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Month: July 2020

Home / Month: July 2020

Vacation Rental
Market Updates , Rentals

As the Country Reopens from COVID-19, Experts Weigh-In on the Safety of Staying in Hotels, Rental Homes

By Christopher Boyle July 6, 2020

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the country slowly reopening its economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – with varying degrees of success – one question on many minds is travel. After sitting in quarantine for the past several months, people are understandable suffering from acute bouts of cabin fever. But at the same time, they’re wondering- is it safe to travel? Am I putting my health at risk if I stay in a hotel, cabin, or rental home?

According to recent reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does say that travel can lead to an increased risk of exposure to contracting COVID-19; the travel industry is taking notice and making every attempt to minimize the risk to the customers who are starting to patronize their establishments once again.

Two organizations – the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Vacation Rental Management Association – have released extensive guidelines based on CDC recommendations to help curb the spread of COVID-19, and when it comes to travel, the best practice these days is coming as close to a “no contact” stay as humanly possible. Paying online as opposed to in-person is recommended, as is staying in places that utilize digital keys.

Social distancing is vitally important. You should maintain a minimum distance of six feet from all other guests and staff in any lodging, in addition to wearing masks. Touching potentially contaminated surfaces is less problematic, due to the nature of how the virus spreads, but should be taken into consideration as well. Make sure you clean and disinfect tables, chairs, sinks, and so on before touching them.

Also, guidelines vary from region to region in the United States, so it’s for the best to educate yourself on them for where you’re going, BEFORE you go. Call ahead to any place that you might be staying and ask how often cleaning is carried out, if hand sanitizing/washing stations are available on common areas, and how effective their air ventilation systems are. It’s advisable to bring your own sheets and pillow cases as well as your own cleaning/disinfecting products just in case, and tell management that you do not want housekeeping to turn down your room. You’ll handle that yourself each day.

Avoid enclosed spaces such as elevators in favor of stairwells, and if possible keep windows open to help circulate air. Be careful if you use gyms and pools. Inquire about the lodging’s policies on social distancing and mask use, as well as temperature/virus testing procedures for staff. Is the hotel operating at a reduced capacity to keep crowding down? To that end, are they limiting single-night stays?

Nothing is foolproof when it comes to COVID-19, but following these guidelines can help minimize your risk of contracting it when traveling.

Shelter Realty Property Management specializes 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.

Rental Agreement
Property Management , Rentals

How Small Landlords Are Hurt by Eviction Moratoriums

By Christopher Boyle July 3, 2020

LAS VEGAS, NV – Time Magazine recently did an article on how Eviction Moratoriums – much like the one issued by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – can be especially harmful to small, “mom and pop” landlords who may own only one or two small rental properties.

With a shutdown mandated by Governor Sisolak on all businesses deemed to be “non-essential” putting many people temporarily out of work, the majority of Nevada residents were facing evictions or foreclosures amid extreme financial hardship. However, the Governor’s moratorium disallowed lockouts, notices to quit or pay, or eviction filings while the state of emergency was in effect. The moratorium also waived all late fees throughout the emergency period.

The moratorium was originally due to end June 30, and landlords were lining up to begin eviction proceedings for a slew of delinquent tenants. However, late last week Sisolak extended that moratorium for specific circumstances. But in the meantime, the landlords of those properties – many of whom have not been receiving income since March – are struggling themselves, and the smaller the landlord, the more difficult the struggle.

A good example of how especially difficult moratoriums can be for small landlords can be summed up in the story of Greta Arceneaux, as chronicled in the above-linked Time article. Arceneaux was a divorcee with two children facing grim financial prospects in 1960’s Los Angeles when she got a loan, demolished her own home, and built a five-unit rental complex upon the land. The gambit worked – she had developed a steady income that lifted her and her family out of poverty and into the middle-class for many years… until COVID-19 hit, that is.

While the Nevada moratorium has proved to be a hardship for many landlords state-wide – especially in light of its recent extension – Los Angeles’ has been even more restrictive to property owners, with tenants being allowed up to 12 months to repay their back rent – without any late fees attached – from the end of the city’s emergency declaration. For some, like Arceneaux, this is an insurmountable obstacle thrown in her path during an already difficult period. She has reportedly been saddled with $15,000 in unpaid rent, in addition to having to maintain the apartment complex with money right out of her own pocket. In addition, she is also bound by new state building codes that require earthquake prevention reinforcement in her building, a decree that stands to set her back $60,000 or more. At this point, her retirement is being threatened.

While she feels for her tenants who have lost jobs and are facing economic crises themselves, Arceneaux is also struck by the unfairness of her situation. While it is unfortunate that her tenants may be facing hardships, why is she being forced to shoulder their misfortunes in addition to her own? And on top of that, the number of people looking to move into an apartment during a pandemic is low; while a large complex can get by with a few vacancies here and there, it’s a far more difficult prospect for a small-time landlord with only four or five units.

This is an issue that is currently plaguing a great many Americans in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many cities and states have passed similar moratoriums. According to the 2015 American Housing Survey, roughly half of the rental market in the U.S. is run by large companies; the remainder are run by individuals and normally consist of homes and small complexes, like the type owned by Arceneaux. But while large companies often can benefit from funding provided by the CARES Act, smaller landlords typically cannot.

Many city and state governments are encouraging landlords to work out payment plans with their delinquent tenants, but for many who have invested their life savings into their properties and are losing money each and every month they are denied rent, such an arrangement can certainly seem unfair. If governments force this burden upon property owners, they should be prepared to assist them financially.

Shelter Realty Property Management specializes 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.

Construction
Development , Market Updates , Real Estate

Despite Ongoing Pandemic, Las Vegas Construction Companies Report Increase in Sales

By Christopher Boyle July 1, 2020

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to recent reports, Las Vegas homebuilders are reporting an increase in the number of homes sold, despite having to deal with the ramifications of the ongoing pandemic; this represents a rebound of sorts for an industry that saw quick and widespread shrinkage when COVID-19 first reared its ugly head back in March 2020.

Vegas-based developers reported 289 brand-new home construction contracts for the week ending June 21 – minus cancellations, which would have made that number higher otherwise – a significant jump from the number reported for the week ending April 5, when a mere 38 contracts were signed. The amount of interested parties visiting new subdivisions has been on the rise as well for the past two months.

However, despite the increase in signed contracts, homebuilders are noting that the process of actually constructing those homes will still encounter numerous hurdles and speed bumps in the form of the conronavirus pandemic. Layoffs and furloughs of a percentage of the workforce, along with strict guidelines imposed upon worksites by state and local governments regarding social distancing in order to curb the spread of the disease will certainly slow the average pace of building homes.

Previously, builders were speeding along at over 1,000 construction permits per month acquired for various projects; only 417 were pulled in May, representing a decrease of 50 percent from May 2019.

During the height of the pandemic, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued mandates to keep non-essential businesses closed; as a result, countless thousands were either laid off or furloughed, and as a result of their new-found financial uncertainty, many people cancelled purchase agreements that they had only just signed.

However, with Nevada in the process of slowly reopening their economy, it appears that financial stability is starting to return as well, as evidenced by the increase in new home contracts being signed. Only time will tell if this upward trend continues.

Shelter Realty Property Management specializes 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.