Nevada Fails to Pass Law Amending Eviction Process this Legislative Session

By Nada Hussein, NLIHC State and Local Research Analyst, and Saatvik Amravathi, NLIHC State and Local Innovation Intern 

In June, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed Assembly Bill 283, legislation that would have enacted substantial tenant-friendly reforms to Nevada’s summary eviction procedure. Assembly Bill 283 is a twice-attempted bill by Assemblymember Max Carter (District 12), who represents the eastern edge of Las Vegas. This bill is also the product of a large coalition of tenant groups and legislators in Nevada who have been advocating for reforms to Nevada’s summary eviction procedure, especially after the legislature conducted a study on the issue. The first attempt at legislation addressing this issue, which led to the study, was introduced by Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett (District 3) during the 2021 session when Democrats held a trifecta. The bill, Assembly Bill 161, initially would have completely banned summary evictions; however, it was later amended into a study bill. The legislature’s study of the issue drew public and political attention, providing housing advocates an opportunity to advocate for reform to the state’s summary eviction process. 

Since 2021, issues around Nevada’s summary eviction procedure have not only become more visible but have worsened due to a post-pandemic rise in evictions. In metropolitan areas such as Las Vegas (Clark County), eviction filings post-pandemic have risen into the thousands, with more than 43,000 evictions filed in Las Vegas Justice Court in 2024 alone. According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, in the Las Vegas area over the past 12 months, 13 out of every 100 households in the area has had an eviction filing levied against them, signaling the extent of the eviction crisis occurring within the city. Moreover, in the state of Nevada, there are more than 93,000 low-income households, with 86% of extremely low-income renters classified as being severely cost-burdened or paying more than 50% of their monthly income toward rent and other utilities. When housing is unaffordable, tenants face a greater risk of housing instability, which in turn leads to an increased risk of eviction, much like in Las Vegas. 

The growing housing crisis, especially in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, has fueled both activism and legislative activity aimed at strengthening tenant protections. Last legislative session, Assemblymember Carter introduced Assembly Bill 340, which sought to reorganize Nevada’s summary evictions process. Although the bill successfully passed the Nevada legislature, it was vetoed by Governor Lombardo in June. During the 2025 legislative session, seven pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening renters’ rights were introduced, including Assembly Bill 283, which reworked Nevada’s summary evictions process by removing the burden of tenants to respond first. Despite greater pressure from tenant advocates and political forces, Governor Lombardo vetoed the legislation. 

Governor Lombardo’s veto is a negative outcome for renter households at risk of eviction. According to legal service providers, Nevada remains the only state with such an expedient and landlord-friendly “summary” eviction system. While all fifty states have summary eviction procedures, Nevada remains the only one where tenants must take the first action to avoid eviction, resulting in a higher number of and quicker evictions. Under Nevada’s system, landlords can exercise summary judgments in cases of non-payment of rent and violations of the lease. In both cases, tenants must comply with the summary eviction unless they file an affidavit within seven judicial days contesting their landlord’s claims. If no challenge is submitted by the tenant, the summary eviction is granted, forcing them to vacate the property. This procedure, distinct from the rest of the country, places the burden on tenants to legally challenge their landlords’ claims.  

For tenants unfamiliar with the legal process or with limited capacity to navigate the nuanced nature of the state’s eviction process, this system, according to legal service providers, makes it incredibly difficult and unlikely that tenants will assert their rights. In Nevada, existing state law places the burden on tenants to initiate a challenge to a summary eviction, a fact that many tenants are unaware of. Furthermore, tenants have only seven judicial days to file a court action or face a default judgment against them. This short timeline and responsibility often leave tenants scrambling. While Nevada has some eviction sealing protections to mitigate the harm, Nevada tenants lack few other eviction protections, including the guarantee of a free court-appointed defense lawyer for eviction cases. Assembly Bill 283 would have made substantial revisions to Nevada’s summary evictions process, aligning it with nationwide standards and giving tenants the necessary time to respond to an eviction, gather the necessary paperwork or documents for their court hearing, and assert their rights in a court of law.  

The proposed bill would have required that landlords provide a written initial notice to tenants and then file an affidavit with the court within 30 days detailing that a notice was served and the violations in question. This change places a higher burden on landlords and confronts the rise in speedy and hasty evictions in Nevada. After the landlord’s filing, the court issues a summons, which the tenant can respond to through a written answer. If tenants fail to respond, the court issues a summary judgment in the landlord’s favor. The bill would have also strengthened existing state law around eviction record sealing protections (passed in 2017 through Assembly Bill 107) to guarantee automatic record sealing in cases of summary evictions, making it easier for tenants subjected to the process to find a new home, an issue that has been tied to rising homelessness and housing insecurity in Nevada and nationwide.  

To learn more about Assembly Bill 283, please visit the state legislature website here. 

To learn more about the shortage of affordable and available homes in Nevada, as outlined through NLIHC’s The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable and Available Homes, please visit NLIHC’s Nevada Housing Profile here.