Lawmakers Aim to Save Seniors from the Poorhouse—

Whether It Works or Not

The noble legislators of Nevada are once again donning their armor and mounting their steeds in the grand and time-honored battle against sky-high rent, this time hoping to shield the state’s seniors and disabled folks from the unkind hands of landlords with a 10 percent cap on rent increases.

A similar bill got flung into the legislative furnace in 2023, where Governor Joe Lombardo had to put it out of its misery with a swift veto, no doubt fearing for the delicate welfare of Nevada’s ever-struggling real estate moguls. But hope springs eternal, and Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui is back in the saddle, insisting that unless something gets done, the Silver State’s elderly and disabled will be left to choose between rent and supper, or worse—rent and dignity.

Of course, not everyone is swooning over the idea. The Nevada Association of Realtors are clutching their ear lobes, warning that capping rents might do more harm than good. If landlords ain’t free to raise the rent, they might do something drastic—like sell their properties outright or leave them vacant out of sheer spite, shrinking the rental market.

Tourist towns could take a wallop as the measure might put the kibosh on short-term rentals, cutting off the steady flow of wide-eyed travelers eager to fork over their dollars for overpriced weekend stays.

Then there’s the matter of enforcement. The government will have to put together some manner of “Rent Sheriff’s Office” to ensure that every landlord toes the line, meaning more paperwork, more bureaucracy, and—if history teaches us anything—more opportunities for confusion, inefficiency, and a few well-placed bribes to keep things moving smoothly.

And, lest we forget, some landlords might take things underground, switching to unrecorded cash deals faster than a gambler spotting an easy mark. The result? Tenants could end up with even fewer protections, less oversight, and no legal recourse when the landlord decides it’s time to up the ante.

So here we are, standing at the crossroads of good intentions and unintended consequences, as our fearless lawmakers decide whether legislating against greed is a noble pursuit or a fool’s errand. Will this bill keep Nevada’s most vulnerable indoors, warm, and well-fed—or will it backfire like an old shotgun and leave them worse off than before?

One thing is for sure–rent–like death and taxes, always finds a way to go up.