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Nevada bill seeks to protect renters from ‘hidden’ or ‘junk’ fees

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Nevada bill seeks to protect renters from ‘hidden’ or ‘junk’ fees


LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Nevada bill seeks to protect renters from “hidden” or “junk” fees, making sure landlords are transparent with tenants about all monthly rental costs before someone agrees to a lease.

A.B. 121 was brought back, this session, by Assemblymember Venicia Considine. It previously passed both chambers, last session, but was vetoed by Governor Joe Lombardo.

In an effort to curb deceptive advertising, the bill would also require landlords to give tenants a “boiler plate” of a monthly lease disclosing the full amount and all fees, before anyone signs a lease and gives a deposit.

A Nevada bill could help renters with hidden “junk” fees(FOX5)

“You have an advertised rate for rent–and then you go in, you put down your non-refundable fees, which could go into the hundreds of dollars–and then you go to sign your lease. You find out that you have all of these fees that nobody has mentioned, and those could add $200, $300 a month to your rent– and you have no ability to opt out of those,” Considine said.

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“It’s predatory. That’s why I brought the bill two years ago,” she said.

The bill would also eliminate the fee imposed when renters pay the rent through a designated electronic portal or website.

Robin Crawford, Executive Director of the Nevada State Apartment Association, released the following statement:

“Our organization supports the concept of greater transparency in rental housing fees when it is achieved through well-crafted, balanced legislation. However, AB 121 includes provisions that are unrelated to fee transparency and could create significant compliance challenges for housing providers. We are actively working with the bill sponsor to address these concerns with the goal of supporting a version of the bill that works for both renters and housing providers.”

The FTC has brought legal action against Clark County landlords for such alleged practices. Invitation Homes agreed to pay $48M to renters in Federal Trade Commission settlement, after the FTC alleged fees from “ ‘smart home’ technology and ‘utility management,’ to air filter delivery and internet packages. Renters could not opt out of paying these fees,” a release stated.

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Invitation Homes stated that it admits no wrongdoing.

Earlier this year, the FTC announced legal action against Greystar, which manages more than 40 apartment complexes across the Valley.

“No resident at a Greystar-managed community pays a fee they have not seen and agreed to in their lease,” a release from the company stated, vowing to fight the suit.



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Nevada

IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada

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IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada


A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.

Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.

What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.

The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.

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So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.

I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.

Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.

Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas High beats Coronado in 5A baseball — PHOTOS

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Las Vegas High beats Coronado in 5A baseball — PHOTOS