Question of the Day - 12 November 2022

You're absolutely right. 

Nevada Revised Statute 116.31123 approves "the use of a unit for remuneration, as a hostel, hotel, inn, motel, resort, vacation rental, or other form of transient lodging," but only [emphasis ours] "if the term of the occupancy, possession, or use of the unit is for less than 30 consecutive calendar days." 

Why 30 days? After staying in a room for more than 30 days, according to a different statute, a guest gains "residency rights," which makes eviction more difficult if he or she stops paying.

So for both legal and practical reasons, the maximum length of time you can stay in a Nevada hotel room is 30 days, though most hotel companies have shorter timelines.

Boyd Gaming spokesman David Strow says his company is one of those that opts for a shorter maximum stay. At Boyd hotels, the longest number of consecutive days is 14.

One famous exception in history was none other than Howard Hughes, who lived for four years at the Desert Inn. When he checked in late November 1966, he was booked for the maximum 10 days. At the end of that time period, management approached him about checking out to make room for the DI's holiday-season high rollers. Hughes didn't want to move out, so he bought the whole joint — and stayed there for four years to the day, when he fled to the Bahamas. That’s an expensive way to get around NRS 116.31123, but it worked.