Category Archive : Property Management

LAS VEGAS, NV – Around the world, few cities have the reputation that Las Vegas does when it comes to serving as a destination for extravagant New Year’s Eve festivities, and apparently AirBnb realizes this, as the well-known online short-term rental business has decided to impose a very strict series of rules for those looking to party in Sin City to ring in 2023. 

In an attempt to curb noise complaints and other issues expressed by homeowners in neighborhoods where AirBnb rentals are located – which are popular venues for tourists to host New Year’s Eve parties – the company announced that they will be going all-out this year to ensure that guests are adhering to all rules and local ordinances, particularly as they pertain to the use of the properties by unauthorized individuals. 

AirBnb, as they have in recent years, will continue to enforce their policy of not allowing one-night rentals in Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve; this pertains to not just apartments, but especially homes as well, as private residences have been responsible for numerous complaints over the years from neighboring homes. 

In addition, AirBnb will also only allow renters this New Year’s who have engaged their services previously, and who have a history of positive reviews; those who have received negative reviews from hosts – or who have no history at all, good or bad – will be barred from renting an AirBnb in the vicinity of New Year’s Eve. 

This policy is not exclusive to Las Vegas; AirBnb will be enforcing it with all of their rental partners throughout the country as a means of ensuring the safety and well-being of both tenants and homeowners. 

“We continue to draw a hard line on disruptive parties and emphasize safe and responsible travel during a weekend where we know some may be more inclined to try to throw an unauthorized party,” the company said in a statement. 

Since introducing the policy, AirBnb has noted that the number of out-of-control shindigs at their rental properties have dropped by 56 percent, which should hopefully go a long way to appeasing neighboring homes in areas with AirBnb units as they celebrate the arrival of the new year. 

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 – An injunction hearing scheduled for this past Thursday regarding a lawsuit filed by a group of short-term rental owners that alleges that Clark County is violating their property rights has been delayed for December 19, further drawing out the legal process that had originally begun when the case was filed this past August.

The lawsuit, brought by the Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association (GLVSTRA), is seeking to temporarily block a law set into place in the form of a Nevada legislature bill known as AB 363, which added new ordinances in June regulating short term rentals in the state. In turn, unincorporated Clark County was subsequently tasked with handling oversight of the industry within its borders, and were mandated to create their own set of regulations.

GLVSTRA founder Jackie Flores said that the new ordinances – both on a local and state level – clearly infringe upon the rights of property owners who wish to rent out their residences via services such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

“Our position is that both the state law and the Clark County ordinance just goes too far where it’s actually violating people’s constitutional rights and freedoms,” Flores said. “AB 363 makes it hard for people to get a license and once you get a license, it makes it easy for people to get in trouble for minimal things.”

Some of the contested regulations created by Clark County officials include no more than 10 people in a property, minimum two-night stay reservations, rentals being no closer than 1,000 feet one another, and no-warning, on-the-spot county inspections, among others, Flores said.

“They have a provision in the ordinance that says any Count Official can come to your private home at any time whenever they feel like it and for whatever they want and you have to let them in your property,” she said. “You have to let them in your house and we felt like that was like you’re going way too far.”

Flores added that the cities of Henderson, Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas offered compliance periods right after their respective ordinances were passed, but that Clark County did not follow suit.

In addition, the application process being offered to get licensed – including an upcoming permit lottery –  is overly convoluted and cumbersome, Flores claimed, and will likely result in as many as 80 percent of the over 12,000 illegal short-term rentals in Clark County not being able to legitimize themselves.

“Right now they have a pre-application period of six months,” she said. “That period is just really you pre-applying but nothing really happening, and then after those six months then they’ll have at some point in time they still don’t know when a lottery then you move onto the next step which is application to the license.”

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 – As Las Vegas’ real estate market begins to cool down overall amid rising mortgage rates and record inflation nationwide, the massive rent increases tenants have been seeing have started being walked back recently.

While the average rent in Las Vegas in August was approximately $1,890 – representing an 8 percent jump from the same period of time in 2021 – it’s a far cry from the whopping 25 percent increase rents experienced from August 2020 to August 2021, reports say.

So, while rents are still going up in some instances, the degree of which – with the amounts being called “unsustainable” in the long run by experts – appear to be slowing down significantly, and in some cases going down slightly.

According to Susy Vasquez, interim executive director of the Nevada State Apartment Association (NVSAA), part of that reason is the overall change of the rental market in Las Vegas when compared to last year.

While still a popular destination for many transplants from elsewhere in the country, Vasquez notes that the overall the number of people moving to Southern Nevada is lowering and, due to high prices, more rental units are sitting on the market for longer periods of time. As a result, some landlords are offering various concessions to prospective tenants, such as lowered rent.

But despite these changes in the market, experts say that demand is still “very high” when compared to most other places in the country – due to the still-relatively low cost of living and booming job market – and the current high cost of homes is driving many to rentals until prices come down.

Renting in Southern Nevada is expected to further stabilize in light of a $500 million affordable housing plan launched by Governor Steve Sisolak in early 2022, which would provide funding for initiatives such as new multifamily development, rehabilitation and preservation of existing properties, land acquisition for new construction, and homeowner financial assistance.

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 – Clark County has courted controversy after releasing the pre-application process for procuring licenses for short-term rentals starting in spring of 2023, which include restrictions that have many applicants crying foul over their purportedly restrictive nature.

Once the license pre-application period was officially opened to the public – both via the Clark County website as well as in-person at the Business License Office – over 40 individuals and counting so far have engaged in the process, and almost immediately many complaints began rolling in.

One of the applicants, Winnie Yang, was attempting to obtain a license to rent out her Spring Valley home as an Airbnb unit in order to make extra money on the side; however, she claimed that the license she is hoping to acquire has far too many restrictions that will make it difficult for her to operate the property as she wants to.

Among the factors that she said were an issue include the total number of rentals cannot be greater than one percent of the housing inventory; once the 6-month pre-application process is completed, a random lottery will be utilized to determine who will receive a short-term rental license; and despite Clark County’s plan to issue approximately 2,800 licenses, individuals will be granted one and one only, and they will only be allowed to operate a single property with that license.

Jackie Flores of Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association has claimed that the short-term rental restrictions are infringing on the constitutional rights of homeowners, and filed a lawsuit in August against Clark County regarding the matter.

“It’s considered the most restrictive ordinance for short-term rentals in the U.S.,” she said. “A lot of those provisions and restrictions, we feel, violate the state constitution and US Constitution.

Previously, short-term rentals were not legal in Clark County; however, in 2021, Assembly Bill 363 was voted into law, and decreed that as of July 1, 2022, it would be legal for companies such as Airbnb and VRBO to operate within the county. Furthermore, the county was also tasked with regulating the new industry, and lawmakers have since crafted an ordinance for that purpose, according to Clark County spokesperson, Erik Pappa.

“We want to allow everyone to compete equally for this process regardless of how many properties you have. We’re balancing a lot of competing interests,” he said. “We want to make sure that there’s adequate public safety. We’re going to inspect the buildings. We’re going to make sure that they have business licenses. Make sure that there is fire protection. All the things you want if you were staying in a hotel.”

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 Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association (GLVSTRA) filed a lawsuit earlier this month against both Clark County and the state of Nevada on behalf of property owners looking to offer their homes for rent via services such as Airbnb and Vrbo, alleging that laws and ordinances passed to regulate the industry are “unconstitutional.”

While legal experts are expecting the GLVSTRA lawsuit to most likely be unsuccessful, the organization is nonetheless proceeding with their case, originally filed on August 2.

The main point of the lawsuit is that the 2021 passage of Assembly Bill 363 by the legislature allowing short-term rentals in the state – and subsequent required local ordinances governing the industry passed by Clark County when the bill went into effect in July – are violating the rights of property owners, according to GLVSTRA co-founder Jacqueline Flores.

“Clark County has the most restrictive STR ordinance in the nation,” she said. “The lawsuit we filed was our last alternative because state and local officials just went too far to the point where their regulations require these homeowners to give up some of their Nevada and U.S. Constitutional protections in order to be allowed to operate.”

“And the regulations include some of the highest fines and punishments, of up to $10,000 and jail time, for simply renting for less than 31 (consecutive) days,” Flores added, who claimed that approximately 80 percent of homeowners within Clark County would be unable to operate rentals under the current restrictive rules.

Currently, Clark County is setting up a lottery process to grant licenses to a limited number of prospective short-term renters within its jurisdiction; however, Flores insists that property owners should be allowed to rent their homes out whenever and however they want – especially in light of the current economic woes plaguing the country – unfettered by local regulations or limitations.

Flores also argues that a healthy rental market improves the local economy, as renters will need to hire maids, cleaning services, handymen, landscapers, plumbers, contractors, and other individuals and companies that assist in maintaining rental 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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Due to a law that just recently came into effect making short-term rentals legal throughout state of Nevada, the Las Vegas City Council voted last Wednesday to adopt changes to their own already-existing rules governing the industry in their jurisdiction in order to properly conform to the new statewide guidelines.

Renting homes via services such as Airbnb and Vrbo have been legal and regulated in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson for the past ten years. However, they have only recently been legalized throughout Nevada as a whole due to Assembly Bill 363 – originally passed by the state legislature in 2021 – that was signed into law by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak in June.

With the law legalizing short-term rentals statewide now officially in-force as of July 1, it was necessary for the Las Vegas City Council to essentially “clean-up” their current rule set to match the state’s additional new rules.

These changes include a mandate that current short-term rentals have a 2,500-foot buffer from businesses with non-restricted gaming licenses; a ban on rentals located within apartment buildings; a minimum duration for overnight stays being established for rentals; and a maximum cap on the number of occupants at any given rental.

This goes along with Las Vegas’ current rules, such as 660-foot distance from other rental homes, a maximum of three bedrooms, and a limit on the number of overall license applicants.

Currently, Las Vegas has almost 200 short-term rental properties; renters who were in business prior to the new state guidelines regarding distance from businesses will be grandfathered in and not be required to move.

Violation of the rules adopted last Wednesday by the Las Vegas City Council from the newly-established state guidelines carry fines anywhere from $500 and $1,000 to as high as $10,000, depending on the type and severity of the transgression. The new rules are officially in-force as of this week.

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 – Upholding the decision previously made by City Clerk Jackie Rodgers, the North Las Vegas City Council at their August 3 public meeting voted 4-1 to remove a historic measure from the upcoming November ballot that would have established the first rent control measure in Nevada amid steadily-raising cost-of-living concerns for residents.

Rodgers previously determined that out of 3,396 signatures on a petition to include the measure on the November ballot, only 2,679 were valid, dropping the amount below the required 3,968 signature threshold. In addition, Rodgers claimed that there were differences in language from the original petition and the proposed rent control measure, which also rendered it invalid.

At the August 3 meeting, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee led the motion to approve the city clerk’s determination that the rent control measure was “insufficient” to be included on the ballot. Only Councilman Richard Cherchio opposed the vote.

Prior to the decision, city attorneys, real estate agents and officials from the Culinary Union – the organization officially backing the rent control measure’s inclusion on the ballot – had presented hours of testimony to the Council, but ultimately, Lee stated that he felt that the decision should be decided in the legal system instead.

“Everything that was spoken today looks like it’s going to be interpreted in court,” Lee said. “I can’t interpret state law and I do believe that this needs to be somewhat adjudicated.”

Currently, there are no rent control or rent stabilization laws in Nevada. The proposed measure would have established a law that would have prevented rent increases of over 5 percent per year.

Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge pledged to appeal the City Council’s decision – if necessary, in the Nevada Supreme Court – in a statement released shortly after the vote.

“The actions of the North Las Vegas City Council today is a clear example of how the current leadership has failed to respond to the urgent crisis North Las Vegas residents are facing,” he said. “Voters, not politicians, should decide on Neighborhood Stability and the only way that can happen is if the measure is on the ballot on November 8, 2022.”

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 efforts of North Las Vegas residents to get a proposed rent control measure voted upon in the upcoming November elections has been rejected after the City Clerk determined the number of signatures on the petition was “insufficient” and, therefore, the measure was unable to be included on the ballot, reports say.

The rent control measure, which is sponsored by the city’s Culinary Union, sent a challenge to the determination on Friday that maintains the method that North Las Vegas City Clerk Jackie Rodgers used to determined the number of signatures required for the measure had violated the Nevada Constitution.

Currently, there are no rent control or rent stabilization laws in Nevada.

The attorney alleged that the Clerk had used turnout figures from the June 14, 2022 primary election, as opposed to the June 11, 2019 general election to determine the needed signatures; according to the state Constitution, the number of signatures from registered voters for an initiative petition is “equal to 15 percent or more of the voters who voted at the last preceding general county or municipal election.”

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, insisted that – according to the Nevada Constitution – the rent control measure was completely valid and deserved to be included on the upcoming ballot.

“We will not be deterred,” he said. “The Culinary Union submitted 3,396 signatures, and we are confident in their validity. The City of North Las Vegas is misreading the law as to how many signatures are required.”

However, City Clerk Rodgers determined that out of the 3,396 signatures on the petition, only 2,679 were valid; 3,968 signatures are required for a measure to be included on November’s ballot. In addition, Rodgers claimed that there were differences in language from the original petition and the proposed rent control measure, which renders it invalid.

The Culinary Union’s attorney has requested that the North Las Vegas City Council review the Clerk’s decision not to include the rent control measure on November’s ballot at their next public meeting on August 3.

“The Committee respectfully requests the City Council to review and disapprove the Certificate and instruct the City Clerk immediately to complete her review by using 476 as the required number of valid signatures for sufficiency,” the attorney 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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Residents of North Las Vegas have been pushing hard to get the signatures needed to get a measure that would introduce rent control legislation on the ballot in November’s upcoming elections, and their efforts to prevent rent increases in light of prevailing cost of living concerns appear to have paid off.

476 signatures were required for the measure to appear on November’s ballot; North Las Vegas residents managed to gather approximately 3,400 of them before the July 1 deadline by beating the streets and knocking on doors.

If the measure ends up getting the support it requires at the ballot box this fall, it will place a cap on the amount that landlords can increase a tenant’s rent amid a climate in Southern Nevada where living costs have continually increased – rents in North Las Vegas have jumped nearly 30 percent since 2020 – pricing some out of the market, according to Culinary Union secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge.

“T​​he day has finally come and we’re here to submit the petition for neighborhood stability,” he said.

This effort represents the first time an attempt was made to get a rent control measure on the books in North Las Vegas since the 1970s, and – if successful – would tie maximum rent increases to North Las Vegas’ Consumer Price Index (CPI), mandating that rent hikes could not exceed 5 percent year-over-year.

The next step of the process was a recent meeting between members of the city council and redevelopment agency to discuss the potential economic impact of the measure upon the region if it passes in November.

Currently, there are no rent control measures on the books in Nevada, and if one is successfully implemented in North Vegas, it remains to be seen if it will survive the anticipated legal challenges that will be brought against it.

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 – Commissioners in unincorporated Clark County approved an ordinance on Tuesday to regulate short-term rentals, officially legalizing an industry in the region that includes services such as Airbnb and Vrbo that operate online marketplaces for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals and tourism activities.

The ordinance comes as a great many neighborhoods across the country have issued previous complaints regarding short-term rental customers disturbing their neighbors with noise and wild partying, which has been a long-standing complaint in regards to the service.

Previously, short-term rentals were not legal in Clark County; however, in 2021, Assembly Bill 363 was voted into law, and decreed that as of July 1, 2022, it would be legal for companies such as Airbnb and VRBO to operate within the county. Furthermore, the county was also tasked with regulating the new industry, and lawmakers had been working ever since – based on public feedback –  to craft an ordinance for that purpose.

Clark County commissioners on Tuesday discussed numerous new regulations that would govern the industry within its borders, including occupancy limits, minimum stays, distance separation, and the responsibilities rental operators.

The short-term rental ordinance (full report can be read here) passed Tuesday includes the following provisions:

• Not more than 1% of housing in the county can operate as short-term rentals
• No more than one license per person
• Maximum occupancy of two people per bedroom or 10 people per unit
• Bookings must be a minimum of two nights
• Minimum two-night stay for every reservation
• Not within 1,000 feet of an existing short-term rental
• Not within 2,500 feet of a resort hotel (state-mandated)
• Hosts must allow the County to inspect the residential units without advance notice
• Allow misdemeanor citations for violations of this ordinance, thus opening the possibility of criminal liability for issues as minor as the placement of trash

A 24-hour telephone hotline will be made available to local residents to report any issues relating to short-term rentals in their neighborhood; those operating the rentals will be required to have personnel in their employ that will be able to respond to and address reported issues within a 30-minute time span.

John Choi, Airbnb’s Head of US West Public Policy, issued a statement on the news of the new ordinance, criticizing Clark County for what he called passing rules that are “stricter than what is required by state law.”

“From the start, Hosts on Airbnb have offered to work with Clark County Commissioners on rules that allow regular people to share their homes to earn extra income and to support the region’s tourism economy, both of these are needed now more than ever as residents continue to navigate economic headwinds,” he said. “Today Clark County commissioners passed new rules that are stricter than what is required by state law and will take money out of the pockets of Nevada residents and the local tourism economy.”

“Short-term rentals have been a lifeline for residents who rely on the income to make ends meet and for travelers looking for safe, comfortable accommodations that offer more space and control over their environment,” Choi continued. “Now is the time for the tourism sector to work together to bolster Clark County’s economy and hospitality industry.”

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 – Laguna Point Properties, a multifamily investment company based out of Mission Viejo, California, has announced the purchase of two large apartment complexes in Las Vegas in an off-market transaction worth a total of $129.7 million, giving the company a large foothold in the Southern Nevada rental marketplace.

Topaz and Viridian, two apartment communities that are located adjacent to one another on West Viking Road, were part of the Laguna Point Properties deal. Topaz, constructed in 1985, offers 252 units featuring both one and two bedroom floorplans; Viridian, built in 1981, offers 456 units in the form of studios, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.

The two Las Vegas acquisitions are part of a larger, multi-state deal on Laguna Point Properties’ part; the firm has recently spent the sum of $566 million acquiring not only the two aforementioned complexes in Nevada, but an additional five properties in Los Angeles, California and one in Jacksonville, Florida, for a grand total of 1,945 apartment units overall.

Las Vegas-based property management company Cushman & Wakefield have been tapped by Laguna Point Properties to oversee the Topaz and Viridian, whereas Greystar and ZRS Management will manage the Los Angeles and Jacksonville complexes, respectively.

According to Laguna Point Properties’ website, the company’s mission “is to opportunistically acquire and renovate class “B” and “C” multifamily assets in the Western and Southeastern United States. The typical acquisition will range from 100 to 500 units and have a price between $15 million and $70 million. The Company and its affiliates have acquired over 6,500 multifamily units, with a current portfolio of 5,200 apartment homes and a total capitalization of $758 million.”

It is currently unknown if Laguna Point Properties has any plans to renovate or make any changes to Topaz and Viridian upon taking them over.

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 – Clark County has released a series of proposed rules that short term rental companies such as Airbnb and VRBO – as well as independent renters – will need to abide by and are looking for feedback from the public in order to fine-tune these rules to make sure they address the concerns of county residents before they go into effect.

In 2021, Assembly Bill 363 – sponsored by Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen – was voted into law, and decreed that as of July 1, 2022, short-term rentals would begin to be legal in Clark County; furthermore, the county would also be tasked with regulating the new industry within its borders, and lawmakers have been working ever since to craft ordinances for that purpose.

The Clark County Commission is not only looking to find an method to address the huge number of house-sharing rental applications they will receive, but also how to crack down on the even larger number of illegal short-term rentals that are clandestinely operating within the county’s jurisdiction; current estimates put the number at approximately 10,000 properties.

Currently, the list of rules to govern the legal short-term rental industry in Clark County has been distilled into the following:

• Short-term rentals will not be allowed in Mt. Charleston and at apartment buildings.
• 2 people per bedroom or 10 people maximum per unit
• Licensee may not accept bookings of fewer than 2 nights
• Multiple bookings prohibited
• The unit may only be available to people within the same family or group during the same booking period
• 24-hour complaint hotline must be provided
• Noise monitoring devices must be installed for rentals that are not within multifamily homes

The rules must be finalized by July 1; anyone that wishes to give feedback on the proposed rules – be they renters or community members that stand to be affected by the legalization of short-term rentals – are asked to provide their comments to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 18.

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.