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    Nebraska Security Deposit Law

    A Nebraska landlord may collect up to 1 month's rent as a security deposit, with 2 exceptions to that limit. It must refund the deposit, or an itemized list of deductions, within 14 calendar days after the lease ends.

    Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed

    Nebraska deposit rules

    Nebraska security deposit rules at a glance
    RuleWhat the law says
    Deposit limit1 month's rent (with exceptions)Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(1)
    Return deadline14 days after the lease endsNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)
    Itemized deductionsRequiredNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)
    Interest on depositNot required statewideNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 (silent)

    Maximum deposit

    Landlords may not collect a security deposit above one month's rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one-quarter of one month's rent (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(1)). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(1))

    One month's periodic rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one-quarter of one month's rent

    Exceptions

    • Additional pet deposit, when appropriate → 0.25 months' rent
    • Housing agencies under the Nebraska Housing Agency Act (cap does not apply) → no limit

    Return deadline

    Landlords must deliver or mail the deposit balance and a written itemization within 14 days after the tenancy ends (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2))

    Itemized statement of deductions

    Landlords must send a written itemization of any amounts kept along with the balance within 14 days after the tenancy ends (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2))

    Interest on the deposit

    Nebraska law does not require landlords to pay interest on security deposits (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 is silent). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 (silent))

    Penalty for wrongful withholding

    A landlord who fails to return the deposit properly owes the money due plus court costs and attorney fees, and for willful bad-faith failures also owes the lesser of one month's rent or twice the deposit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(3)). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(3))

    More Nebraska deposit rules

    Where the deposit is held

    Nebraska does not tell landlords where to keep a security deposit; the URLTA deposit section has no escrow, trust or separate-account rule (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416)

    Receipt or written notice of the deposit

    No Nebraska statute requires a written receipt for a security deposit or a notice naming the bank that holds it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416)

    Move-in condition checklist

    Nebraska landlords are not required by statute to complete a move-in inspection or condition checklist, though the tenant must return the unit as clean as at move-in apart from ordinary wear (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1416, 76-1421(2)). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1421)

    Pet deposits

    Nebraska allows a pet deposit of no more than one-fourth of a month's rent on top of the one-month security deposit, and bars any extra deposit for a disabled tenant's service animal (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1416(1), 20-131.04). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-131.04)

    The quarter-month pet deposit is in addition to the general cap. A person with a disability who has a service animal pays no extra compensation or deposit for it but is liable for damage the animal causes.

    Nonrefundable fees

    Nebraska's landlord-tenant act says nothing specific about nonrefundable fees, so it neither bans nor expressly permits them (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1410(13))

    Small-landlord exemptions

    Nebraska's deposit rules have no exemption based on the number of units or owner-occupancy (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1408, 76-1416). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1408)

    Deposit alternatives and installments

    Nebraska law does not address deposit-alternative products, surety bonds or paying a deposit in installments (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416). (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416)

    How Nebraska compares

    Nebraska shares its 1-month cap with 14 other states among the 50 states and DC. Its 14 days return window: 1 faster, 42 longer.

    Nebraska and neighboring states: security deposit rules
    StateDeposit limitReturn deadlineItemized deductions
    Nebraska1 month's rent (with exceptions)Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(1)14 days after the lease endsNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)RequiredNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(2)
    Colorado2 months' rent30 days after the triggering eventRequired
    Iowa2 months' rent30 days after the lease endsRequired
    Kansas1 month's rent (with exceptions)30 days after move-outRequired
    Missouri2 months' rent (with exceptions)30 days after the lease endsRequired
    South Dakota1 month's rent (with exceptions)21 days after the triggering eventRequired
    WyomingNo state cap30 days after the lease endsRequired

    Nebraska deposit return deadline calculator

    Example: Deadline: Saturday, February 14, 2026

    14 calendar days after the lease ends on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

    This date falls on a Saturday. Some states extend a deadline that falls on a weekend or holiday to the next business day; check the statute.

    Weekend and holiday flags use the federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. § 6103; Nebraska state holidays are not checked.

    Maximum deposit in Nebraska

    Example: $2,000 a month

    Maximum deposit: $2,000 (1 month's rent × $2,000; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416(1))

    Where an exception applies

    • Additional pet deposit, when appropriate: $500 (0.25 months' rent)
    • Housing agencies under the Nebraska Housing Agency Act (cap does not apply): no limit

    Put the deposit terms in a lease

    Write a deposit of no more than 1 month's rent and the 14-day return window into a Nebraska lease. Creating it is free with no card; an account is needed to save or e-sign.

    Create a Nebraska lease

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