LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) – A Las Vegas homeowner is facing a massive fine for their illegal short-term rental listing.
Officials in Southern Nevada are enforcing rules regarding illegal short-term rentals posted on popular sites like Airbnb and Vrbo.
KVVU reports that a Vegas homeowner is currently facing $180,000 in penalties.
The owners reportedly got an initial warning and vowed to end their activity, but a listing continued to be posted and steep fines accumulated.
The case against the homeowner in question went before the Las Vegas City Council. The owner and their attorney appealed the fines, but they were denied an appeal.
Records show Las Vegas code enforcement started investigating the property in 2021; after officials contacted the homeowner, he acknowledged an Airbnb listing and informed them it would stop.
However, neighborhood complaints continued for the next two years, describing vehicles in and out of the property.
Code enforcement obtained a warrant for Airbnb listings and reported finding the property advertised on the app for 360 days at a rate of $500 a day.
Officials said this resulted in a penalty totaling $180,000 along with a lien against the home.
“I am constantly getting texts, emails, calls, pulled aside in the grocery store about short-term rentals,” said Councilman Brian Knudsen. “If we continue to erode laws by not enforcing the fees and fines associated with them, we continue to lose the dignity of our neighborhoods.”
The homeowner’s attorney Andrew Bao told KVVU that a tenant kept the illegal listing and is responsible for the short-term rental activity.
“The fact that my client tried to stop the alleged wrongful activity was never taken into account. Instead, my client was fined the maximum allowed by law,” Bao said. “It’s quite the shock and we believe there are clear due process issues in such a scenario. My client responded to every notice, reasonably investigated the matter and tried to stop the alleged activity.”
Bao said the homeowner is working to determine their next steps to possibly challenge the decision.
Knudsen told Bao and his client that they should seek appropriate remedies from the tenant if they were responsible for the activity.
A spokesperson for the city of Las Vegas said there are at least 125 legal and licensed short-term rentals across the city.
Clark County is required to allow short-term rentals but interested parties must have approval with a completed application.
“At this time, we are in the process of reviewing the applications for completeness and eligibility. Clark County Business License will identify applicants that may move on to safety inspections based on the order of priority,” a county spokesperson said.
The Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association is continuing its effort to bring cases to the Nevada Supreme Court, arguing county regulations are too burdensome on homeowners.
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