Nevada Tenant Rights: Deposits, Repairs, Late Fees and Evictions

General information, not legal advice. Nevada landlord-tenant law (mainly NRS Chapter 118A and NRS Chapter 40) changes from time to time. If you have a problem, contact a legal aid office or the Civil Law Self-Help Center in Las Vegas.

Whether you rent with a Housing Choice Voucher or on your own, Nevada law gives tenants a set of basic protections. Here are the rules renters in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas ask about most.

Security deposits

A landlord may not require deposits totaling more than three months’ rent.
After you move out, the landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of deductions, within 30 days.
Deductions are allowed for unpaid rent and for damage beyond normal wear and tear. A landlord who wrongfully keeps a deposit can be ordered to pay a penalty on top of the deposit.
Take dated photos of the unit when you move in and move out.

Landlord entry

Except in an emergency, the landlord must give at least 24 hours’ notice before entering and may only enter at reasonable times (NRS 118A.330).

Repairs

Landlords must keep the home habitable, including working plumbing, heating, hot water and electricity. If an essential service fails, give the landlord written notice. If the landlord does not fix the problem within 14 days, Nevada law gives tenants remedies that can include terminating the lease, recovering costs or, in some cases, repairing and deducting the cost from rent. Follow the statute’s steps exactly before using these remedies.

Late fees

Late fees may not exceed 5% of the periodic rent, and for tenancies longer than week-to-week no late fee may be charged until at least three calendar days after the rent was due (NRS 118A.210).

How evictions work in Nevada

Almost all residential evictions in Nevada go through the summary eviction process:

Nonpayment of rent: the landlord serves a Seven-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit. Within seven judicial days (court days, not weekends or holidays) the tenant can pay, move out, or file a Tenant’s Affidavit with the justice court to contest it.
No-cause: for tenancies without a fixed term, a 30-day notice is used. Tenants aged 60 or older or with a disability can ask for an additional 30 days.
Lease violations: shorter notices apply, such as five days to cure a curable violation.

If you file a Tenant’s Affidavit, the court schedules a hearing. If you do nothing, the court will usually grant the eviction, and in nonpayment cases the constable can carry out the lockout within roughly 24–36 hours after the order is posted. Never ignore an eviction notice: filing the affidavit on time is what gives you a hearing.

Retaliation

A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for reporting health or safety violations, for example by raising the rent, reducing services or threatening eviction.