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Clark County, Nevada · plain-English help and real deadlines · not legal advice
Housing

My landlord has my security deposit

Nevada puts a hard clock on this: 30 days. Here's what that actually covers and what to do if the 30 days pass.

What to do first

1. Know the number. A landlord can't hold more than 3 months' rent as a deposit, combined with anything else they call a deposit or bond (NRS 118A.242(1)).
2. After you move out, the clock starts. The landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to mail or hand you an itemized written accounting and return whatever's left of your deposit (NRS 118A.242(4)). Use the deadline calculator with your move-out date to see exactly when that 30 days is up.
3. If 30 days pass with nothing, the law is on your side, not a judgment call. A landlord who fails or refuses to return the remainder within 30 days owes you the entire deposit back, plus up to the amount of the whole deposit again in damages, decided by the court (NRS 118A.242(6)). That second amount depends on whether the landlord acted in good faith.
4. If you got an itemized accounting but disagree with it, you have 30 days from receiving it to send a written dispute (NRS 118A.242(5)). Put it in writing, keep a copy.
5. To collect, file in Small Claims if the amount is $10,000 or less — no lawyer needed, filing fee is low, and the judgment page covers what happens after you win.

What counts as a deposit, and what a landlord can keep

Under NRS 118A.240, a security deposit is any payment meant to cover unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, or cleaning the unit. A landlord can only claim amounts "reasonably necessary" for those three things — not for routine wear, and not as a penalty.

Programs and help that apply

Clark County Family Court Self-Help Center — Small Claims packet and filing instructions, free.
Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada — free help if the amount or the dispute is complicated, or if the landlord is retaliating.
Nevada Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection — for patterns of landlords doing this to multiple tenants.
Matched local attorneys and services will run here as paid placements once approved — none are live yet. locked

Each one teach one

A written dispute letter needs just three things: the date you got the accounting, the specific line items you disagree with and why, and your forwarding address. Send it so you can prove it was sent (certified mail or an email with a timestamp) — that proof is what makes the 30-day dispute clock mean something later.