Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Nevada
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 Nevada.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Nevada maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Nevada'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, a surety bond, or a combination of the two, including any last month's rent collected in advance, whose total amount or value is more than three months' periodic rent (NRS 118A.242). This is one of the higher caps in the country. The same three-month limit applies whether the unit is furnished or unfurnished.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
AB 308 (81st Session, 2021) (effective 2021-07-01): Assembly Bill 308 renamed 'security' to 'security deposit' throughout the landlord-tenant act and added protections around surety bonds, including a tenant's right to dispute an item in the itemized accounting in writing and a bar on the surety reporting a disputed claim to a credit agency unless it first wins a judgment. The three-month cap and the 30-day return-and-accounting deadline were carried forward.
What Nevada renters get wrong
Nevada lets a landlord collect a large security deposit but sets clear limits on the back end. The cap is three months' rent, counting the deposit, any surety bond, and any last month's rent collected up front all together (NRS 118A.242). This is one of the highest deposit caps in the country. When the tenancy ends, the landlord has 30 days to return the balance and hand over an itemized, written accounting of anything kept. A landlord who blows that deadline is liable for the full deposit plus an extra sum, set by the court, of up to the amount of the deposit again, so the bill can double. Nevada does not require the landlord to pay interest or hold the money in a separate account.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Nevada?
Up to three months' rent. Under NRS 118A.242, the deposit, any surety bond, and any last month's rent collected in advance are added together, and that total cannot be more than three months' periodic rent. The same limit applies to furnished and unfurnished units.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Nevada?
Thirty days after the tenancy ends. Within that window the landlord must both return any remaining balance and give you an itemized, written accounting of anything withheld. The accounting can be handed to you in person or mailed to your current or last known address.
What happens if my Nevada landlord keeps my deposit unfairly?
If the landlord fails or refuses to return the balance within 30 days, you can recover damages equal to the entire deposit plus an additional sum set by the court of up to the amount of the deposit again. The court decides the extra amount by looking at whether the landlord acted in good faith and how much harm you suffered, so a bad-faith withholding can cost the landlord roughly double the deposit.
Does a Nevada landlord have to pay interest or use a separate account?
No. Nevada law does not require a landlord to pay interest on your deposit or to hold it in a separate or escrow account. The statute is silent on both, so the landlord can hold the money however they choose and keep any earnings. Nevada does allow a reasonable, nonrefundable cleaning charge if your lease spells it out.
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.