Posted on June 6th, 2022

Many people had the question: "what will happen with short term rentals in the Clack County subdivision of Las Vegas", as some hold Real Estate and are trying to make some extra income. Finally Clark County released its draft ordinance proposal last week after months of town halls and input from the community. This comes after the Nevada legislature passed Assembly Bill 363 in 2021. AB363 required the county to regulate short-term rentals. They were operating illegally prior to the law being passed.

The county feels the new ordinance proposal is a fair balance between competing interests. The proposed laws are actually stricter than what’s required in AB 363.

The proposed law is far from a done deal. There’s another town hall scheduled for May 4 at the Windmill Library Theater at 5:30 p.m. It’s the first public meeting since the ordinance was unveiled. Pappa said the county still welcomes public input to fine-tune what they’ve presented, but it ultimately rests on the shoulders of the Clark County Commission.

As it stands, the new ordinance will shake up the world of Clark County short-term rentals.

Each host must obtain a license and can’t operate more than one license, meaning those who run an Airbnb or VRBO from several properties will have to focus on just one.

For example, the state law mandates short-term rentals can’t be closer than 660 feet from each other. In Clark County, that requirement jumps to 1,000 feet. That’s about three football fields between properties.

The license itself can be pricey. For homes with three or fewer bedrooms, it’ll cost $750 annually. Larger properties must pay $1,500.

There will also be a cap of 1% of total housing that can be designated as a short-term rental. The county couldn’t specifically say how many that means, but opponents to the new law suggest it’ll decrease available options by the thousands.

On top of that, each application requires a non-refundable $45 fee and a nonrefundable $150 inspection fee.

Hosts must also install street-facing security cameras, noise monitoring devices, and post an exterior placard displaying a complaint hotline number, maximum occupancy, and license number.

Short-term rentals will no longer be allowed in several unincorporated areas including the town of Mt. Charleston, Moapa, Moapa Valley, Mesquite, and Bunkerville.

The laws also dictate no short-term rentals can be within 1,000 feet of each other or within 2,500 feet of a resort hotel.

In terms of those who violate the new ordinance, Clark County said they plan to strictly enforce the new ordinance. It lays out fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. The fines will depend on the severity of the violations. Erik Pappa with the county added there will be punishments for short-term rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO if they are also found to be violating the new laws.

The ordinance isn’t set in stone yet. There’s still a process for more public input before the county finalizes everything. Pappa doesn’t think anything will go into effect until early next year.