The Nebraska rental agreements are contracts between a landlord and a tenant. These documents outline the amount of the rent, duration of the tenancy, and other terms associated with the use of the property. All rental agreements are governed by the Nebraska state landlord-tenant laws.
Nebraska Rental Agreement Types
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Nebraska Required Lease Disclosures
- Landlord’s Name & Address (required for all) – Every Nebraska lease must disclose the landlord’s name and address or that of an authorized agent in order to open communication if a legal notice or demand must be delivered.
- Lead Based Paint Disclosures (required for some) – Buildings built before 1978 are at risk for lead based paint, so Nebraska landlords are required to give notice of any existing hazards alongside a disclosure form as well as an Environmental Protection Agency-approved pamphlet outlining safety information.
To learn more about required disclosures in Nebraska, click here.
Nebraska Landlord Tenant Laws
- Warranty of Habitability – In Nebraska, a landlord must provide all tenants with proper plumbing, running water, trash cans and more. Upon request, any of these amenities must be repaired by that landlord within 14 days. If they don’t do this, a tenant may have the right to withhold rent payments or use the repair and deduct method for essential services.
- Evictions –Nebraska landlords may evict tenants for a number of reasons including, but not limited to failure to pay rent, a violation of a leasing term, or committing an illegal act. Landlords must provide tenants with prior notice to pay, comply or quit, depending on the type of eviction.
- Security Deposits – A standard security deposit in Nebraska cannot be valued at more than 1 month’s rent. Also, any security deposits maintained by a Nebraska landlord must be returned to their tenant within 14 days of their lease ending.
- Lease Termination – In Nebraska, a month-to-month tenant can terminate their lease early with a 30-day notice to the landlord. Early termination can also be granted for fixed-term leases for certain reasons, including, but not limited to active military duty, landlord harassment, domestic violence, and unit uninhabitability.
- Rent Increases & Fees – In practice, landlords in Nebraska can raise rent whenever they want without prior notice. Additionally, late fees can also be charged, but are capped at $5 and returned check fees are limited to $10 in value (plus bank charges).
- Landlord Entry – A Nebraska landlord must always issue notice of their entry 1 full day in advance. Otherwise, a tenant has a right to deny entry. This notice requirement does not apply in emergency situations.
- Settling Legal Disputes – Nebraska’s small claims courts are limited in scope. They only accept cases valued at $3,500 or less that do not involve evictions. These cases must also fall within the statute of limitations (5 years for written contracts, 4 years for oral contracts).
To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Nebraska, click here.
