Help paying rent in Clark County
Rental assistance programs in Clark County open and close as their funding changes month to month. Here's where to start, the rent numbers behind the programs, and the Nevada rules that protect you while you wait.
What to do first
What rent costs here
HUD sets a Fair Market Rent for the Las Vegas–Henderson–North Las Vegas metro every federal fiscal year — it's the number assistance programs and voucher payment standards are usually built around.
| Unit size | Metro FMR, FY2027 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,310 | $1,333 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,435 | $1,478 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,686 | $1,735 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,317 | $2,413 |
| 4 bedroom | $2,652 | $2,764 |
HUD USER, FY2027 Fair Market Rents, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Read 2026-10-20. Actual limits vary by zip code (Small Area FMRs) — this is the metro-wide figure.
The metro-wide figure fell for every bedroom size. HUD's zip-code figures mostly fell too, but not everywhere. Ask your housing authority for the payment standard in your zip. By zip code the spread is wide: HUD's FY2027 small-area figure for a 2-bedroom runs from $1,570 in zips such as 89101, 89104 and 89115, to $1,910 in 89123, $2,100 in 89052, and $2,530 at the top in 89135, 89138 and 89158.
Behind on rent usually means money is short everywhere. The What am I owed? checker shows the fair rent for your ZIP and bedroom count next to the food, health, energy and court-fee programs your income likely qualifies for.
The income words programs use
| Term | Meaning in federal housing law |
|---|---|
| Low income | At or under 80% of the area median income |
| Very low income | At or under 50% of the area median income |
| Extremely low income | At or under the higher of the federal poverty guideline or 30% of the area median income |
42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2), with HUD allowed to adjust each line for household size and local conditions. In assisted housing covered by 42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)(1), a family generally pays the higher of 30% of monthly adjusted income or 10% of monthly income; the voucher program runs on its own formula.
Nevada rules that protect you while you're behind
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Late fees | In a tenancy longer than week to week, no late fee until at least 3 calendar days after rent is due, and never more than 5% of the rent | NRS 118A.210(4) |
| Rent increases | Written notice at least 60 days before the first higher payment; 30 days if you rent for periods shorter than a month | NRS 118A.300 |
| Paying after a pay-or-quit notice | The landlord cannot refuse the rent you try to pay just because you also owe late fees or other charges | NRS 40.253(11) |
| Time to pay or answer, residential | 7 judicial days after the nonpayment notice is served | NRS 40.2512(1)(b) |
| Utility shutoff by the landlord | If the landlord willfully interrupts an essential service like power or water, you can file for expedited relief within 5 judicial days and recover up to $2,500 plus damages | NRS 118A.390 |
| Your eviction record | A case the court dismisses or denies is sealed, and a sealed case is deemed never to have happened | NRS 40.2545 |
Programs and help that apply
Good to know
Ask your landlord in writing — a text or email counts as a record — whether they will accept payment from an assistance program, and keep the reply. Then keep a one-page log: every program you called, the date, the person, what they asked for and when you sent it. When a program says your file is incomplete, the log shows exactly what you sent and when.