Category Archive : Property Management

LAS VEGAS, NV – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has stepped-up enforcement of a federal civil rights law known as the Fair Housing Act that prohibits housing discrimination based on race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.

In particular, the DOJ is focusing on an aspect of the Fair Housing Act that was added in 2016 by the Obama Admin’s U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that forbade landlords and property owners from utilizing background checks to screen prospective tenants to ensure they do not have criminal records before allowing them to rent their properties.

At the time that the ban on criminal background checks was instituted, the HUD General Counsel at the time, Helen R. Kanovsky, wrote that the new rule was needed – even if no discrimination whatsoever was intended on the part of a property owner – “because of widespread racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, criminal history-based restrictions on access to housing are likely disproportionately to burden African Americans and Hispanics.”

Recently, the feds have ramped-up their efforts to aggressively pursue landlords in the instances that this practice has been alleged to have occurred, filing lawsuits against them. One recent example involves legal action taken against Suburban Heights, an apartment complex in Kinloch, Missouri, with the DOJ claiming that management has been actively violating the Fair Housing Act since 2015 by actively and disproportionately discriminating against potential Black renters with criminal histories – including felony convictions – more than their White counterparts.

The DOJ further noted statistical Black-White racial disparities in conviction and incarceration rates in the United States, saying landlord background screenings unfairly hurt Black renters once they have served their time and are looking to re-enter society.

Incarceration data indicates that Black individuals are significantly more likely than White individuals to have the types of convictions covered by Suburban Heights’ Criminal History Ban,” the DOJ said in court documents. “This is true nationwide and, to an even greater extent, in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Black individuals are at least four times, and often more than five times, more likely than White individuals to be incarcerated in prisons, both at any given point in time and over the course of their lifetimes.”

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 – Short Term Rentals are very much in demand in areas that feature popular tourist destinations, and with one of the most visited cities on Earth – that being Las Vegas, of course – Nevada is no exception. Coupled with the age-old adage that demand sets price – Nevada is home to some very costly STR listings, with two properties in particular ranked among the most expensive in the United States.

BestBrokers has published the results of a study that examined seven-night Airbnb stays throughout the country during July 2024 – which is considered to be the peak rental month – in order to determine the priciest ones in the nation. Variables in the study included the type of property, cost per night, maximum guest capacity, the number of bedrooms and baths, and what amenities were on offer.

Nevada had an Airbnb that came in third most expensive on the list: Zephyr Cove’s Sierra Sunset Estate, which is located on 24 acres of lakefront property with a private dock and a 150 square-foot beach. The residence itself comes in at 16,703 square-feet and has eight bedrooms, eight-and-a-half bathrooms, and a maximum guest capacity of 16 people. It also boasts numerous high-end amenities, such as a private theater, exercise room, wine cellar, game room with a bar, and a gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry.

The cost for all this? An eye-popping $39,563 per night; if filled to the maximum number of guests who all agree to split the cost evenly, they each would be shelling out $17,309 for each night for their stay.

The second Nevada-based STR on BestBrokers’ list was ranked 16th costliest in the country, and that entry is a waterfront estate in Glenbrook on Lake Tahoe called Villa Harrah. The property is a 20,000 square-foot residence with seven bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms, and can accommodate up to 10 guests at a time.

Amenities are plentiful, including a full cinema, wet bar, and pool table to a deluxe spa with a sauna, hot tub, salt room, and even a nail and hair salon. A large terrace leads to a pool, a beach and private pier.

The cost per night for this property is an incredible $23,171; contrast that with the average national cost of a nightly rental – $216 – and you clearly see these two Nevada listings are indeed for those with fat wallets only.

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 – Today, many are turning to the short-term rental field in order to either make a living or simply get a few bucks via a side hustle, and often these individuals are managing properties via short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo that they own at locations outside of the state in which they reside.

Obviously, this can cause some logistical issues, especially when it comes to monitoring the properties they are renting out; this is especially true when hosts want to ensure that their guests are not holding unruly parties in their residences, potentially causing damage and drawing the ire of local neighbors and authorities.

That being said, many short-term rental owners are now turning to technology to remotely “party proof” their properties as a means of protecting their investments; this article will give a brief breakdown of some effective systems for your consideration.

Often short-term rentals are located in residential neighborhoods, and with that being the case it’s important to remain on good terms with the local community. Because of that, you may want to put safeguards in place to ensure that your guests are not disturbing surrounding houses with loud music or partying late into the night. One way of doing so without invading your guest’s privacy is by installing a Minut noise monitor, which alerts you only if the noise exceeds a specified level, allowing you to immediately contact guests and get ahead of any potential complaints from neighbors.

A Ring doorbell camera is also an effective way to remotely monitor your property to ensure that a steady stream of rambunctious party guests aren’t filing in and out of your property at all hours of the night. Such a system can also provide valuable evidence in the event you need to file a claim with Airbnb or Vrbo over damages caused by party guests.

In addition, some guests can incur excessive utility bills if left unchecked, especially when partying; a Nest smart thermostat can effectively prevent that, allowing you to remotely control the temperature in your property, setting it on a schedule that still allows guests to adjust it within a predetermined range. Likewise, you can also control pool and hot tub temperatures via the Pentair app, but unlike the Nest thermostats, guests have no manual control and must contact the host for adjustments.

And finally, hosts can ensure they are properly regulating their rental pricing structure using revenue management platforms such as Beyond, which utilizes up-to-date algorithms to optimize nightly rates on all their vacation rental platforms, ensuring they are charging appropriate rates around busy holiday times to maximize profit.

Short-term rentals can be a significant source of revenue, but they can also be a significant headache if you’re not properly prepared. But utilizing some of these apps and systems can go a long way to streamlining the process of remote property management, allowing you to enjoy the extra income your rental is providing to you.

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 – A new report released this week by Hotel News Resource (HNR) has placed Las Vegas, Nevada among the very top cities in the United States when it comes to the highest return on short-erm rental investments.

The U.S. has become one of the most sought-after vacation destinations in the world in recent years, and the growth of the short-term rental market can attest to that fact, having increased a whopping 53 percent between June 2022 and June 2024, HNR says.

HNR examined each of the 25 cities in their report based on numerous metrics, including both the possible income derived from rentals and how much it typically costs to purchase properties to, in turn, rent out. They selected only cities with a significant number of properties – in this case, 10,000 or above – potentially available for investment.

But while any investment comes with the risk of loss, HNR’s study narrowed down the top 25 cities where investors saw the highest Revenue Per Available Rental (RevPAR) levels, with Las Vegas coming in with an impressive showing at number 15 overall.

RevPAR is the revenue generated by a property, given its average degree of availability in a given period of time; for example, if you are renting a house out on a short-term basis and a tenant occupies it for half of a month for a price of $200, the RevPAR would be $100.

Ultimately, RevPAR is the most important metric when it comes to determining the return on investment (ROI) potential of any property or market, experts say, and Las Vegas has performed strongly in that regard for many years now; its RevPAR ranking in the HNR report – again, where it placed 15 out of 25 overall – was $149.81.

Seaside cities performed the strongest in HNR’s report, with Lahaina, Hawaii coming in first with a RevPAR of $419.15, whereas Sarasota, Florida ranked last at 25th with $129.69.

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 – For decades, the resort industry has dominated the Las Vegas economy, with glitzy and glamorous hotels providing convenient opportunities for visitors and tourists to enjoy the many casinos and entertainment options lining the famed Las Vegas Strip and its surrounding areas. However, the advent of short-term rentals – via services such as Airbnb and Vrbo – have had an impact on the Vegas resort industry, but has it been a positive or negative one?

According to University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Hospitality professor Amanda Belarmino, the relationship between the resort and short-term rental industries in Vegas is far from adversarial; in fact, she noted, the two actually compliment each other quite well, as they each attract very different customer bases.

“(Short-term rentals) serve underserved markets. Families are not well served by traditional hotels or by traditional hotel casinos in Las Vegas,” she said. “Many of [them] are people that are relocating here. That’s not a person that you necessarily want in a casino hotel because they’re trying to go to work and not going to be gambling, or eating every meal at your restaurant.”

In addition, Belarmino said that the Vegas economy strongly benefits from having short-term rentals operating within its borders, and while they typically are more expensive than a hotel stay, they normally more than make up for it in terms of privacy, accessibility, and the number of amenities on offer.

But if there is any one disadvantage that comes with short-term rentals, Belarmino said, it’s the high number of investors who are getting in on the action who are serving to drive up the prices of homes in the Southern Nevada region.

I think the bigger impact we see is the perceived impact on housing prices, because investors are purchasing the homes instead,” she said. “But we see that in every market that Airbnb goes into.”

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 cost of rent continues to be a hot button topic in Southern Nevada, with the dough tenants are handing over to their landlords each and every month increasing in some parts of the Las Vegas Valley while decreasing in others. But for renters looking to save a few bucks and find a slightly more affordable place to call home, a new study by digital marketplace Zumper sheds some light on where in Vegas they should be looking.

Out of the 100 cities in the nation that Zumper examined as a part of their report, Las Vegas came in at the 67th most expensive in terms of rent, solidifying its status as one of the more affordable places in the United States to live these days. In August, the median price of a one-bedroom apartment in Vegas was $1,210, a 0.8 percent month-over-month increase; in addition, the median price of a two-bedroom apartment in August was $1,500, remaining the same exact cost as the month before.

The Zumper report examined several areas in the Valley with very heavy rental activity – Henderson, Spring Valley, Winchester, Paradise, and the City of Las Vegas – with Paradise having the most expensive one-bedroom median rent at $1,640, followed by Henderson at $1,460, Winchester with 1,220 and the City of Las Vegas at $1,210.

In addition to having the highest median rent, Paradise also had the largest year-over-year rent increase at 9.3 percent, followed by Spring Valley with 7.5 percent. However, some other areas in the Valley examined in the report saw decreases in rent when compared to last year, with Winchester going down 10.9 percent and the City of Las Vegas dropping 3.2 percent.

In addition, the median rent in the City of Las Vegas is approximately $300 lower than the national average, according to the Zumper report.

In contrast, New York has the dubious distinction of having the highest rental prices in the entire United States, with the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan coming in at a whopping $4,500.

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 new study released by the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, Clark County, Nevada is among the municipalities with the highest rates of tenant eviction in the nation.

However, Princeton’s study should not be considered 100 percent definitive, said Eviction Lab research specialist Grace Hartley, as its parameters are narrower than more comprehensive efforts would be, with researchers having only tracked 34 major metro areas throughout the country.

But regardless, Clark County ranked among the highest in the areas tracked, although that ranking is not per capita, Hartley noted.

The population of (Clark County) has the seventh-highest rate in terms of pure filing counts,” she said. “And that’s more than a lot of the states we track.”

There have been 190,133 eviction filings in Clark County since March 2020, which represents a 21 percent jump from the amount seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2024 alone, there have been 51,782 filings so far – an increase of 42 percent from pre-pandemic levels – and 4,041 filings in August, a 25 percent increase.

Currently, according to the Eviction Lab, there are approximately 370,204 households being rented in Clark County, with the average monthly rent coming in at about $1,325.

Among the circumstances that attribute to those higher degree of eviction numbers, according to Princeton, is the fact that the process of filing for evictions in Clark County tend to be cheaper and faster than it is in any of the other cities tracked in their study; tenants are only required to be given seven days’ notice by their landlord, and the filing fee with the court is only $71.

In addition, in June 2023, a bill that would have stopped evictions for up to 60 days for renters with pending applications for rental insistence – Senate Bill 335 – was vetoed by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, which has also served to increase eviction levels in the state, Princeton says.

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 – Following the end of pandemic-era housing protections, the number of evictions soared nationally and many tenants who failed to pay their rent during COVID-19 – either because of financial issues brought about by the virus, or because they were simply taking advantage of the law for their own gain – found themselves out on the street.

In fact, in 2023, evictions in some U.S. cities increased to over 50 percent higher than they were prior to the pandemic, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan.

While this was a blessing for many cash-strapped landlords who suffered throughout the pandemic, it has led to a new series of issues that many are being forced to face: a growing number of states that are allowing tenants to seal their eviction records in some – and, at times, all – cases, making it difficult for the next individual they rent from to tell if they will be a reliable occupant or not.

The increasing number of states that are passing legislation in favor of allowing tenants to conceal their previous eviction status argue that – regardless of the reason – having an eviction on your record can have a negative impact on acquiring new housing and can contribute to homelessness.

However, many landlords – especially small mom-and-pop property owners with limited means – argue that it is unfair to conceal eviction records from them, given the fact that many were already forced to provide free shelter for an extended time during the pandemic, much to their financial detriment. Not knowing if a new tenant is reliable or not could potentially put them in additional jeopardy, they say.

That being said, can tenants have their eviction records sealed in the state of Nevada? To answer that question, we turn to Nevada Legal Services (NLS), which lays out the details.

Normally, evictions are considered public records, and in the case of Nevada, that is no different. However, there are instances where – due to the passage of Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 40.2545 in 2022 – courts are allowed to seal a summary eviction case in certain circumstances; sometimes automatically, sometimes when petitioned by a tenant or landlord.

According to NLS, an eviction in the state of Nevada is sealed automatically:

• If the eviction is dismissed.
• 10 judicial days after eviction denied – tenant prevails at court hearing.
• The landlord seeks to rescind the eviction.
• 31 days after Tenant files the Tenant’s Affidavit if Landlord does not file.

In other instances, a tenant must take action to have an eviction sealed; a Stipulation to Seal can be filed if a landlord agrees to seal the eviction, and both parties must sign the form. But if the landlord does not agree to seal the eviction, the tenant must file a motion on their own, which may or may not be granted, depending on the circumstances of the eviction; essentially, they must prove to the court “the interest of justice in sealing the eviction is not outweighed by the public’s interest in access to court records.”

So, in closing, Nevada currently does not have a blanket seal on eviction records; they can be automatically sealed in certain instances, but otherwise tenants are required to petition the court to do so, and they must provide proof to back that petition up or it will not be granted.

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 an extended period of time that has left many Las Vegas landlords grumbling and downright angry over the prospects of missed income, unincorporated Clark County has finally begun to issue short-term rental licenses…well, three of them anyway, amid a massive backlog of applicants hundreds deep who have been waiting for over a year-and-a-half to begin legally renting their properties.

The road to this point in time began in 2021, when Nevada passed legislation mandating that cities and counties within the state create regulations and a process for granting licenses for short-term rentals; Clark County would create their own ordinance in Summer 2022, but from there, further progress has been slow.

Cities such as Las Vegas and Henderson have already been issuing licenses and regulating short-term rentals within their confines for some time now, but Clark County only truly got the ball rolling in March of 2023, at which time they held a lottery where the names of over 1,300 prospective applicants were drawn to be reviewed and, if they met the criteria, eventually granted licenses.

However, the process of reviewing and issuing said licenses has turned out to be a long and drawn-out affair, with Clark County officials extending deadlines several times while reviewing qualified applications and allowing them to move forward in the process.

Currently, the applications of over 700 homeowners are still mired somewhere in the licensing process, county officials say.

In the meantime, homeowners have expressed extreme frustration with what they view as the county dragging their feet in granting their licenses, and lament the missed profits they could have amassed if they were able to take advantage of recent large-scale sporting events, such as the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix that took place late last year, which attracted a great many tourists to the city.

One of the homeowners whose license was granted this week was originally drawn as “number 10” in the 2023 lottery, leaving those who drew hundreds higher wondering how much longer they may be forced to wait before they can begin legally renting out their 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 – If the tenant of a rental property you own has a fire, it’s important to know what your responsibilities are as a landlord in the state of Nevada; what are you obligated to provide, and what falls upon the shoulders of your tenant? This article will break that down.

While the specific details may vary depending on the lease agreement that has been signed by both parties, according to Nevada state law if the tenant did not cause the fire and a significant amount of damage has occurred to the property – to the point of rendering it unlivable – either the landlord or tenant will have the option to terminate the lease if they so choose, either individually or jointly.

If the landlord decides to terminate the lease, they would only have to return the security deposit, along with any prepaid rent, the amount of which returned being based on the date that the property was vacated.

But if the tenant has decided to terminate the lease, they are required to immediately vacate the property and must inform the landlord of their intention to void their rental agreement within seven days.

If the property is damaged yet still habitable, the damaged portions of the unit must be vacated until repairs can be affected, and the rent paid by the tenant should be reduced in proportion to the fair rental value of the percentage of the remaining space available to live in until such time that the damaged areas are once again usable.

However, if the fire in question was, in fact, determined to have been caused by the tenant, a member of their household, or a guest – either by accident, negligence, or a deliberate act – none of the above factors are applicable.

In any case, Nevada landlords are not required by law to provide housing for tenants displaced by a fire, unless it is something that was previously agreed to in their lease.

For more information on this topic, NRS118A.400, Damage or destruction of dwelling unit by fire or casualty, please visit KTNV Channel 13: What happens after a rental fire? Legal expert breaks down what a landlord is obligated to provide which includes an interview with an attorney at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. Please note, this is not legal advice. For guidance, consult a licensed attorney.

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 effort on the part of a local homeowner to contest a “way too steep” $55,000 fine after being accused of operating an illegal short-term rental was shot down by the Las Vegas City Council last Wednesday, who noted that the defendant had been warned multiple times that he was breaking the municipality’s short-term rental law.

Short-term rentals are permitted in Las Vegas, but they must be licensed and are mandated to follow city regulations.

The council had levied fines in the amount of $500 per day – for a total of 110 days – that X Management LLC owner Jonathon Foulks had allegedly been operating the short-term rental in question, which was located in the proximity of Oakey Boulevard and Arville Street.

Foulks argued that the penalties he was being charged with were unfair and would ultimately result in the loss of the house that was purportedly being rented out.

$55,000 on top of my mortgage is putting the place into, basically foreclosure. It’s way too steep of a fine for what I did,” Foulks reportedly said to the council. “It’s over the top. It’s basically gonna make me bankrupt.”

It’s a sad situation, but it is what it is, and that motion to appeal has been denied,” said Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

The complaint against Foulks began back in April 2023 when neighbors complained about the rental house to authorities; after a code enforcement officer investigated the allegations, he notified the homeowner that he was in violation of city ordinance for renting the property without a license.

However, the city claims that warning went unheeded, and sent Foulks a written notice after they discovered the very same house advertised for rent on Airbnb in July 2023. After the house continued to be advertised for rent, Foulks is alleged to have told a code enforcement officer in August 2023 that “he doesn’t see how the city can tell him what to do with the property.”

It was at this point that he was informed that the city would begin enforcing the ordinance; in an effort to remedy the situation, Foulks temporarily stopped renting the property until he was able to form an LLC – or Limited Liability Company – which he mistakenly thought would legitimize the rental property.

Later, the city fined Foulks a total of $55,000, saying that he operated the rental from August 2023 to February 11 – and continued renting it afterwards. However, the council noted that if Foulks had simply complied with previous warnings, he likely would have walked away without any penalty whatsoever.

Despite briefly considering lowering the amount of the fine, the council ultimately decided to keep it in full to serve as a deterrent, they said.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Reports have come out regarding a recent class action lawsuit filed against Airbnb in Nevada by a Las Vegas landlord that claims that the online short and long-term homestay broker not only does nothing to prevent individuals from posting illegal listings on their website, but also profits from these listings to the detriment of their legitimate customers.

The plaintiff in Giller v. Airbnb, Inc. – a case filed in June 2024 but only recently coming to public light – is claiming that the online marketplace has violated the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Both local and state laws in Nevada mandate that Airbnb confirm that new hosts on their service are indeed the sole person authorized to rent the property in question.

However, the plaintiff in this case is alleging that she rented out a single-family home in Las Vegas to a long-term female tenant in June 2021 for a period of one year, with the provision that the tenant not be able to sub-lease it or utilize it as a short-term rental.

After renewing the lease to this person twice – both in June 2022 and May 2023 – the plaintiff discovered four unauthorized individuals “freely” entering and leaving the house using the security code on the front door while she was performing routine yard work on the property.

The plaintiff soon discovered that her home was listed as a short-term rental on Airbnb – with her tenant’s status on that site being a “Superhost,” indicating she had been doing this for some time and had received positive reviews from multiple guests – but when she reported this violation to the company, she claims that Airbnb “refused to take any action” and continued to allow her tenant to list the property on their platform.

The class action lawsuit – that is seeking to include any landlords in Nevada who currently or previously had properties that were illegally rented out by an Airbnb host from June 10, 2020 to the present day – complains that Airbnb is willing to continue profiting from listings that violated short-term rental laws in Nevada, is not performing mandated due diligence when vetting new hosts, and is still allowing hosts to illegally list properties on their platform without the owner’s consent.

The plaintiff is seeking a jury trial, and is asking for over $75,000 in damages.

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.