Category Archive : Rentals

LAS VEGAS, NV – President-Elect Joe Biden unveiled his proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus plan last week, and in addition to economic initiatives such as extending and enhancing unemployment coverage and providing funds for state and local governments, he’s also pushing for billions in rental assistance and an eight-month extension of the current residential eviction moratorium, according to reports.

Biden will be asking lawmakers to approve $30 billion in renal assistance for those who are facing eviction due to non-payment of rent due to COVID-related financial issues. These funds, if approved, would go hand-in-hand with the $25 billion in rental assistance that was part of the December 2020 stimulus bill. In addition, another $5 billion would be made available to those who are homeless – or are on the verge of being so – or acquire housing, and separate money would be offered to those who need legal representation to help fight a pending eviction.

Another huge provision of Biden’s proposed stimulus plan is an extension of the federal eviction moratorium enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September 2020 that is due to last until January 31, 2021. Biden’s plan, if approved by lawmakers, would extend that eviction ban until September 30, 2021, and would cover the majority of renters throughout the United States.

Currently, it is unknown if Biden’s stimulus package, which he has stated is a major priority for his administration, will pass in its current form. However, given the slim majority that Democrats currently have in the House and Senate, it is indeed possible; in addition, experts note that some aspects of the plan could be passed via executive order if the plan does not make it past lawmakers.

Currently, approximately 14 million Americans are behind on their rent due to the ongoing pandemic.

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 statewide eviction moratorium is currently in effect until March 31, which prevents tenants and homeowners from being evicted from their homes due to financial reasons stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

While this offers a layer of protection for individuals affected by the economic damage inflicted upon Nevada, it nonetheless demands that landlords continue to suffer massive losses in the form of unpaid rent. While this has caused a great deal of hardship for landlords – many of which are small, mom-and-pop operations who use rentals to get by – there is a clause in the current eviction ban that offers a layer of protection for landlords if the worst should happen.

According to experts, the Governor’s moratorium will nonetheless allow a landlord to begin the process of evicting a tenant if they are facing a very real threat of foreclosure on their property. However, this dire financial hardship would have to be proven in a court of law; once a judge has been satisfied that a landlord literally has no other recourse and is in very real danger of losing their home or apartment complex, eviction proceedings would then be allowed to begin.

“If the homeowner is facing a very real threat of foreclosure, they can go ahead and move forward with an eviction process,” said Bailey Bortolin, Nevada Legal Aid Policy Director.

With that being the case, experts also stress the vital importance of tenants and landlords setting up payment plans for whatever amount the tenant can realistically afford, keeping an open channel of communication between all parties, and putting in an application to Clark County’s CHAP program for rental assistance, since Sisolak’s eviction ban does not absolve a tenant from paying back rent.

Governor Sisolak’s statewide eviction moratorium is currently running concurrently with a federal moratorium issued by the CDC; however, experts note that the Nevada ban essentially overrides the federal one, due to end on Jan. 31.

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, the newly-instituted eviction moratorium put in place by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak  has limitations imposed upon it that were not immediately made known to the public. Legal experts are noting that Sisolak’s new moratorium, issued in response to a Federal CDC moratorium due to expire at the end of the year, contains fundamental differences from the previously-expired version that the Governor originally signed in March.

According to Attorney Jim Berchtold with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, while the Sisolak’s original moratorium offered blanket protection to anyone who faced eviction in face of COVID-19-related issues, the new moratorium he recently issued – which lasts until March 31 – only applies in certain situations and comes with a series of requirements that the original did not.

“This one is not automatic. Only certain people qualify for its protections,” Berchtold said. “The person has to be unable to pay rent due to some COVID related reason. They have to make less than $99,000 per year in 2020 and they have to be at risk of homelessness, or forced into a group living situation, if they are evicted.”

In order to ensure qualification for Sisolak’s new moratorium, Berchtold noted that it is required that anyone hoping to take advantage of it apply for the current CDC-related moratorium and then submit the relevant paperwork to their landlord.

Part of the reasoning behind Sisolak’s new moratorium is to help prevent the spread of the current spike of COVID-19. The new moratorium does not apply, however, to tenants who are destructive to their residences or are proving to be a nuances and/or danger to their neighbors, according to reports.

In addition, if you are a tenant who is faced with eviction for non-payment of rent due to COVID-19-relation issues, Clark County’s CARE Housing Assistance Program (CHAPS) can provide rental assistance so that landlords –  who themselves are experiencing extreme financial hardship throughout the pandemic – can receive payments that they desperately need.

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 – Condo and timeshare owners on the famed Las Vegas Strip have recently been renting out their residences via short-term rental websites such as Airbnb, allowing renters to circumvent pricey resort fees that they would otherwise be responsible for paying, according to reports.

In today’s rough economy when a dollar saved is a dollar earned, Airbnb’s introduction on the Strip is allowing tourists who are braving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to get the most for their money; enjoying the experience of staying in a luxury resort hotel for less. For example, Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations typically runs $159.80 on a Monday; however, the same exact type of room in the same hotel on the same night will only cost you $79 when booked through Airbnb.

It’s the same experience, but the Strip’s at-times excessive fees no longer apply since the unit is already owned or shared by someone else. While this is currently legally allowed within Clark County – who has been imposing stricter rules on short-term rentals as of late – it’s nonetheless frowned upon by some resorts, who understandably view services such as Airbnb as competition.

While Clark County forbids residential areas to have short-term rentals private owners on the Strip are allowed to engage in this activity, provided that they are properly licensed; in addition, the rules that are imposed differ resort to resort as well, depending on management.

Resorts on the Strip that allow Airbnb include The Signature at MGM Grand and Vdara, both of which function under the umbrella of MGM Resorts International. Westgate however, which is located east of the Strip, does not allow the practice.

Occasionally, listings will covertly pop up on Airbnb in Strip resorts that do not allow short-term rentals, including Westgate, Jockey Club, and Palms Place.

If you’re wondering why some resorts do allow short-terms rentals, however, the answers are typically that guests are likely to spend their money on amenities available at the hotel itself, such as restaurants, spas, and casinos, thus resulting in additional revenue.

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, citing recent massive spikes in the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Sunday that he would be extending a “statewide pause” that he implemented in November in an effort to help curb the spread of the virus. In addition – and perhaps more controversially – he will also be reinstating a previously-expired residential eviction moratorium, which will bar most evictions in Nevada throughout the end of March 2021.

Sisolak originally clamped down on activities that could potentially spread COVID-19 in a November 22 mandate – originally set to end Tuesday, but now extended to January 15 – that included a cap on the number of patrons allowed at public businesses such as gyms, restaurants, bars, casinos, and bowling alleys.

In addition, mask rules were tightened and previous public gathering limits of 250 people were cut by either 50 or 25 percent capacity – whichever results in a lower number – and private gatherings at 10 people from a maximum of two households.

Perhaps an even bigger announcement on the part of Sisolak was the fact that he will be reinstating his original eviction moratorium that previously expired on October 15. The moratorium, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15, will ban all residential evictions that are based on a tenant’s inability to pay their rent and will last until March 31, 2021.

Tenants may still be evicted for other reasons, such as breaking the law, proving to be a threat to their neighbors, damaging the property, and other related reasons.

Sisolak’s new eviction moratorium is set to address a nationwide moratorium issued by President Donald Trump through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that is set to expire on December 31, in addition to looming deadlines after which federal assistance funds will no longer be available.

Sisolak noted on Sunday that he knows these new measures will produce hardship for many people – in particular landlords – but given the dramatically-rising numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Nevada and a lack of economic assistance from the Federal government, he felt he had no choice.

“I know the mitigation restrictions in place under the current ‘pause’ are devastating to many Nevadans who just want to go back to ‘normal,’ who are worried about their jobs, their businesses, keeping their homes and getting their kids back to school,” he said. “But as I’ve said for nine months now, we must do what we can to protect the health and safety of the public. That remains more important than ever as we experience these record numbers.”

Since the pandemic hit in March, Nevada – and the tourism-driven Las Vegas in particular – has experienced massive unemployment numbers and widespread economic damage as shutdown measures closed businesses and entertainment venues.

On Sunday, Sisolak – who has received backlash on his handling of the pandemic – stated that if the measures he is implementing this week do not curb the spread of COVID-19, even more stringent restrictions may take place.

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, experts on the Las Vegas real estate scene are saying that the region is set for a huge explosion of rental house development, based on current demand and market conditions. The rental house market was a huge source of income for developers during the period after the mid-2000’s recession, and during today’s economic uncertainty brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is remaining profitable, prompting companies to bring all of their resources to bear on the Southern Nevada marketplace in order to construct more rental properties.

For example, developer Moderne Communities broke ground in February – right before the pandemic took home on the United States – on Moderne at Centennial, a $40 million development consisting of 185 single-story rental duplexes and freestanding houses, with the expectation of having tenants moving in by February 2021, exactly one year after work originally began.

Another company getting on the bandwagon is American Homes 4 Rent, which has recently opened a 34-house rental project in the Spring Valley and a 35-house rental project in the south Las Vegas valley. In addition, they are currently in the process of developing other rental communities as well. Overall, the company currently owns over 1,000 single-family houses in the Las Vegas area.

Las Vegas has been a popular location for developers of rental properties for many years; the market expanded rapidly in the wake of the mid-2000’s recession with companies and individuals purchasing homes for cheap and renting them out, and in recent years – as the local economy as continued to recover and thrive – the need for more and more housing options have increased.

The concept of single-family homes being constructed in large quantities explicitly as rentals – as opposed to being sold outright – is a fairly new concept in this day and age,  but it’s been increasing in popularity across the country and Las Vegas developers have taken notice.

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 – One fact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is that everyone is feeling the financial crunch that the disease has ushered in, top to bottom. And one group that is being hit hardest of all are landlords, some of whom are seeking assistance from local government in order to survive.

While many people are struggling throughout the pandemic – Las Vegas’ tourism-dependent economy has taken a larger hit than most this year, leading to massive job losses and record unemployment numbers – some forget that landlords across the state of Nevada are also bearing the brunt of the economic damage.

Despite the eviction moratorium Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued in March having recently ended, a similar decree by U.S. President Donald Trump that lasts throughout the end of 2020 has given reprieve to many who were facing homelessness.

And while this is an excellent thing, it nonetheless achieves its goal while standing on the backs of landlords and property managers across Nevada, many of whom are feeling the financial pinch more than most. Most, not wanting to put good people out on the street, have been working with tenants who have fallen on hard times, often at significant personal cost and hardship.

Some landlords – many of which in Nevada are actually small mom-and-pop operations, as opposed to large cooperate entities – have petitioned Clark County for grants that are offered to small businesses by way of the Federal CARES Act, currently due to expire by the end of the year unless Congress grants an extension.

“You can use the funds for anything you deem necessary to stabilize your business during this difficult time,” said Michael Naft, Clark County Commissioner for District A. “So that might be back rent. It might be utility assistance.”

To many property owners the CARES Act is proving to be literal lifesaver, and a large number of them are depending on the proposed extension that Congress is working on in their next COVID-19 relief bill, possibly to be presented for consideration this week.

However, some landlords have faced an uphill battle in the form of tenants who have not lost their jobs due to COVID-19, yet nonetheless have taken advantage of eviction moratoriums and not paid rent anyway.

“We do have a few tenants that have never lost their job throughout this whole thing that have stopped paying rent,” said apartment complex owner Ben Lamson. “I don’t appreciate the people that are trying to take advantage of the situation.”

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 – 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.