6 bills from Nevada Democrats aim to fix housing; Lombardo might veto them

Nevada Assembly Democrats highlighted their housing bills that are on the table Wednesday. Most of them were vetoed in 2023 by Gov. Joe Lombardo, who recently warned he’s inclined to do it again.

“This session, Nevada has the opportunity to enact meaningful housing legislation for the betterment of Nevadans,” said Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, during a press conference in Carson City. “Gov. Lombardo’s previous vetoes may try to block our progress, but they will not deter us.”

The press conference came just a couple of days after the governor highlighted his own housing proposal in a Monday interview that includes a $250 million attainable housing fund to support more than $1 billion in housing through grants, loans and rebates.

When asked if any bills are a complete no-go for him (besides the room-cleaning bill he spoke against publicly), Lombardo pointed to bills he vetoed in the previous legislative session that have been reintroduced with no changes.

“If you were to ask me which ones I’m an absolute ‘no,’ then it would be those in particular,” he said, adding he is “sure it involves rent control.”

As politicians work to pass legislation to solve the longstanding housing crisis in the Silver State, Assembly Democrats urged the governor to reconsider their bills during their Wednesday press conference.

“I brought this bill forward again because I believe in second chances, and the governor now has the chance to do the right thing for the state this time and put Nevadans over landlords,” said Assemblymember Max Carter, D-Las Vegas, about his legislation.

Here are six housing-related bills Assembly Democrats are hoping will have success this time around:

1. AB 283: Sponsored by Carter, the bill would revise the summary eviction process and require a landlord to initiate an eviction process with the court rather than requiring the tenant to file an affidavit in court before the landlord files a complaint.

A similar bill was vetoed last session, but Carter is hoping Lombardo will give it a second chance.

2. AB 280: Sponsored by Jauregui, the bill caps rent increases at 10 percent beginning July 1 until Dec. 31, 2026, for seniors and people on Social Security.It also requires a rental agreement to include an appendix with explanations of each fee that may be charged during the rental term, and it makes it illegal for a landlord to charge a fee that is not in the appendix.

If a prospective tenant has to give a fee to apply to a rental unit, the landlord must refund it if the landlord goes with someone else and does not conduct the activity the fee was collected for. It also prohibits a landlord from collecting a fee for background checks on a minor who is part of the household of the prospective tenant.

The bill is the same as AB 298, legislation from Jauregui that Lombardo vetoed in 2023.

3. AB 241: Sponsored by Jauregui, AB 241 requires county and city governing bodies to adopt an ordinance to allow someone to apply for a permit to build housing on property zoned for commercial use.

This is new legislation that Jauregui hopes will cut red tape and streamline approval processes for new housing.

4. AB 121: Sponsored by Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D-Las Vegas, the bill requires a landlord to provide a tenant with at least one way to pay rent that does not require a fee to use. It prohibits a landlord of their agent from charging a fee to make a payment through a website or portal that exceeds the amount of any fee charged by the operator of the website.

Similar to Considine’s AB 218, which Lombardo vetoed last session, Assembly Bill 121 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor on Wednesday, with Republicans opposed due to utility charges and what they say is a lack of flexibility.

5. AB 223: New legislation also sponsored by Considine, the bill authorizes a tenant to file a complaint for relief if their landlord fails to maintain a rental unit in habitable condition, such as if the unit lacks proper measures to control rodents and insects, or if it lacks doors and windows in good repair.

It also requires a landlord to provide a reasonable amount of time for a tenant who has ended the rental agreement to move out their belongings. It would also require a landlord to accept either a money order, personal check, cashier’s check or cash as a rental payment.

The bill also passed the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor on Wednesday, with Republicans in opposition.

6. AB 201: Sponsored by freshman Assemblymember Erica Roth, D-Reno, the bill would require the automatic sealing of eviction case court files at the request of the tenant and is agreed upon by the landlord, or if an appeal is resolved.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.