Most Reno tenant-landlord rules come from Nevada state law. For a typical home or apartment, the deposit limit is three months’ rent. When the tenancy ends, landlords have 30 days to return the balance. They must give a written list of deductions too. Most rent increases need 60 days’ written notice. Reno also enforces local housing standards. Check your lease and rental type before you act.
Updated October 8, 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. The sources below were checked on October 8, 2026. Ask a Nevada attorney about a disputed charge, eviction, or special housing program.
Which rules apply to your Reno rental?
NRS 118A.180 sets out which rentals Nevada’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act covers. It covers most home and apartment leases. Exceptions include manufactured-home park agreements governed by Chapter 118B and certain public-housing programs. Some housing tied to institutions or jobs also falls outside this chapter. The hotel-stay exception is not just a count of days: the guest’s intent to stay longer matters.
This guide focuses on residential homes and apartments. Commercial leases, manufactured-home lots, and subsidized housing need separate review. Check whether the address is inside Reno city limits before using the City’s enforcement process. A Reno mailing address alone should not be your jurisdiction check.
Security deposits: count the whole amount
Under NRS 118A.242, count the security deposit, any surety bond, and last month’s rent together. The total cannot exceed three months’ periodic rent—the regular rent due each rental period. A surety bond is an alternative form of security backed by a bond company. Calling money a different fee does not settle its legal treatment. NRS 118A.240 defines a deposit by its purpose, including covering unpaid rent, damage, or cleaning.
When the tenancy ends for any reason, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit balance and give a written breakdown of deductions. The clock starts when the tenancy ends, not just at the lease’s scheduled end date. Deductions must be reasonable. They can cover unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear, and cleaning costs.
Keep the signed move-in condition record, dated photos, receipts, and move-out findings together. Our rental property inspection guide gives you a starting checklist. The records help distinguish an existing defect from damage during the tenancy.
A late refund can cost more than the amount withheld. If the landlord fails or refuses to return the balance on time, the law provides damages equal to the entire deposit. A court may add an award up to the entire deposit. The extra award depends on factors such as good faith, the parties’ conduct, and harm to the tenant.
Late fees and rent increases have different clocks
NRS 118A.210 allows a reasonable late fee stated in the rental agreement. The fee cannot exceed 5% of periodic rent. You cannot increase that maximum by adding a previous late fee to the amount used for the calculation.
For a tenancy longer than week-to-week, the landlord must wait at least three calendar days after rent is due to charge a late fee. This wait does not apply to week-to-week tenancies under this rule. It does not move the rent due date or delay a nonpayment notice.
For a rent increase, NRS 118A.300 requires written notice 60 days before the first increased payment. For a periodic tenancy shorter than one month, the requirement is 30 days. The older 45-day and 15-day figures are not the current rule.
This rule sets a notice deadline, not an annual percentage cap. Check the agreed rent and term before making a mid-lease change. Notice alone does not rewrite a fixed-term lease. NRS 118A.510 also restricts rent increases made in retaliation, with stated exceptions. Keep an accurate rent ledger so the agreed charge, payments, and start date are clear.
AB 121: show the full recurring price
Nevada enacted AB 121 as Chapter 227 of the 2025 Statutes. The Legislature lists it among laws effective October 1, 2025. These rules are part of current law in 2026, rather than a pending proposal.
NRS 118A.200(6)–(8) generally requires one rent figure that includes all fees the tenant must pay with base rent. Use that figure wherever you list the rent due, including each reference in the written lease. You cannot charge periodic rent above that stated maximum, except under the utility rules.
Those exceptions are narrow. They cover the actual cost of electric, natural-gas, or water service when the utility cannot contract directly with the tenant. Another rule covers water supplied through a shared meter. The lease needs the required reference symbol and details on the same page. A generic “utilities extra” line does not cover all those requirements.
Payment options and application fees
AB 121 also added practical payment and application rules:
- NRS 118A.303 requires at least one way to pay rent and other charges without a fee or having to give bank-account details. The law expressly permits a check containing those details.
- For online payments, the landlord’s charge cannot exceed the portal operator’s fee. Any such charge must be separately identified in the written agreement.
- NRS 118A.235 requires the landlord or agent to give a prospective tenant the proposed written lease on request.
- NRS 118A.306 requires an application-related fee refund when the landlord rents to someone else and does not perform the activity paid for. It also prohibits application, credit-report, and background-check fees for a minor in the applicant’s household.
Not every applicant who loses out gets a refund. Both conditions matter. When comparing rent collection and accounting services, ask how the manager records fees, payment options, and application work.
Eviction notices require proper service
A notice starts a legal process; it is not permission to remove a tenant yourself. NRS 40.2512 permits a nonpayment notice after rent becomes due. For the ordinary residential summary process, NRS 40.253 provides seven judicial days to pay, leave, or contest the notice.
Reno Justice Court’s nonpayment guidance confirms the seven-judicial-day period and excludes the day of personal service. The court’s seven-day notice form explains that weekends and certain holidays do not count. Use its current form and service instructions to calculate the actual deadline.
NRS 40.280 generally requires a sheriff, constable, licensed process server, or Nevada attorney’s agent to serve these notices. The law sets conditions for delivery in person, substitute service, or posting with mailing. The court needs proof of service before it issues a removal order. An owner’s text message does not replace this process.
Other grounds and no-cause termination
Other grounds follow different routes. NRS 40.2516 addresses a five-day notice to perform a lease condition or surrender possession. NRS 40.2514 addresses specified grounds for a three-day surrender notice, including prohibited subletting, waste, unlawful business, and qualifying nuisance. It does not say every alleged illegal act fits that notice.
For periodic no-cause termination, NRS 40.251 generally provides seven days for week-to-week tenancies and 30 days for other periodic tenancies. Qualifying older tenants and tenants with disabilities may request additional time. Reno Justice Court describes a two-notice process for the usual 30-day no-cause summary eviction. The first notice alone does not complete the eviction.
Before filing, check the lease, notice ground, service method, and any applicable housing-program protections. Get forms directly from Reno Justice Court’s civil forms page.
When a tenant needs to end a lease early
A tenant’s right to leave early depends on the lease and the facts. NRS 118A.340 covers qualifying care-related moves and some deaths of a spouse or cotenant. Age alone is not enough. NRS 118A.345 protects qualifying victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking. Both laws require notice and supporting facts or documents.
Other routes include the habitability remedies in NRS 118A.355 and unlawful-entry or harassment remedies in NRS 118A.500. Federal military protections also allow early termination in qualifying cases involving military service or orders. Do not treat this as a list of reasons to leave without notice. Check the exact rule before setting a move-out date.
Repairs: Nevada duties and Reno enforcement
NRS 118A.290 requires a habitable home: one that meets the law’s basic living standards. These include working plumbing, water, adequate heat, electrical systems, and weather protection. Landlords generally cannot charge tenants for work the law requires them to do. An exception covers conditions caused by a tenant’s or household’s deliberate acts or lack of reasonable care.
Reno Code Enforcement handles local housing, building, and nuisance violations. Its guidance asks tenants to send a written 14-day demand for nonessential repair issues before reporting them. For unresolved loss of essential services, such as no heat, no water, or raw sewage, it directs tenants to report promptly through Reno Direct.
The City’s 2026 code update page reports Council adoption of the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments on July 22, 2026. It identifies the additional redevelopment-area standards as commercial-property standards. Do not apply those commercial rules automatically to a residential apartment.
A repair complaint does not give a tenant a free choice to stop paying rent. NRS 118A.355 sets conditions for notice and remedies when the home is not habitable. To use withheld rent as an eviction defense, the tenant must deposit it with the court. NRS 118A.360 limits notice, costs, and workmanship for repair-and-deduct. Ask for legal help before choosing either route.
Entry, locks, and lease disclosures
NRS 118A.330 generally requires at least 24 hours’ notice before entry. Entry must be at a reasonable time during normal business hours. The tenant may expressly agree to shorter notice or a different time for that particular entry. Emergencies are an exception. Landlords cannot abuse access or use it to harass.
NRS 118A.390 and 118A.480 bar landlords from forcing a tenant out without lawful process. Do not change a lawful tenant’s locks or cut essential services to force a move. The tenant can ask the court for relief. NRS 118A.345 also gives lock rights to qualifying victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking. Required notice and documents matter; routine lease terms do not replace these rights.
Information to provide before signing
NRS 118A.200 requires written lease details on fees, deposits, inspection rights, and flag-display rights. NRS 118A.260 requires management and owner contact details and an emergency phone number. Under NRS 118A.275, prospective tenants must receive written notice when the property is in foreclosure proceedings. A chance of future foreclosure is not the trigger.
Federal rules also apply. EPA’s lead disclosure guidance covers most pre-1978 housing, with listed exemptions. Before signing, covered renters must receive known lead-hazard information, available records, the required pamphlet, and a lead warning statement.
If you need help organizing leasing, records, and maintenance, our Reno property management team is the local contact. You can also review our homes and condos management services before deciding which tasks to delegate.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada’s three-month deposit limit include last month’s rent?
Yes. NRS 118A.242 includes last month’s rent in the combined limit for the security deposit and any surety bond. The total cannot exceed three months’ periodic rent.
Does the three-day late-fee wait delay a nonpayment notice?
No. For tenancies longer than week-to-week, NRS 118A.210 delays a late fee until at least three calendar days after rent is due. NRS 40.2512 permits a nonpayment notice after rent becomes due. Proper service and the applicable response period still matter.
How much notice is required for a Reno rent increase?
NRS 118A.300 requires 60 days’ written notice before the first increased rental payment, or 30 days for a periodic tenancy shorter than one month. Review the lease and any special program rules before changing the charge.
Sources
Checked October 8, 2026. Nevada statutes govern the statewide rules; City sources describe Reno enforcement and local standards.
- Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 118A: residential coverage, deposits, rent notices, fees, repairs, entry, locks, disclosures, and retaliation.
- Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 40: eviction grounds, response periods, service, and proof of service.
- 2025 Statutes of Nevada, Chapter 227, AB 121: enacted fee and rent-disclosure provisions.
- Nevada Legislature: laws effective October 1, 2025: AB 121 effective-date listing.
- Reno Justice Court: nonpayment evictions: seven judicial days and authorized service.
- Reno Justice Court: seven-day notice to pay rent or quit: response deadline and excluded days.
- Reno Justice Court: no-cause evictions: the usual two-notice process.
- Reno Justice Court: civil forms: current notices, tenant responses, and illegal-lockout forms.
- City of Reno: Code Enforcement: repair-reporting guidance and local enforcement.
- City of Reno: Code Enforcement Updates: reported July 2026 adoption and commercial redevelopment-area scope.
- EPA: real estate lead disclosures: covered housing, exemptions, and required information.
- U.S. Department of Justice: financial and housing rights: qualifying military residential lease termination and required notice.
