Senate passes tenant‑protection changes and fee rules; critics call AB 280 rent control

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Senate on May 21 approved Assembly Bill 280, a measure that revises landlord and tenant rules for application fees and includes a temporary provision limiting rent increases for certain senior tenants.

What the bill does: As presented by Senator Pizzina, AB 280 requires landlords who collect an application fee from a prospective tenant to refund the fee if the landlord rents the unit to a different applicant and the landlord did not complete the activity for which the fee was collected. It also requires rental agreements to include a separate appendix with fee information and tenant rights.

A temporary cap for some seniors: The measure includes a time‑limited provision (07/01/2025 through 12/31/2026) that bars a landlord from renewing or entering a new rental agreement that would raise rent for an existing tenant 62 or older—if the tenant relies on Social Security benefits—by more than 5% above the rent in effect on 06/30/2025.

Floor debate: Senator Pizzina argued the bill protects seniors and applicants. Senator Stone opposed the measure, framing it as rent control that could prompt landlords to sell units or stop renting, and warned of unintended consequences for small landlords: “Capping rents makes it hard for landlords to have costs like rising property taxes, HOA fees, insurance, utilities, and maintenance,” Stone said.

Vote and next steps: The bill passed the Senate by a 13–8 margin and was ordered to the Assembly. Implementation questions — including how the temporary cap would interact with market conditions and small landlords’ expenses — could be raised in the Assembly and during implementation.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified by role and appear in the Senate transcript.