NRS439.479. Regulations; enforcement; notice to district board of health of failure to maintain rental dwelling unit in habitable condition.

      1.  In addition to any other powers, duties and authority conferred on a district board of health, the district board of health may by affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the board adopt regulations consistent with law, which must take effect immediately on their approval by the State Board of Health, to:

      (a) Regulate any health hazard on residential property;

      (b) Regulate any health hazard in a rental dwelling unit; and

      (c) Regulate any health hazard on commercial property.

      2.  The district board of health may adopt regulations to ensure the enforcement of laws that protect the public health and safety associated with the condition of rental dwelling units and to recover all costs incurred by the district board of health relating thereto. Any regulation adopted pursuant to this subsection must be provided by the landlord of a rental dwelling unit to a tenant upon request to ensure that the landlord and the tenant understand their respective rights and responsibilities clearly.

      3.  In carrying out its duties relating to the protection of the public health and safety associated with the condition of rental dwelling units, the district board of health may:

      (a) Take any enforcement action it determines necessary; and

      (b) Establish an administrative hearing process, including, without limitation, the hiring of qualified hearing officers.

      4.  If a tenant of a rental dwelling unit provides written notice to the landlord pursuant to NRS 118A.355 specifying a failure by the landlord to maintain the dwelling unit in a habitable condition and requesting that the landlord remedy the failure and the landlord fails to remedy the failure or to make a reasonable effort to do so within the time prescribed in NRS 118A.355, the tenant may, in addition to any remedy provided in NRS 118A.355, provide to the district board of health a copy of the written notice that the tenant provided to the landlord. If, upon inspection of the dwelling unit, the district board of health determines that either the landlord or the tenant has failed to maintain the dwelling unit in a habitable condition, the district board of health may refer the matter to the administrative hearing process if established pursuant to subsection 3 or take any action with respect to the dwelling unit which is authorized by this section or the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

      5.  Before the adoption, amendment or repeal of a regulation, the district board of health must give at least 30 days’ notice of its intended action. The notice must:

      (a) Include a statement of either the terms or substance of the proposal or a description of the subjects and issues involved and of the time when, the place where and the manner in which interested persons may present their views thereon;

      (b) State each address at which the text of the proposal may be inspected and copied; and

      (c) Be mailed to all persons who have requested in writing that they be placed on a mailing list, which must be kept by the board for such purpose.

      6.  All interested persons must be afforded a reasonable opportunity to submit data, views or arguments, orally or in writing, on the intended action to adopt, amend or repeal the regulation. With respect to substantive regulations, the district board of health shall set a time and place for an oral public hearing, but if no one appears who will be directly affected by the proposal and requests an oral hearing, the district board of health may proceed immediately to act upon any written submissions. The district board of health shall consider fully all written and oral submissions respecting the proposal.

      7.  The district board of health shall file a copy of all of its adopted regulations with the county clerk.

      8.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Commercial property” means any real property which is not used as a dwelling unit and is not occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence or sleeping place.

      (b) “Dwelling unit” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 118A.080.

      (c) “Health hazard” means any biological, physical or chemical exposure, condition or public nuisance that may adversely affect the health of a person.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 1500)