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Committee reviews bill to change Nevada—s summary eviction process so landlords file first
Summary
AB283 would reverse Nevada's unique practice by requiring landlords to file eviction complaints first and give tenants a judicial-days response period; sponsors say it aligns Nevada with other states and would give tenants fairer notice; housing authorities and landlord groups raised operational concerns.
CARSON CITY — The Assembly Judiciary Committee took testimony on Assembly Bill 283, which would restructure Nevada's summary eviction procedure so landlords file complaints before tenants must answer, aligning the process with the typical civil sequence used in most other states.
Assemblyman Max Carter, the bill sponsor, told the committee the change is intended to restore balance to Nevada's eviction system, which currently requires tenants to file an answer before a complaint is filed. "We're the lone outlier that puts the onerous on tenants in our entire country," Carter said during his presentation.
Jonathan Norman, who presented for the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers, explained the current practice: landlords first serve a 7-day notice to pay or quit, and under Nevada's summary eviction rules the tenant must file an answer during that short notice period or risk default. Norman said AB283 switches the order so the landlord files a complaint and serves it, and then the tenant would have seven judicial days to file an answer. "One sentence is changing," Norman said, describing that most of the bill's highlighted language is relocation of existing code to accommodate the new order.
Nicholas Haley, a Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada attorney, described operational details the bill would add or clarify, including requiring proof of service be filed before a summary order is issued and specifying timelines for posting eviction orders and consular (constable) return. He said the proposed changes would not lengthen landlord-controlled timelines materially and that many states have similar or longer procedures.
Supporters, including faith groups, tenant advocates and labor unions, said the reform would reduce precipitous evictions and provide time to secure financial assistance or otherwise respond. Witnesses described the current process as fast and often confusing for tenants — particularly seniors, survivors of domestic violence and people with disabilities — with several describing personal experiences of sudden displacement. Ben Iness of the Nevada Housing Justice Alliance and multiple community leaders urged the committee to approve the bill as a fairness measure.
Opponents included the Nevada Realtors and some landlords, who warned that a longer or more costly eviction process could increase administrative costs and screening requirements, potentially pushing up rent. Rural and regional housing authorities raised a separate concern: federal program timelines and requirements could conflict with the proposed state procedure, and they requested exemptions or technical fixes so federal compliance would not be jeopardized.
Committee members asked about specifics, including where hearings typically are set and how long tenants currently have to respond. Presenters said Las Vegas justice court handles the majority of summary evictions and that hearings there had recently been roughly two weeks out on average, though backlogs after the pandemic had been far longer. Norman and Haley emphasized the seven judicial days for tenant response as the key addition and noted that the bill tunes several timelines to comport with the reordered process.
Ending: The committee closed the AB283 hearing after hearing broad public support and opposition and indicated the bill will be subject to further stakeholder discussions; no committee vote was recorded at the hearing.
