Renters Strike Back: New Nevada Law Bans Surprise Fees After Lease Signing

Starting October 1, a new Nevada law steps in to shine a light on an issue that’s been quietly draining the wallets of hardworking renters: hidden rental fees. These so-called “junk” fees—disguised as lifestyle charges, parcel fees, pest control, or even vague “damage waivers”—have been quietly tacked onto monthly bills, often leaving tenants paying hundreds more than expected. It’s yet another example of how ordinary citizens are left to fend for themselves against bloated bureaucracies and fine-print trickery.

Assemblymember Venicia Considine pushed for Assembly Bill 121, a law that demands landlords stop the shell game and start being upfront. The new law ensures that what’s advertised as your rent is what you pay—no surprises after you sign. Landlords will still have the freedom to itemize costs before the lease is signed, but post-signing upcharges will no longer fly under the radar.

This reform reflects something deeply American: the right to know what you’re buying before you sign the dotted line. It also reinforces an old-fashioned principle that seems to be fading—honesty in business. Tenants are now guaranteed the ability to review lease terms, no matter how lengthy or legally dense. They’ll also be given a free method to pay rent, eliminating yet another small but costly barrier to simply keeping a roof over their heads.

Importantly, this law levels the playing field by allowing tenants to take landlords to court over undisclosed fees. For too long, renters—especially low-income families and single parents—have been forced to choose between paying unexplained charges or risking eviction in a market stacked against them.

Some landlords, of course, are raising concerns about the law’s implementation, arguing that operational burdens could drive up costs. That may be true in some cases, but responsibility and transparency must come first. It’s not too much to ask businesses—especially those in charge of housing families—to act with clarity and integrity. At the end of the day, affordability doesn’t come from deception; it comes from fairness and competition.

Considine, who has heard from dozens of frustrated Nevadans facing surprise fees as high as $300 extra a month, isn’t backing down. And she’s right to urge tenants to read their leases thoroughly—especially before October. That’s called being proactive, not dependent.

This is a small but meaningful victory for personal responsibility and consumer protection. Nevada’s tenants deserve the truth upfront. And those who deal fairly have nothing to fear.

Source: KTNV Las Vegas