Nevada tenant screening laws: a landlord's guide

Nevada doesn't appear to cap the dollar amount landlords may charge for an application, credit-report, or background-check fee, but as of a 2025 addition to the law, NRS 118A.306 requires landlords to refund such fees if they rent to a different applicant and never actually run the check the fee was collected for, and prohibits charging these fees for a minor who is part of the applicant's household.

No Nevada state statute was found that specifically restricts how criminal history may be used in a housing decision (beyond general fair-housing principles), and criminal history is not listed as a protected category under Nevada's Fair Housing Law.

Source of income is not currently listed as a protected category under NRS 118.020 (the current statutory list covers race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status, and sex). The federal Fair Housing Act also doesn't cover source of income, so absent a specific local ordinance, Nevada landlords generally aren't required by state law to accept housing vouchers.

FCRA §615's adverse-action notice requirements apply as the federal baseline. On top of that, Nevada's own consumer reporting statute (NRS 598C.170) separately requires a person taking adverse action based on a consumer report to notify the consumer, provide the reporting agency's name and address, and inform them of their right to obtain a copy of the report — closely mirroring but distinct from the federal requirement, since it runs under Nevada's own reporting-agency law rather than solely FCRA.

Under NRS 118A.242, the combined total of a security deposit and any surety bond (including last month's rent collected as security) generally can't exceed three months' periodic rent. Landlords must generally return any remaining deposit with an itemized written accounting within 30 days of the end of tenancy; failing or refusing to do so can make a landlord liable for damages up to the entire deposit amount, on top of returning it.

Nevada has no statewide rent-control law, and no explicit statutory provision was found addressing local rent-control authority one way or the other in the sections of NRS 118A reviewed. There's no statewide just-cause requirement for ending a periodic tenancy: under NRS 40.251, a landlord or tenant generally can end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' notice (7 days for week-to-week) without stating a reason. For nonpayment of rent, NRS 40.2512 generally requires a 7-judicial-day pay-or-quit notice for residential property before a landlord may pursue Nevada's "summary eviction" process. Notably, NRS 40.2545 generally requires the court to automatically seal the eviction case file when a summary eviction is dismissed or denied, or in certain other tenant-favorable circumstances, and treats the sealed proceeding as if it never occurred — relevant to how a past eviction filing that a tenant won might (or might not) be reportable.

Reno, Henderson, and Sparks may have adopted local fair-chance housing or source-of-income ordinances layered on top of the state baseline. This should be verified directly with each city. Nevada organizes non-city land through county government, with unincorporated areas of a county functioning similarly to how California organizes its unincorporated land. While Nevada has "townships" as election/judicial districts within counties, these do not set independent housing or tenant-screening ordinances the way a city or county government does.

What is Nevada's security deposit cap? Generally three months' periodic rent, combining any security deposit and surety bond (including last month's rent collected as security), under NRS 118A.242.

Does Nevada cap tenant screening or application fees? Not the dollar amount — but as of a 2025 law change, landlords must generally refund the fee if they rent to someone else and don't actually run the check, and can't charge the fee for a minor household member.

Is source of income a protected class in Nevada? Not under the current statutory list in NRS 118.020, which doesn't include source of income; the federal Fair Housing Act doesn't cover it either.

How long does a Nevada landlord have to return a security deposit? Generally 30 days after the end of the tenancy, along with an itemized written accounting of any deductions.

Checkr helps Nevada landlords and property managers run FCRA-compliant background checks with fast turnaround and built-in adverse-action tools. Get started with Checkr to screen applicants consistently while staying aligned with Nevada's statewide landlord-tenant requirements.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.