Category Archive : Rentals

LAS VEGAS, NV – Since Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak lifted the state eviction moratorium on October 15 – originally put into place in March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – nearly 4,000 eviction cases have been opened in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to reports.

Despite the state eviction moratorium ending October 15, the earliest landlords could start eviction proceedings against tenants for non-payment of rent due to pandemic-related financial reasons was October 29 due to official court timelines.

Since that date, October 29, 3,981 cases have been opened, although the overall number of evictions could actually be higher due to the fact that cases are often filed with the court after the initial serving of the eviction notice by the landlord, not before. Once an eviction notice has been served, a tenant has seven business days to make good on back rent owed or vacate the property; if they do not, then the landlord or property manager can open a case in court and start formal eviction proceedings.

Governor Sisolak originally put the eviction moratorium in place after the pandemic wreaked havoc with the economy, costing thousands their jobs and creating wide-scale financial hardship. However, after several extensions of the moratorium – and complaints from landlords who were suffering financially themselves – Sisolak finally lifted the moratorium approximately one month ago. Despite the moratorium, landlords were still able to evict tenants for some safety-related issues.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction order remains in place throughout the end of the year, although to be eligible tenants were required to opt-in to it; if a tenant has not done so, the federal order would not apply to them, and eviction proceedings would be allowed to begin if they did not make good on back rent or arrived at a repayment plan with their landlord.

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, short-term rental owners are considering legal action against the city of Henderson in response to potential new restrictions that they claim could hurt their business.

Until recently, Henderson was the only Southern Nevada city that allowed short-terms rentals to operate in a residential neighborhood without any major restrictions on how long renters could remain in a property. The city of Henderson currently imposes an annual licensing fee upon short-term rental owners of $820.

However, Henderson has been receiving pushback from many of the neighborhoods that these short-term rentals are located in, with residents issuing complaints that range from noise and disruptive parties to an overall abundance of rentals on a single block, giving the neighborhood – according to one complainant with four rentals within 200 feet of her home – the feel of “a motel strip.”

In addition to the rentals that operate legally, there are reports of additional unlicensed homes being rented out illegally as well. Henderson has been collecting fines from renters that violate their rules, but reports indicate that this is not helping the situation sufficiently.

Therefore, the Henderson City Council will be voting this week on proposed amendments to their ordinance that governs short-terms rentals due to the blowback from residents. The recommended changes include clarifying what constitutes a violation; revising the process for filing complaints; requiring 1,000 feet separation between rentals; limiting rental duration by a particular party to 21 days; revisions to fines and fees, and more.

However, renters are threatening legal action against Henderson if the new rules are not considered reasonable or if they infringe on their constitutional rights, but expressed willingness to be flexible and work with the city council to arrive at an agreement.

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 economy continuing to re-open across the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are looking to finally do a bit of traveling after being home-bound for many months on end.

But while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses the safest thing a person can do to stay safe is to simply stay at home, there are precautions one can take when traveling and staying in hotels that can minimize risk and serve to keep you and your loved ones safe while allowing you to get out there and work off a bit of cabin fever at the same time.

First of all, when looking for lodging options while on the road, it’s best to avoid risky establishments such as hostels, which typically utilize shared sleeping areas with total strangers.

When it comes to hotels or Airbnb residences, call ahead and ask if they have a policy that provides a time buffer in their rooms between guests; 72 hours is ideal, but any amount of time that allows hotel staff to engage in a thorough, top-to-bottom cleaning of the room will suffice. All surfaces should be subjected to intense cleaning, including scrubbing floors with spar and water, washing all towels and sheets with hot water, and an overall disinfection of all areas and items that are touched by guests often, such as door knobs, light switches, and so on.

Also inquire if the hotel that you’re interested in enforces strict social distancing protocols. Once there, avoiding common areas and make a point of taking stairs instead of elevators. In addition, bringing your own cleaning and protective supplies – such as disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and masks – is good idea as well, just in case.

According to infectious disease expert at the University of California, Dr. Natascha Tuznik, hotels have reported very few instances of COVID-19 infections since they have been allowed to re-open, which illustrates that they are taking their cleaning and disinfecting routines – as well as the health of their guests and staff – very seriously. So, if you feel the need to travel in the near future, hotels should provide a safe and secure place for you to stay while the pandemic is still sorting itself out, as long as you’re careful and do your research first.

Photo: Sign outside the entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard. Editorial credit: Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock.com, licensed.

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 North Las Vegas city council unanimously voted to impose restrictions upon short-terms rentals of rooms and homes, such as those rented via Airbnb, including a new rule that requires a $900 a year licensing fee for the privilege of doing so; a fee that is currently the highest in the valley, according to reports.

The vote came after a public comment period – held virtually, due to COVID-19 concerns – where the city council listened to residents who were both for and against the idea of short-terms rentals in their neighborhoods. While some expressed strong opposition to the new restrictions and fees, many North Las Vegas residents expressed dissatisfaction with the number of Airbnb rentals that end up being party houses.

In addition to the annual $900 fee, there will also be a 13 percent transient lodging tax imposed on rentals whose occupants stay less than 30 days; if the stay is over 30 days, the 13 percent tax is waived.

There are also numerous other rules that Airbnb renters must adhere to, such as the installation of noise monitoring equipment, at least $500,000 in general liability insurance, and making sure that all neighbors living within 200 feet of the property are notified that the property is a short-term rental.

Short-term rentals in Las Vegas have taken off in the last year, and especially during the ongoing pandemic, as it allows homebound families and friends to vacation in a fancy home in a tourist destination while maintaining lodging that adheres to social distancing regulations, more so than most hotels can manage.

However, some rentals have caused issues for the surrounding community, as many occupants typically use the residence as loud and disruptive party houses; hence the strict new rules adopted by the North Las Vegas city council.

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 – While the eviction moratorium put into place by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has since expired, the end of the Nevada moratorium is finally giving Las Vegas landlords the opportunity to gain access to properties that have been home to tenants that have not been paying rent for the past six months or so, and what some of these landlords are discovering is the end of one hassle but, unfortunately, the beginning of yet another.

While most tenants relied on the eviction moratorium to avoid homelessness while furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, others merely took advantage of a well-meaning program in order to get out of paying rent. Likewise, most tenants will go to great pains to leave a property in the same condition as when they moved in, but some landlords are discovering that isn’t the case with everyone.

A recent report indicates that some Las Vegas landlords who have finally been able to evict tenants for non-payment of rent are discovering – much to their dismay –  that some of them took vindictive action while exiting the premises in the form of thousands of dollars of vandalism that the landlord is now on the hook for.

Las Vegas real estate broker and property manager Geoffrey Lavell recently got the chance to inspect a property where the tenants, who had been evicted, inflicted approximately $18,000 in damage to the apartment. High-end appliances were destroyed, multiple hatchet marks were discovered on every wall, the carpet was cut out, and windows, mirrors, and furniture were broken.

“Not having rent for six months is already hard for the homeowner, but having to pay $18,000 or so in repairs is devastating,” he said. “It ruins them financially, and now I fear the only chance the owner has is to sell the property.”

Lavell said that a police report has been filed against the tenant.

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 a Bloomberg report, Las Vegas is the city in the United States that the highest increase in the number of residents who are not paying rent due to finical issues related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With Las Vegas’ dependence on tourism to supply the city’s ample economy, the pandemic has wreaked havoc with the city’s finances due to the fact that people simply aren’t traveling as much these days. This has lead to major spikes in unemployment, with many local residents laid off or furloughed from their jobs and unable to make ends meet as a result.

With Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s state-level eviction moratorium recently expired, one with no further extensions, all that’s standing between tenants and a life of homelessness is the federal eviction moratorium signed into effect by President Donald Trump, which is set to expire at the end of the year; however, unlike the state moratorium, tenants must opt-in to Trump’s decree in order to take advantage of it.

Meanwhile, regardless, Nevada landlords are holding their breath until the end of 2020, as according to reports, September saw 10.6 percent of Las Vegas renters as having missed a rent payment, with this number representing an increase of 4.1 percent over the same time period in 2019. This is the largest increase in missed payments amongst the top 50 metropolitan areas in the United States, according to reports.

However, this does not represent the highest number of tenants missing their rent payments in the nation; that dubious honor falls upon New Orleans – another city highly dependent upon tourism to support its local economy – where 12.9 Percent of tenants missed rental payments in September, a jump of 8.6 percent from 2019.

Other tourism-dependent cities in the United States that have high levels of tenants missing rent payments due to the ongoing pandemic are Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York, reports say.

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 – After offering a stay of execution that has lasted for months as it relates to those who have faced financial hardship due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak confirmed this week that the extended eviction moratorium he has authorized – which expired yesterday, Oct. 15 – will not be extended any further, giving numerous Las Vegas landlords and property managers free reign to begin eviction proceedings against thousands of tenants starting today.

The governor noted that, at this point in time, extending the eviction moratorium further “would just be duplicative.”

Sisolak had previously extended the eviction moratorium – which he originally enacted in March to assist the countless residents who were left  unemployed and furloughed due to the pandemic – the day before it was due to expire on Sept. 1. However, Sisolak has also finally recognized the hardship his decree has laid upon Nevada landlords, who were expected to allow their tenants to remain in their homes while often receiving no rent at all, while being expected to maintain their normal level of services out-of-pocket.

Tenants were not forgiven their missed rent as a result of the eviction moratorium, however, leaving many with a cumulative debt that they probably couldn’t hope to repay. State agencies encouraged tenants and landlords to negotiate settlement amounts, and ample government resources were made available to assist financially-strapped residents with making back rent payments, but this still didn’t address all of the issues being faced by Nevada residents throughout the pandemic.

President Donald Trump has also signed a federal eviction moratorium – enforced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that is in effect until Dec. 31. However, to take advantage of it, Nevada residents have to manually opt-in; it does not take effect automatically. Also, Landlords aren’t required to notify their tenant about the CDC order, but if renters believe they are eligible, they must sign a sworn affidavit and give it to their landlord or property manager to qualify.

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 – Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s residential COVID-19 eviction moratorium, originally set to expire on September 1 – but extended at the last minute for 45 days – is set to expire on October 15, Thursday of this week. Many expect the lift will result in a flood of eviction notices going out to tenants.

Sisolak initially instituted the moratorium due to the high degree of unemployment brought about by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – people were unable to be evicted for nonpayment of rent if it was due to issues related to the pandemic – but over time landlords were facing their own monetary hurdles in the form of tenants missing multiple rent payments; indeed a double-edged sword where both parties are hurting.

However, over time, the monies owed to landlords started to number in the thousands; indeed, when the moratorium expires this week – Sisolak has yet to comment on another extension, except to say that the moratorium “can’t go on forever” – countless eviction notices, already chambered for months, are due to be sent to tenants who may owe their landlords thousands of dollars in back rent, money that landlords may never see.

Still, it remains to be seen whether President Trump’s own recently-signed residential eviction moratorium, which authorized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent COVID-related residential evictions nationwide until December 31, will cause even more confusion.

Trump’s moratorium only applies if tenants actually opt into it. There are numerous requirements for the moratorium to take effect, including the applicant having exhausted all attempts to obtain any available government assistance, have an inability to pay rent due to financial distress which must be directly brought about by COVID-related circumstances, and other issues. Many of these situations require a tenant to sign a sworn affidavit in order for them to be protected.

Regardless of what happens this Thursday, there’s one thing for sure- people will be suffering on both sides of the equation. People out of work may very well end up on the street, and cash-strapped landlords will most likely end up having to give up thousands of dollars rightfully owed to them.

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, President Trump – fresh off a brief stay at Walter Reed Military Medical Center for successful treatment of his recent COVID-19 infection – announced via Twitter that he had instructed his aides to cease all negotiations with Democrats over a new Coronavirus relief bill until after the election, an act that surprised many who were expecting a new bill to hopefully be signed soon.

The move will delay additional stimulus measures such as federal unemployment insurance and stimulus checks, and could spell additional economic hardship for millions who have lost their jobs or were furloughed due to the ongoing pandemic. People who have already been fighting to stay in their homes – and landlords who haven’t been getting paid rent – and were relying on the passage of another wave of financial relief will now face a potentially grim reality until government-mandated eviction moratoriums eventually end.

In Las Vegas, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed an extension to the moratorium on residential non payment of rent evictions related to COVID-19 through October 15, however, an additional extension signed by Trump back in September increases eviction protections until the end of the year for non payment of rents. So, while tenants that are unable to make their rent obligations could potentially be safe until 2021, landlords – who face their own financial obligations – will likely be left out in the cold, as the cessation of any relief negotiations until after the election will only mean that rents will continue to not be paid.

Trump has blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the stalled negotiations, with the two parties far apart on the final numbers of the bill and the amount of support needed. The President stated via Twitter that “after I win the election, I will sign a massive Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business.”

However, some have seen this announcement – which is proving to be unpopular – as a potential blow not only to the president’s hopes for re-election, but those of GOP House and Senate members as well.

“Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package is a huge mistake,” said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who is up for re-election in November. “I have already been in touch with the Secretary of the Treasury, one of the chief negotiators, and with several of my Senate colleagues.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned this week that the country’s economic recovery is still in a fragile state and requires additional economic stimulus.

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 executive order recently signed into effect by U.S. President Donald Trump that prevents evictions until December 31 for Americans directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenged by a lawsuit filed in federal court. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a public interest pro bono law firm, has filed the suit on behalf of numerous landlords nationwide, including the members of the Nevada State Apartment Association, according to recent reports.

Filed this week, the lawsuit is challenging President Trump’s executive order, which currently enables the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the authority to prevent evictions based the increased risk of exposure and transmission of COVID-19 by individuals and families that may find themselves homeless due to financial issues encountered as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

Trump’s order puts the brakes on any evictions of U.S. citizens who are experiencing financial issues due to COVID, provided they meet certain criteria and sign a declaration form.

The lawsuit filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance states that Trump’s order has unfairly placed a financial burden on landlords and does not provide renters and landlords with any financial assistance. One of the plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit is the Nevada State Apartment Association, which is a member of the National Apartment Association.

Nevada State Apartment Association executive director Susy Vasquez stated that her members are reaching the very end of their collective financial rope by being forced to provide free lodging for tenants while still expected to carry out regular maintenance duties.

“We have been able to provide housing through this entire pandemic, but it is not sustainable,” she said. “There is a point where we can’t continue to provide free housing.  The Nevada State Apartment Association supports court mediation, financial aid, payment plans and other resources as solutions.”

Vasquez also noted that the Nevada’s own eviction moratorium, which was recently extended to October 15 by Governor Steve Sisolak, has created financial hardship for landlords across the state. The CDC is required to respond to the lawsuit by Friday, Oct. 2.

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 controversial extension of the Nevada eviction moratorium issued last month by Governor Steve Sisolak due to finally come to an end come October 15, state officials have announced that ample aid for both landlords and tenants beleaguered by difficult circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic will be made available as soon as possible.

A second batch of funding – a total of $60M – has been granted to Clark County, with both tenants and landlords eligible to get a cut, officials recently revealed. However, according to State Treasurer Zach Conine, that funding – while significant – nonetheless amounts to a mere band-aid as it relates to the ongoing financial distress many are in due to the pandemic.

“Sixty million dollars is a big number, but let’s be clear: we think the problem is a lot more significant than that,” he said. “Our goal for these new assistance programs as we roll them out is to make sure they have a lot of people involved for bandwidth, and try to make the program as quick and effective as possible.”

In order to keep aid coming, Conine noted that state officials are continually lobbying Congress for more assistance. In addition, the State Treasurer’s office will lend aid to the Nevada Supreme Court as it relates to new mediation programs, which will attempt to help landlords and tenants to come together and work out payment plan options for back rent and/or mortgage payments.

Governor Sisolak, in recent interviews, has expressed hope that the state will be able to make the additional rental assistance funding available to Nevada residents affected by COVID-19 in time for the current eviction moratorium deadline of October 15.

However, some Nevada landlords have expressed a lack of confidence in state government’s ability to roll out the promised assistance in time, citing numerous delays with previous rounds of rental assistance as well as state’s continuing backlog of unemployment claims. 

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 (AH4R) has announced that they are opening a community of 28 brand-new single-family homes in Las Vegas, dubbed Desert Wind Ranch; the development marks AH4R’s third such community in the Las Vegas marketplace, with the first two located in the neighboring Big Buffalo and Cactus Cliff communities.

The residences in Desert Wind Ranch range from three-to-four bedroom homes, varying in size from 1,600 square-feet to 2,200 square feet, with leasing starting at approximately $1,600 per month. Included in the rent payments are scheduled front and back yard maintenance, which AH4R states will allow residents to “enjoy their weekends” without having to worry about time-consuming yard work.

Design concepts for all Desert Wind Ranch homes across the board, AH4R notes, include granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, luxury vinyl plank flooring, elegant bathrooms, quality fixtures, central heating and air conditioning, and two-car garages. All homes in the community utilize upscale finishes and popular floor plans and incorporate pet-friendly yards and desert landscaping.

Desert Wind Ranch is also located conveniently nearby local job centers, dining, shopping and entertainment, making it an ideal place for new families to live, AH4R said.

AH4R is also touting the company’s virtual tour technology – called “Let Yourself In” – for prospective tenants to remotely view the interior and exterior of homes they are interested in, providing a safe environment for homebuyers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Multiple homes are currently available for lease, AH4R said, with more on the way soon, eventually resulting in a full community of 28 homes upon completion of construction.

As of June 30, 2020, AH4R owns 53,000 single-family properties in 22 states. In addition to Desert Wind Ranch, American Homes 4 Rent owns more than 1,000 homes in the Las Vegas area, including those communities of Big Buffalo and Cactus Cliff.

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.