An official enters the Alpine Motel Apartments where a fire killed 6 people last Saturday, Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 | 1:26 p.m.
The city of Las Vegas will step up fire safety inspections at residential rental properties after six people died last year in a fire at a downtown apartment complex.
The Las Vegas City Council today approved the more stringent enforcement of fire safety and building codes.
The move comes after the fire in December at the Alpine Motel Apartments, which Mayor Carolyn Goodman today called appalling.
Since January 2015, 16 people have died in multifamily dwelling fires in Las Vegas. All of those fires occurred at properties built under outdated fire codes, city officials said.
The city wants to reduce fire injuries and deaths in multifamily dwellings by at least 25% within the next five years. Such properties will be inspected every five years.
About 4,706 buildings will be inspected, including 26 hotel and motel properties, mostly small downtown hotels for low-income residents that have been converted to longterm rentals.
Goodman said some residents in those buildings are hesitant to file safety complaints because they are afraid of being evicted.
Many residents are also unaware of their rights and don’t know how to identify dangerous code violations and how to report them, several council members said.
“Residents are not sophisticated enough to know that they do deserve better,” Ward 3 Councilwoman Olivia Diaz said.
Ward 1 Councilman Brian Knudsen asked the city’s communications department to get the word out that tenant complaints are anonymous.
Tom Perrigo, executive director of community development, said code enforcement and fire prevention will focus on properties with a history of violations.
The city will be “more aggressive for those who decide they simply don’t want to follow the rules,” and “we will get after them much more intensely," he said.
City code enforcement and fire prevention officials will provide semiannual training for tenants and property owners/managers on housing code changes.
Nevada Legal Services will discuss tenant rights as part of the training.
Routine inspections will verify compliance with state, city and county codes and regulations specific to fire, lighting safety and habitable housing standards.
Property owners have 30 days or until their next scheduled inspection to fix at least 90% of violations.
If code violations for hazardous electrical wiring, lack of heat, adequate sanitation and/or utilities and fire safety concerns are not corrected within 24 to 48 hours, tenants will be provided with relocation assistance to vacate rental units and a lien will be placed against the property for applicable costs, including repairs completed by the city and civil penalties.
Violations may result in a fine of $500 a day depending on the number of failed inspections.
Commercially zoned properties may receive a $1,000 penalty per day.
The multifamily annual inspection fee is $100 per unit.
Any residential rental property receiving a complaint or notice of substandard housing conditions will receive a yearly audit.
The audit will include information about calls for service from code enforcement, fire prevention and/or police.
Depending on the results of the audit, a yearly or biannual inspection from city code enforcement and fire prevention officers may be required.
People can call 702-229-6615 to reach city code enforcement from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Concerns that require a more immediate response can be reported at 702-229-6444.
Code enforcement issues related to noise or short-term rentals can be reported at 702-229-3500.
