Well below the 2,800 cap on licenses being offered and Clark County's own estimate of about 10,000 unlicensed short term rentals (STR's) like those on Airbnb and VRBO, local public officials fail to attract STR owners to pre-register for licenses.
This failure is mainly the result of a large number of homeowners’ lack of trust of the local and state government officials who for years have been waging a war against these Las Vegas homeowners through overreaching and unconstitutional government actions, including the issuance of excessive fines of up to $10,000 a day, and the constant harrasment of homeowners and the travelers to Las Vegas staying at these rentals by overzealous code enforcement officers who many times violate the law themselves.
Homeowners saw this licensing scheme as a way for government offcials to get these homeowners' personal information and vacation rental location, something Las Vegas officials have been trying to get for years, to then later go after these property owners and shut them down; despite having no nuisance or safety issues, but merely as a way to protect the Las Vegas resort hotels and please the Culinary Union, both groups which heavily donate to politicians in this State.
While renting one's home to visitors to one's city or town has been a practice that's centuries old, tech platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have made this practice more popular and easier allowing more property owners and travelers to better connect and screen one another before booking a stay. This is turn has resulted in individuals that include seniors, veterans, disabled, or families trying to make ends meet to enjoy this economic vehicle by leveraging their home to supplement or replace their household income. In return, travelers who book these homes get to enjoy a stay that's more affordable, safer, and more private. Additionally, this helps stimulate the local economy by creating more jobs and bringing tourist dollars to local neighborhood businesses.
It is unfortunate that instead of protecting and supporting these homeowners willing to open up their homes to welcome more travelers to our city, our public officials choose to use their government powers to bully and attack private citizens to please their corporate donors and special interest groups.
Homeowners and travelers are making stand by coming together to fund a legal challenge through our Association which is determined to continue fighting in court against the government overreach and unconstitutional actions by our public officials.
Every tourist dollar doesn't have to go through the resort hotels and not everyone wants to be a slave-wage worker. Let's stand for economic opportunities for all, not just those at the top and, most importantly, let's stop government overreach.
To help fund this legal fight, you may donate at: https://www.glvstra.org/donate