State Laws

Nebraska Landlord Tenant Laws

January 31, 2023

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Quick Facts

Required Disclosures   

Lead-based paint 
Landlord/agent ID 
  
Rent and Fees   

Application Fees: Permitted 
Rent Control: Banned 
Late Fee Limit: N/A 
Grace Period Minimum: 7 days 
   
Security Deposits   

Amount Limit: 1 month’s rent 
Interest: N/A 
Return Within: 14 days 
  
Entry   

Notice: 24 hours’ 
Permitted Times of Entry: Reasonable
Fair Housing Protections   

Race  
Color   
National origin   
Religion   
Sex   
Familial status 
Disability 
  
Eviction Notices   

Rent Demand Notice: 7-day pay-or-quit notice
Notice for Lease Violation: 30-day quit notice with 14 days to cure
Notice for Repeat Violation: 14-day quit notice
Unconditional Notice to Quit: 5-day notice to quit

Nebraska Landlord-Tenant Law 

It’s important to understand the essential landlord tenant laws before enforcing your own rental policies. Find more information in the Nebraska state law code. 

Required Disclosures 

Lead-based paint  

(Title X, Section 1018

Landlords in all 50 states must include information about lead-based paint hazards in the rental agreements for most properties built before 1978. Sellers and landlords must distribute an EPA-approved information pamphlet called “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” and disclose any known lead hazards in the property. These obligations were established by Section 1018 of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. 

Landlord/Agent Identification 

(Neb. Stat. § 76-1417

Landlords must disclose to the tenant in writing the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises, as well as the owner or person responsible for receiving notices. 

Rent and Fees 

  • Rent Due Date: Unless otherwise specified in the lease agreement, rent is due at the dwelling unit at the beginning of each month (Neb. Stat. § 76-1414(3)). 
  • Application Fees: Rental application fees are not regulated in Nebraska. 
  • Rent Increases: There is no statewide rent control in Nebraska. 
  • Late Fee Limit: There is no statutory limit on late fees in Nebraska. 
  • Grace Period: There is no mandatory grace period in Nebraska. 
  • NSF/Bounced Check Fee Maximum: If the tenant’s rent check bounces, the landlord may charge a fee of $10 (Neb. Stat. § 28-611(7)). 
  • Withholding Rent/Repair and Deduct: If a landlord in Nebraska fails to supply essential services, the tenant may give written notice of the breach and either recover damages, find reasonable substitute housing, or procure reasonable amounts of the service and deduct the cost from rent (Neb. Stat. § 76-1427(1)). 

Security Deposits 

  • Deposit Limit: 1 month’s rent. Pet deposits may not exceed ¼ of monthly rent (Neb. Stat. § 76-1416(1)). 
  • Interest: Landlords in Nebraska are not required to pay interest on security deposits. 
  • Return Within: 14 days (Neb. Stat. § 76-1416(2)). 
  • Deposit Location: Landlords are not required to keep security deposits in a separate bank account. 
  • Withholding: Landlords may withhold funds from the security deposit for damages suffered by the landlord due to the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement or the law. Landlords must deliver or mail a written itemization of these deductions within 14 days (Neb. Stat. § 76-1416(2)). 

Tenant Screening and Fair Housing Protections 

Protected Classes 

  • Federal law prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, familial status, and disability (Title 24 USC § 3601-3607). Nebraska state law reaffirms these protections (Neb. Stat. § 20-318). 

Credit Reports 

  • Nebraska landlords are subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (15 USC § 1681), which outlines the responsibilities of landlords to protect tenant credit information. According to the Act, landlords may not share tenant credit information with anyone without a legal reason to view it. They must also investigate disputed information, dispose of credit reports after use in tenant screening, and notify applicants when their credit score or history was the reason for their denial. 

Criminal Histories 

  • Criminal background checks may be used during tenant screening in Nebraska. However, the state cautions that not every instance of criminal activity is an offense that renders someone ineligible for housing (Nebraska.gov). 
  • Nebraska landlords should follow HUD recommendations for using criminal background checks fairly. This includes avoiding blanket policies for denying applicants with criminal convictions, assessing applicants and their criminal histories on a case-by-case basis, and only denying an applicant when they demonstrate a risk to the safety of other residents or the property. 

Entry 

Eviction Notices 

Evictions are complex legal processes often poorly understood by both parties. Before pursuing eviction in Nebraska, consider hiring an experienced real estate attorney and be sure to review the Nebraska eviction process in more detail.

  • Rent Demand Notice: 7 days to pay or quit (Neb. Stat. § 76-1431(2)). 
  • Notice for Lease Violation: 14 days to cure or quit, 30 days to quit. This notice applies when the tenant commits a lease agreement violation. After delivering the 30-day cure-or-quit notice, the landlord must give the tenant the first 14 days to cure the breach, after which the landlord will terminate after the remainder of the 30 days (Neb. Stat. § 76-1431(1)). 
  • Notice for Repeat Violation: 14 days to quit. If a tenant commits substantially the same noncompliance more than once within six months, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement after 14 days’ notice with no opportunity to cure the breach (Neb. Stat. § 76-1431(1)). 
  • Unconditional Notice to Quit: 5 days to quit. According to Nebraska eviction laws, this notice applies when the tenant engages in violent criminal activity on the premises, sells a controlled substance illegally, or commits another act that threatens the health or safety of another person on the premises (Neb. Stat. § 76-1431(4)).  

Other Laws and Facts About Nebraska 

  • The median rent rate in Nebraska is $1,186. 
  • The median rent rate in Omaha is $1,350. 
  • According to Nebraska renting laws, if a tenant refuses to allow the landlord lawful entry, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement and recover actual damages and reasonable attorney’s fees. The tenant may do the same if the landlord makes an unlawful or unreasonable entry (Neb. Stat. § 76-1438)

4 thoughts on “Nebraska Landlord Tenant Laws

  1. Should a rental be inspected for structural problems and black mold prior to a new tenant occupancy ? If the previous tennant made it know verbally to public.

  2. If a landlord decides to sell a property that has a tenant in it is the tenant due his security deposit back?

  3. Is the landlord entitled to fix a plugged or damaged wash machine sewer drain? What is the time frame for this type of problem? Is it considered an emergency? If they refuse to fix it can we fix or pay to have it fixed and deduct it from the next month’s rent?

  4. How long does your landlord have to get things fixed? In Nebraska does your landlord have a license?

    In August will be one year of living in our rental. We moved in with a broken window in the basement to my daughter’s room. May Landlord to this day, still does not have it fixed now our air conditioner is broken, and I had told her two weeks ago about it and she messaged me today and told me that, if I’m going to solicit that it is not fixed yet we can move out

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