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Treasurer’s AB68 would let tenants opt in to rent reporting; supporters cite credit gains, opponents and managers seek clarifications
Summary
AB68 would require certain landlords to notify tenants of a voluntary option to have positive rent payments reported to consumer credit agencies; supporters said the change can boost credit scores and pathways to homeownership, while property managers and others urged amendments to address operational, equity and voucher‑recipient concerns.
Carson City — Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine sponsored Assembly Bill 68, which the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor heard Feb. 20. The bill would require applicable landlords to provide tenants written notice of a voluntary option to have positive rental payments reported to consumer credit reporting agencies.
Conine said the change is designed to expand credit‑building opportunities for renters and “create additional pathways to homeownership” by enabling timely rental payments to be used in credit evaluations. Under the bill as introduced landlords with more than 15 units, or those with certain corporate structures, must provide the notice at the initial lease and at least annually thereafter. A tenant who opts in may be charged a fee by the landlord of up to $10 a month only when the credit‑reporting service itself incurs a cost; Conine said many reporting services are free to landlords.
Treasury staff member Eric Jimenez, who walked through the bill, said the notice must state that participation is optional, list the credit reporting agencies that will receive data, explain how to opt in and note that a tenant who cancels reporting may have to wait six months to resume it. Jimenez said the bill as drafted contemplates reporting of positive payments only.
Supporters at the hearing — including SEIU Local 1107, the ACLU of Nevada, Nevada State AFL‑CIO, the Asian Community Development Council, housing advocates and tenant groups — argued that rent reporting can help tenants build credit histories. Treasurer Conine and other witnesses said some participants in other jurisdictions have seen large credit improvements; Conine said “some folks get scores up to 60 points higher” after positive reporting.
Opponents and neutral witnesses raised operational and equity concerns. Lucia Maloney, a small‑property owner testifying in opposition, called the draft “burdensome” and said tenants lack practical ways to verify whether a landlord is required to report. Housing authorities (Reno, Nevada and Southern Nevada) and multifamily industry representatives testified in the neutral position and said they are working with the Treasurer’s office to draft amendments, including exemptions or special handling for housing choice voucher recipients and clarity on responsibilities for co‑ops and developer‑owned properties.
Committee members asked technical questions about how credit bureaus would process monthly rental data, whether smaller landlords could participate voluntarily and whether nonpayment reporting could be included; witnesses said bureaus accept real‑time reports and landlords typically integrate reporting systems or upload CSV files, and that the bill as drafted covers positive payment reporting only. The Treasurer’s office and industry groups agreed to continue negotiations on amendments.
No vote was recorded at the hearing. DETR and the Treasurer’s office and industry representatives said they will craft amendments and outreach language for subsequent committee consideration.
