LETTER: When it comes to affordable housing, don’t forget Las Vegas landlords

Your Aug 13. story on the lack of affordable housing in Clark County was spot on. Kathi Thomas-Gibson, director of community services for the city of Las Vegas, said part of the battle is making sure local jurisdictions aren’t losing affordable housing units at the same rate they are gaining them.

Exactly.

However, if Clark County wants to keep us small landlords, who joyfully house working tenants, you can’t pass rent control laws or make it harder to evict a tenant who doesn’t pay. We don’t have the financial resources of the Wall Street players to survive without our market rent.

Clark County lost two of these units that I had to sell after the eviction moratorium because I sustained $31,000 in lost rent that I will never recover.

We small, individual landlords will indeed take these affordable units out of the market if the Legislature passes either of these two laws and doesn’t exempt someone who rents five homes or less.