Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Nebraska
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Nebraska.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Nebraska maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Nebraska's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: A landlord cannot demand or receive a security deposit worth more than one month's rent. On top of that, a landlord may require a pet deposit of up to one-quarter (0.25) of one month's rent when appropriate, so a tenant with a pet can face a combined maximum of one and a quarter months' rent. The one-month figure is the periodic rent under the rental agreement. The rule does not apply to public housing agencies organized under the Nebraska Housing Agency Act.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Nebraska renters get wrong
Nebraska caps a residential security deposit at one month's rent (Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-1416). On top of that, a landlord may charge a separate pet deposit of up to one-quarter of one month's rent when a pet is involved, so a renter with a pet can be asked for as much as one and a quarter months' rent in total. After the tenancy ends, the landlord has 14 days to return the balance of the deposit with a written itemization of anything kept. You do not have to formally demand your money back to start that clock, but leaving a forwarding address helps; if you do not, the landlord must mail everything to your last-known address. If the landlord holds the deposit willfully and in bad faith, you can recover liquidated damages of one month's rent or twice the deposit, whichever is less.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Nebraska?
No more than one month's rent for the security deposit itself. A landlord may also charge a separate pet deposit of up to one-quarter of one month's rent, so a tenant with a pet can be asked for up to one and a quarter months' rent combined (Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-1416).
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Nebraska?
Fourteen days after the tenancy ends. Within that window the landlord must deliver or mail the balance of the deposit together with a written itemization of anything withheld. If you did not leave a forwarding address, the landlord sends it to your last-known mailing address by first-class mail.
What happens if my Nebraska landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
If the landlord's failure to return the deposit and itemization on time is willful and not in good faith, you can recover liquidated damages equal to one month's rent or two times the deposit, whichever is less. That is in addition to getting back the amount that was wrongfully withheld.
Does my Nebraska landlord have to pay interest or use a separate account?
No. Nebraska law does not require a landlord to pay interest on a security deposit, and it does not require the deposit to be held in a separate or escrow account. The landlord can hold your money however they choose.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.