Las Vegas tenant screening & landlord laws
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Las Vegas tenant screening
Tenant screening is the process a landlord or property manager typically uses to review an applicant's background — often including credit history, criminal history, rental history, and identity verification — before approving a lease. Las Vegas sits inside Nevada, so state law generally forms the floor for what landlords may and may not do; this page focuses on what, if anything, Las Vegas adds on top of that state baseline.
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Here's a brief summary of the Nevada baseline, based on our own verification of the state code:
What Nevada law already provides
- Screening/application fees: Nevada has no state cap on tenant screening or application fees.
- Criminal history: Nevada's fair housing statute, the Nevada Fair Housing Law (NRS 118.100), lists protected classes as race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status, and sex. Criminal history is not among them, and Nevada has no separate consumer-reporting statute restricting how landlords may use criminal records, so FCRA and the federal Fair Housing Act generally form the governing framework here. Because statutes can be amended, you can always confirm the current language at Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 118.
- Source of income: Based on the same NRS 118.100 protected-class list, Nevada does not appear to treat source of income or housing-voucher status as a protected class at the state level. We were not able to run a fresh search this session to check for a more recent or narrower statute that might address this differently (see QA notes), so this should be treated as our best current reading rather than an absolute.
- Security deposits: Nevada caps the combined total of a security deposit, surety bond, and last month's rent at 3 months' periodic rent under NRS 118A.242. Landlords generally must return any remaining deposit, with an itemized written accounting, within 30 days after the tenancy ends. A tenant may dispute an itemized accounting in writing within 30 days, and a landlord who fails or refuses to return the deposit within 30 days can be liable for damages up to double the deposit amount.
- Rent control: Confirm any current rent-control ordinance in Las Vegas or Clark County against current municipal code. Do not treat the "no rent control" status as based on a specific Nevada state preemption law; Texas or Massachusetts provide contrasting examples.
How Las Vegas's rules layer on top of Nevada law
Based on the sources we were able to check this session, Las Vegas does not appear to have its own security-deposit cap, screening-fee cap, or rent-control ordinance layered on top of the Nevada baseline above. We attempted to review the City of Las Vegas's fair-housing and municipal-code pages directly but were redirected to general government-landing pages rather than a specific ordinance, so this should be treated as "checked but not fully confirmed" (see QA notes).
Screening rules to follow in Las Vegas
Confirm whether Las Vegas has a local ordinance addressing criminal history in housing decisions or protecting source of income/housing vouchers beyond the Nevada state baseline described above.
Rent and eviction rules in Las Vegas
Confirm any rent-control or citywide just-cause eviction requirement in Las Vegas or Clark County against current municipal code, beyond what Nevada's landlord-tenant statute (NRS Chapter 118A) already provides.
County/township layers
Nevada does not use the New England-style "township" model. Land outside Las Vegas's city limits in the surrounding area — including well-known communities like Paradise, Spring Valley, and Sunrise Manor — is generally unincorporated Clark County territory governed by Clark County ordinances rather than City of Las Vegas ordinances. We were not able to independently confirm whether Clark County has any landlord-tenant-specific ordinance beyond Nevada state law this session, so this is a gap to confirm before publish.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a Las Vegas landlord charge for a security deposit? Nevada law generally caps the combined total of a security deposit, surety bond, and last month's rent at 3 months' rent, per NRS 118A.242. Las Vegas does not have a separate, lower cap.
How long does a Las Vegas landlord have to return a security deposit? Generally 30 days after the tenancy ends, with an itemized written accounting, under Nevada state law.
Is source of income a protected class in Las Vegas? Nevada's state fair housing statute does not include source of income as a protected class. Las Vegas may have a city-specific ordinance that adds this protection; check current municipal code.
Does Las Vegas have rent control? No rent-control ordinance is known to be in effect in Las Vegas or Clark County. Landlords should confirm this by checking current city and county codes.
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Disclaimer
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.