Nevada Security Deposit Law: Deadlines & Penalties

Nevada landlords must return any remaining security deposit no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends. Deductions are limited to amounts reasonably needed to cover unpaid rent, to repair damage the tenant caused beyond normal wear, and to pay the reasonable cost of cleaning. A lease can't make the deposit nonrefundable, although a reasonable nonrefundable cleaning charge is allowed.

Along with any balance, the landlord must give the tenant an itemized written accounting of how the deposit was used, handed over at the place where rent is paid or mailed to the tenant's present address, or to the last known address if the present one is unknown. Nevada caps the combined deposit and any surety bond, including last month's rent, at three months' rent.

If the landlord fails to return the remaining deposit within 30 days, the landlord can owe the entire deposit plus an additional amount, set by the court, of up to the full deposit again. In setting that extra amount, the court looks at whether the landlord acted in good faith, the parties' course of dealing, and how much the tenant was harmed.