HENDERSON (KTNV) — In Henderson, the casinos and Vegas lights are just a short drive away and tourists typically stay away. That will soon change.
Starting on Oct. 14, 2019, Henderson homeowners have the green light to open up their homes as a short-term vacation rental.
Henderson City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow short-term vacation rentals in residential areas.
FOLLOW-UP STORY: Ordinance excites realtors, angers some homeowners
Before the decision was made, dozens of Henderson families wrote in with concerns involving noisy neighbors and property values.
Marshall and Penny Klein wrote "We love the quiet, know your neighbor feeling of our neighborhood. Having short term rentals would destroy the quality of life, for myself and my neighbors."
Pamela Madden wrote "This bill is guaranteed to lower property values among homeowners here. We're close enough to Vegas to be a great option for visitor who can't or won't pay the rates for hotel rooms on the Strip."
Not everyone is against the new ordinance.
"It's about time the Las Vegas area community join others in allowing opportunities for the locals and not just the hotels and big business," wrote Zina Allen.
"I believe it will increase tourism and visitor to Henderson," said Mackenzie Gans.
City council members suspect short term rentals may already be happening in Las Vegas, they just want to regulate it. Here are some of the ground rules:
- Home owners interested in signing up are required to pay a $820 annual fee. There is a 30-day grace period to register.
- Events such as bachelor parties or weddings are off the table. The ordinance says a rental is strictly for overnight stays.
- Visitors can't get too comfy. Maximum stay is 30 days.
- In an effort to keep the noise down, the property owner is required to install noise monitoring equipment and keep that information for at least six months.
- Signs advertising the property as a short-term vacation rental are not allowed.
- The property owner must carry a commercial general liability insurance and provide a notarized letter certifying that renting the property doesn't violate HOA rules.
- Property owners must submit a noise management plan, install noise monitoring equipment, and keep the information for at least six months.
- People with complains can call a 24-hour hotline run by the City of Henderson. The hotline operator will contact the registered local contact who will have 45 minutes to address the complaint.
