NRS 118A.200 is the statute that says what a written Nevada dwelling rental agreement must contain. It is a contents-and-disclosure rule. It is not a lease form, and this page does not supply one. NRS 118A.200(9) makes it unlawful for a landlord or anyone authorized to enter an agreement on the landlord’s behalf to use a written agreement that does not conform, and any provision that contravenes the section is void.

What NRS 118A.200 requires on the page

NRS 118A.200(1)–(2) require any written agreement for use and occupancy of a dwelling unit or premises to be signed by the landlord or agent and the tenant or agent. The landlord shall provide one copy to the tenant free of cost at execution and, on request, additional copies within a reasonable time (a reasonable fee may be charged for extras).

NRS 118A.200(3) provides that any written rental agreement must contain, but is not limited to, provisions relating to:

  • duration of the agreement;
  • amount of rent, set forth as subsection 6 requires, and the manner and time of payment;
  • occupancy by children or pets;
  • services included with the dwelling rental;
  • fees that are required and the purposes for which they are required;
  • deposits that are required and the conditions for their refund;
  • charges that may be required for late or partial payment of rent or for return of a dishonored check;
  • inspection rights of the landlord;
  • a listing of persons or numbers of persons who are to occupy the dwelling;
  • respective responsibilities of the landlord and the tenant for utility charges;
  • a signed record of the inventory and condition of the premises under the tenant’s exclusive custody and control;
  • a summary of the provisions of NRS 202.470;
  • information on how a tenant may report a nuisance, or a building, safety, or health-code violation, to the appropriate authorities;
  • information regarding the tenant’s right to display the flag of the United States, as set forth in NRS 118A.325; and
  • information regarding the tenant’s right to display religious or cultural items, as set forth in NRS 118A.327.

NRS 118A.200(6) requires rent to be stated as a single figure representing the maximum total periodic rent, including mandatory fees. NRS 118A.200(7) forbids charging more than that figure. Subsection 8 allows a separately billed monthly electric, gas, or water fee only in the utility-contracting and master-meter situations it describes, with required on-page disclosures.

Single-family disclosure about NRS 205 occupancy presumptions

NRS 118A.200(4) adds a first-page disclosure, in a font at least twice as large as any other font in the agreement, for a written rental agreement for a single-family residence (defined in subsection 10 as a structure of not more than four units, not including a manufactured home as defined in NRS 118B.015) that is not signed by an authorized agent who holds a Chapter 645 property-management permit. The disclosure must state the rebuttable presumptions in NRS 205.0813 and 205.0817 that the tenant does not have lawful occupancy unless the agreement is notarized or signed by such a manager and includes the current address and telephone number of the landlord or authorized representative — and must also state that the agreement is valid and enforceable regardless of whether those formalities are met.

What a written agreement may not say

NRS 118A.220(1) provides that a rental agreement shall not provide that the tenant:

  • agrees to waive or forgo rights or remedies Chapter 118A affords;
  • authorizes any person to confess judgment on a claim arising out of the rental agreement;
  • agrees to pay the landlord’s attorney’s fees, except that the agreement may provide that reasonable attorney’s fees may be awarded to the prevailing party in a court action;
  • agrees to exculpate or limit the landlord’s liability arising under law, or to indemnify the landlord for that liability, if the liability is based on an act or omission of the landlord or the landlord’s agent or employee; or
  • agrees to give the landlord a different notice of termination than the landlord must give the tenant.

Any such provision is void as contrary to public policy, and the tenant may recover actual damages incurred through its inclusion (NRS 118A.220(2)). NRS 40.252 separately voids a contract that shortens the NRS 40 notice periods.

NRS 118A.230 allows a court that finds a rental agreement or any provision unconscionable when made to refuse to enforce the agreement, enforce the remainder without that provision, or limit the provision’s application.

If there is no written agreement

NRS 118A.200(5) raises a disputable presumption, in the absence of a written agreement, that there are no restrictions on occupancy by children or pets; that maintenance and waste-removal services are provided without charge; that the tenant does not pay charges for partial or late rent or dishonored checks; and that, other than normal wear, the premises will be returned in the same condition as when the tenancy began.

NRS 118A.210(2) provides that unless the rental agreement establishes a definite term, the tenancy is week to week if the tenant pays weekly rent and otherwise month to month. In the absence of any agreement, written or oral, rent is payable at the beginning of the tenancy and is the fair rental value (NRS 118A.210(3)).

NRS 118A.320 limits when later-adopted landlord rules are enforceable, including a 30-day written-notice or written-consent requirement if a new rule works a material modification of the bargain.

Deposit, entry, and rent-increase rules that a lease must live alongside are in Nevada security deposit law, landlord entry notice, and rent-increase notice rules.