction decree by Governor Sisolak applies to all renters in the state of Nevada, monthly or weekly, and applies while the state of emergency is still in effect. The moratorium had a mixed response, with some legal advocates supporting the move while others supported landlords and property managers, noting that they also have their own bills to pay throughout the crisis.

But despite the moratorium, reports indicate that some landlords are disregarding it and are continuing to issue eviction notices and, in some cases, outright lock tenants out of their residences, especially in cases of rent-by-the-week apartments and homes.

Nevada Legal Services report that they have received an elevated number of phone calls from tenants who are facing eviction despite the non-eviction decree from Governor Sisolak. Some are complaining that the exact nature of their rights in these circumstances have not been made clear as well.

“There’s just so many violations, you would think it were a movie” a representative of the Nevada Legal Services was quoted as saying. “You hear about these things and expect that everyone will just follow the rules, but there are illegal lockouts happening left and right.”

Violations reported by Nevada Legal Services allegedly include eviction notices still being served, landlords stacking plywood in their parking lots in order to board up apartments, and hired security guards harassing non-rent paying tenants. The Nevada state attorney general’s office notes that landlords and property managers who disobey the ongoing non-eviction rule could face legal action, including being sued for deceptive trade practices, although the office has stated that lawsuits are a last resort due to the financial strain that landlords state-wide are also going through.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Vegas Strip is set to welcome back a seasoned player in the hotel game, and one of the most iconic brands in the business. According to recent reports, McLean-based Hilton is slated to open a massive mega-resort – comprised of three hotels – that will potentially add up to one of the biggest multi-brand deals in the company’s existence.

The original Las Vegas Hilton, an enormous resort, opened in 1971 and was located just one block from the Strip at 3000 S Paradise Road until the company’s property management services ended in 2012. However, now the brand is set to return to the Strip in a big way, with a $4.3 billion investment in a sprawling new hotel complex – opening in partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas – that is anticipated to open its doors for business in the summer of 2021.

The hotels, which will be operated under Hilton Hotels & Resorts, LXR and Conrad brands, will offer up a number of amenities for guests, spread out amongst a grand total of 3,500 rooms between the three hotels, and spread out over 88 acres of land. The complex will also feature 350,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a 5,000-seat theater, and a 220,000 square foot pool complex with seven pools, a spa and fitness center.

The original Las Vegas Hilton – from 1981 to 1990, considered the largest hotel on the planet at 2,956 rooms on 65 acres – was lauded for its posh nature and the large number of celebrities that resided there; of special note was famous rock-and-roller Elvis Presley, who famously owned a penthouse on the hotel’s 30^th floor. The original Las Vegas Hilton is now branded as the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, owned by Westgate Resorts and operated by Paragon Gaming.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the recent news that the city of Henderson has approved the operation of Airbnb – an online marketplace for arranging or offering lodging – within city limits, some questions have been raised – such as what’s the best way of getting involved, and what precautions should you take?

According to a recent article, there are a number of important things you should bear in mind if you’re considering renting out your home on Airbnb, a process that has been described as potentially fraught with difficulty; that is, unless you’re armed with the following knowledge.

First of all, make sure your dwelling – whether you’re renting out a couch, bed, room, or an entire house – is ready to go once you place your Airbnb listing. Believe it or not, you can be hit with an immediate booking, so it pays to make sure that your space is clean, presentable, and that there are no issues to deal with, such as water quality or defective air conditioning. Any negative reviews and/or cancelled stays can affect your “Super Host” status, which in turn affects your placement in Airbnb searches.

Next, make sure that you do your homework and familiarize yourself with all of the regulations and guidelines in your community or municipality, as well as Airbnb’s rules in order to ensure that there is nothing illegal about your venture. Sometimes local laws can be tricky when it comes to short-term rentals and it’s your duty to adhere to them in order to prevent your guests from encountering any headaches during their stay.

If you don’t live in the property that you’re renting out via Airbnb, then it’s probably a smart move to hire a property manager to take care of things in your stead. Cleaners, plumbers, electricians and more can be hired as needed by a property manager, and problem tenants can be dealt with in a timely manner, saving you stress and financial hardship.

But regardless of your preparations, things will inevitably go wrong; be it a burst water pipe, an infestation of insects or rodents, or a host of other issues, so be prepared for to encounter a problem, one which you will have to solve quickly and efficiently.

Also, bear in mind that while short-term rentals often allow you to charge more per night than long-term rentals, you could always end up having more overhead as well. Short term rentals patrons are most likely to be on vacation, and will be using significant amounts of air conditioning, electricity, hot water, internet, and all sorts of other amenities; figure this into your financials and make sure you charge fees that make renting worth it in the long run.

Additionally, Airbnb allows hosts to set policies regarding cancellations, fees per-guest, fees for excessive amenity use (hot water, electricity, etc), requirements for damage deposits, and more. Make sure you set guidelines for potential renters and stand by them to make sure you’re not taken advantage of or you’re liable to lose money at the end of a stay when guests have invited more friends than you thought for a huge or destructive party. And finally, just remember that you won’t make everyone happy. No matter how much you prepare, someone will find something to complain about. Just accept it, move on, and look forward to the next guests in your home…and the money they will bring.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to recent reports, a law focusing on “tenant rights” in Las Vegas passed in 2019 has already resulted in a marked decrease in the number of evictions filed by landlords and property managers for the first time in ten years. In 2019, approximately 30,000 summary eviction cases were filed in Las Vegas Justice Court, which represents a 7 percent decrease from the prior year and the lowest number since 2016. Senate Bill 151 (SD 151) – legislation that increased the amount of time a tenant had to pay overdue rent from five to seven business days, in addition to offering other protections –  was signed into law in July 2019, and that same month’s records indicate an immediate impact – July’s evictions alone dropped 30 percent compared to the same period in 2018.

However, in contrast, more evictions were filed in December 2019 than the previous December, with numbers expected to continue to rise in 2020, experts say. Judging by those statistics, some could argue that SB 151 – even with the extra leeway it gives tenants – is merely delaying the inevitable and hurting landlords in the process, as opposed to helping hard-working people in their time of need.

The most significant aspects of SB 151 are a 5 percent cap on late fees when it comes to overdue monthly rent; tenants are now given up to 5 days to re-enter a vacated home or apartment in order to retrieve what the bill refers to as “essential personal effects” before they are permanently locked out; and an increase of the approved “pay or quit” eviction notice time period from five days to seven. In addition, landlords can no longer serve an eviction notice themselves; now, only a sheriff, constable, or licensed process server may do so.

SB 151 has proven deeply unpopular with landlords and property management companies, who claim that the law is essentially taking money out of their pockets while allowing disreputable tenants to “game the system” and further put off paying their rent on-time. In contrast, others – including the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers – have applauded the bill, claiming that it is leading to less strain on courts and allows people to stay in their homes.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – In a recent opinion piece published by Edward Kania, the Southern Nevada Eviction Services president argued that recent new laws governing the Nevada eviction process are ultimately unfair to landlords, placing undue stress and hardship upon them in the event that a tenant fails to pay their rent or live up to the responsibilities of their lease. While opinions are very much divided on this issue, Kania made several points that served to illustrate how landlords are set to be affected – in a negative way – by this new law.

The law Kania refers to is Senate Bill 151, which kicked in on July 1, 2019; the law increases protections for those renting properties by granting more time to tenants before they are able to be evicted by landlords for lack of payment on their rent, as well as capping late fees at five percent for delinquent rent payments. In addition, more time is granted to tenants to pay their overdue rent – seven business days, as opposed to the previous five – to avoid eviction. Evicted tenants are also allowed to re-enter their former dwelling for up to five days to retrieve “essential” belongings they may have left behind.

Kania notes that the new law essentially portrays landlords as “villains” simply for expecting to have their lease agreements complied with and their rent paid in a timely manner – something the tenant agreed to do upon moving into the unit, he said.

The new – and some would argue, excessive – leeway that tenants receive under the Bill essentially forces landlords into an unfair position, Kania said.

Landlords are not tenants’ parents,” he said. “They are not their means of support nor spouse nor friend nor charity. Neither Target nor supermarkets are required to provide free services. Why, then, are landlords?”

Kania also argues that tenants are automatically guaranteed a hearing after they receive a notice regarding delinquent rent, even if they have no defense whatsoever for not paying. With all of the tenant safeguards now available, often an individual can delay eviction for weeks or even months; all the while, the landlord – who is only trying to pay their bills – is the one experiencing the financial strain of that situation in the form of unpaid rent, not the tenant.

“New eviction laws…make the eviction process harder for landlords and easier for tenants,” Kania concluded. “These new laws help renters who don’t comply with their leases, but will likely lead to higher rents and security deposits, shorter rent due dates and higher mandatory credit score levels for everyone else.”

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – American Homes 4 Rent®, a California-based company that renovates and leases single-family homes (it already owns over such 1,000 homes in Las Vegas alone) has made the move to up its game in Southern Nevada, announcing recently that they would be constructing rental homes from Vegas, a move they have already pulled off in 14 other markets, according to reports.

American Homes 4 Rent was established in 2012, and is one of the first large public companies to begin investing heavily in single-family homes, following the entry of The Blackstone Group into the field; as of 2018, it owned over 51,200 single-family homes in 21 states, many of which were acquired through the Multiple Listing Service and foreclosure homes via auction. 

According to Clark County records, American Homes 4 Rent recently applied for 14 new home permits, the first time they have done so in the Las Vegas area, located in multiple plots of land that the company purchased in 2018. These permits are intended to make up a community the company is designing that will be named Serene Park in the southwest valley, according to reports. Once completed, the community will consist of a total of 21 single-family homes, all of which will be designed for long-term rentals and will range from 2,000 to 2,200 square feet in size.

The current slate of homes that American Homes 4 Rent already has on the rental market in Vegas range in price from $1,200 to $2,600 per month. The company has stated to media that the expansion into home construction – as opposed to just purchasing existing homes – came about due to an opportunity to build for approximately the same cost as acquiring structures that are already made, resulting in higher-quality rentals.

Once completed, the rent is expected be approximately $1,795 a month for a three-bedroom house and $1,950 a month for a four-bedroom house.

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, the short-term vacation rental market is booming in Las Vegas, with Nevada becoming the fourth-highest such market in the country. Vegas has always been a destination city for a variety of reasons, but after the recovery of the city’s economy, the recent influx of money, jobs, businesses and the arrival of the recently-transplanted Raiders NFL team – tourism has reached a fever pitch in Southern Nevada. Enter the rental market. Tourists have been turning increasingly to short-term home rentals when visiting Las Vegas, and investors have sat up and taken notice. Within the span of the last ten years, the vacation home rental industry in Vegas has gone up a whopping 50 percent, reports say.

Some of the most popular areas to rent vacation homes locally include Henderson, due in part to it’s proximity to the famed Las Vegas Strip; after such rentals were made legal there, reports indicate that anywhere from a 200-300 percent increase in the number of investors who have purchased homes in order to rent them out to tourists. Home rentals for tourists are often more popular then hotels and other accommodations; this holds especially true for families with children, according to reports.

Home prices in Vegas, while still climbing at record rates due to the law of supply and demand, are still nonetheless much cheaper than the national average, especially when compared to neighboring states such as California. Some investors report seeing quick returns on their investment dollars, with some Airbnb users noting that it’s possible to make as much as $8,000 a week if your play your cards right.

However, the short-term vacation rental market comes with its caveats, among them the fact that it may see an increase in rent and traditional home-buyers being pushed out. Due to this, the rental business could end up making things more difficult for both type renters and buyers alike.

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.

LAS VEGAS – Despite fierce push-back and lobbying efforts on the part of local realtors, Nevada lawmakers – via a last-minute amendment made to Senate Bill 151 (SB151) – added what they referred to as “tenant protections” to the proposed bill that would make some significant changes to the state’s currently Landlord/Tenant Laws. That bill was officially made into the law of the land when it passed both houses and landed on the desk of Governor Steve Sisolak, who then signed on the dotted line.

As per the newly ratified SB151, the changes to the Landlord/Tenant Laws will take effect on July 1st, 2019; however, what are the changes that landlords and their tenants can expect to see, and why are Nevada residential realtors so up in arms over them?

First, some are taking exception to SB151 because certain provisions that had been previously a part of SB256 – a bill that was previously considered dead and buried – were basically revived and incorporated into SB151 on the very last day of the legislative session. The deeply-unpopular provisions in question – touted as “tenant protections” – centered on specific aspects of the eviction process, including a late-fee cap on overdue rent and a window of time afforded to evicted tenants to re-enter their former rental property to retrieve belongings.

The most significant aspect of SB151 when it comes to landlords is the inclusion of a 5 percent cap on late fees when it comes to overdue monthly rent; that is, a landlord can no longer charge over 5 percent of the periodic fee the renter normally pays when they are delinquent; previous penalties that many landlords employed, such as cumulative daily late fees, are no longer allowed.

Another provision of SB151 is that evicted tenants are now given up to 5 days to re-enter a vacated home or apartment in order to retrieve what the bill refers to as “essential personal effects,” such as medication, before they are permanently locked out. A tenant may also file a motion with the court regarding how the landlord has chosen to handle the tenant’s property – including storage costs or removal procedures – after the 5-day period has passed. If the court finds in the tenant’s favor, they may be granted additional time and access to their former dwelling, as well as damages up to $2,500 if the judge rules that the landlord handled the property in question in an improper manner.

Other changes include an increase of the approved “pay or quit” eviction notice time period from 5 days to 7 judicial days; if a tenant manages to pay within the 7 judicial day time frame, the landlord is now obligated to accept it, even if the amount paid does not include any additional late fees or other charges that may have been applied to the overall amount owed. And finally, landlords and property managers can no longer serve an eviction notice themselves- now, only a sheriff, constable, or licensed process server may do so.

Many property mangers and realtors protested the changes represented by SB151 argue that these changes – which allegedly tip the perceived scales between tenants and landlords too far in the tenants’ favor – will discourage Nevada Landlords from renting out their homes and condos at a time when affordable housing is already scarce, in addition to leading to higher rents and more frequent lawsuits.

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.

LAS VEGAS – Lawmakers in Nevada have recently passed a number of new pieces of legislation that are aimed at governing certain aspects of the housing market in the state, such as the eviction process, defect claims on construction projects, and the development of affordable housing.

To start with, the state Legislature – currently under Democratic control – enacted a law to counter one passed four years ago when the lawmaking body was under Republican control. The new law enables victims that allege that a contractor has engaged in sub-standard construction work to have an easier process if they wish to sue said contractor for damages in court. Due to take effect on October 1, 2019, Assembly Bill 421 enables customers of a contractor to report alleged defects in housing and building development projects in “reasonable detail” when presenting a notice to the contractor; previously, the law in place was more exacting, requiring “specific” and “exact” levels of detail. In addition, plaintiffs now have 10 years in which to file a lawsuit against a contractor, as opposed to the six years allotted under the old law.

Next was a new law aimed at potentially providing a boost to the construction of affordable housing for Nevada residents of limited financial means. Due to go into effect on July 1, 2019, Senate Bill 103, gives local municipalities the ability to apply discounts on some of the fees that are typically levied on affordable housing projects. In addition, Senate Bill 448 – due to come into force on January 1, 2020 – adds to the support of affordable housing construction by allowing Nevada officials to provide financial assistance to new projects with the ability to issue transferable tax credits in the amount of $10 million per year. 

State lawmakers are hoping that these bills will assist with the issue of affordable housing for low-income residents, which number at approximately 73,000, according to reports. Currently, developers construct about 1,000 units annually that are aimed at this population; these bills could increase that output to as much as 1,600 per year.

And finally, Senate Bill 151, due to kick in starting July 1, 2019, would increase protections for those renting properties by granting more time to tenants before they are able to be evicted by landlords for lack of payment on their rent; in addition, late fees for delinquent rent payments will be capped at five percent of the full amount of the tenants regular rent amount, and more time will be granted – seven business days, as opposed to the previous five –  for tenants to pay overdue rent to landlords to avoid eviction. Evicted tenants will also be allowed to enter their former dwelling to procure “essential” belongings, such as medicine, for up to five days.
Whereas the previous laws could be seen as overly favoring renters and developers, some are saying these new laws have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction, while others are applauding the new bills.

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.

I recently sold a home in the Northwest part of Las Vegas for a former real estate investor. He purchased the home years ago with the intentions of living in the home but plans changed. He ended up meeting someone, they got married and they bought a house. So instead of selling his Las Vegas home, he decided to become a landlord. Unfortunately, he did not choose a reputable Las Vegas Property Management Company and decided he doesn’t want to be a landlord anymore after years of issues.

I won’t name the property management company but they managed the property for several years and after hearing about the issues he had with them and seeing the current condition of the property, it was obvious the property was mismanaged during the entire time he had it rented out with this particular property management company. Before I could even list the home on the market for sale, my client had to replace the entire carpet upstairs as it was saturated in pet urine which was beyond obvious by the stench in the house. He also had to remove drywall in the downstairs hall closet as it was stained with pet urine and had a tremendous stench of urine. This should have been handled by the property management company once the tenant vacated the property but they never documented the obvious pet urine stains and smell in the hall closet or the stench in the house which would have been a major indicator there was pet damage. Another indicator that the tenant had pets was the pet feces in the backyard and based on the amount of feces in the backyard, it had to have been there for months. Here’s the kicker, the tenant was not authorized to have a pet and the property management company returned majority of the tenant’s deposit back  to the tenant! My client was now paying for all the damage and clean-up out of his pocket and the property management company refused to compensate him for their mismanagement!

If the property manager would have conducted property inspections at any point during the lease term, it’s highly likely they would have detected the tenant had a pet and prevented the pet damage before it became a big issue. According to my client, the property management company did not conduct any property inspections and the move-out report indicated the tenant left the property in good condition. I was beside myself on how they believed the tenant left the property in good condition based on the overall current condition of the home???

I tried to convince my client that not all property management companies mismanage properties and he should give Shelter Realty an opportunity to manage his property. We have a full time staff of property managers whom work together on the overall management of each and every one of the properties we manage. We conduct property inspections every 6 months which is documented on an iPad app that allows our field agents to take photos and embed them within the report, detailed notes and the tenant can even sign with a stylus or their finger. This inspection report can then be emailed directly to the landlord right from the field without the need to go back to the office to email.

Even though my client was impressed with how Shelter Realty uses technology to manage over 600 properties in the Las Vegas valley, he made the decision he no longer wanted to be a landlord. This is why hiring the right property management company is important. If you own an investment property, it’s imperative you interview multiple property management companies, ask questions and request to speak with a few of their current clients in order to get feedback on how they are managing their investment properties.

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.