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A NEVADA resident has received an eviction notice without warning.
Cameron Mack lived in his apartment for more than five years. During that time, he said he was in good standing with his landlords.
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“Never had any problem with the office, always stayed on top of everything,” Mack said to ABC affiliate KTNV Channel 13.
Even during the pandemic, when he lost his job, Mack received rental assistance and followed a payment plan to stay on top of rent.
“I’ve always kept open communication with the office about what was going on,” he said.
However, Mack claims his landlords didn’t reciprocate the same communication standards with him, allowing his lease to expire without notice.
“All my previous years here I always received a notice two, sometimes even three months before the lease was coming to an end,” Mack said.
After the lease expired, Mack received a 30-day “no cause” notice to leave the apartment. This notice is a form of eviction.
“If a landlord feels a tenant hasn’t done anything wrong, but they want to regain the property, they can serve a 30-day ‘no cause’ notice,” Aaron McDonald, a Southern Nevada housing attorney said.
Mack admitted he was behind on payments to his landlords, but that they were fees stemming back to his unemployment.
“They said the last time I received rental assistance, that it was some late fees left over from that,” he said.
The issue Mack has with his eviction is not these fees, but the discrepancy between his rent and the advertised rent. Mack pays $940 a month, which includes his water, sewage, and trash. His landlords advertise units like his for $1,150 to $2,257 on their website.
“It kind of feels like I’m being forced out so that they can hike the rent up for the next person,” Mack said.
Rent hikes are a malicious practice, but in the state of Nevada they are not illegal.
“We don’t have rent control in Nevada,” McDonald said.
“It’s the obligation of the tenant to know the contents of their lease, and know whether they need to renew it or not.”
Despite the lack of rent control, McDonald said tenants should always fight an eviction in court before submitting to it.
“When you get an eviction notice, legally respond. Go to court, file a quick three-page document that defends yourself. That ensures that you will have a hearing before an eviction takes place.”
