The proposals were introduced at the County Commission meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing and may vote on the ordinance changes Nov. 3.

The county’s lottery began in March 2023, when more than 1,300 prospective applicants had their names drawn to establish the order in which applications would be reviewed and licenses granted. A county presentation from spring 2025 reported that staff were processing about six applications per week.

Jackie Flores of the Greater Las Vegas Short-term Rental Association said some applicants have waited more than four years for their applications to be processed. She said people seeking to comply with county rules have been frustrated by the delays.

The draft would also remove certain barriers to licensing, including a restriction involving another short-term rental within 1,000 feet. It proposes recognizing short-term rentals as a commercial use in residential areas and allowing them as a conditional commercial use in some zoning districts. Flores questioned whether that zoning language could create new limits on where rentals are allowed.

County officials have cited neighborhood quality-of-life concerns, including residents’ complaints about concentrations of short-term rentals. The proposals come amid a federal court case over county regulation of the rentals. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently said an injunction limiting the county’s enforcement actions must be narrowed; court documents indicate the application portal could reopen if that happens.

The county had not provided a reopening date for the application portal. The proposed ordinance’s review period and other changes would not take effect unless adopted by commissioners.