If your landlord is sitting on your deposit, Nevada law gives you a hard deadline and a real penalty — and a properly cited demand letter is how you invoke both. Here is exactly what NRS 118A.242 requires.
Nevada's deposit rules at a glance
| Return deadline | Itemized written accounting + remaining deposit within 30 days after termination, hand-delivered or mailed (NRS 118A.242(5)) |
| The penalty | Failure to return within 30 days: damages equal to the entire deposit, plus a court-fixed sum of up to the entire deposit again (NRS 118A.242(6)); cap: 3 months' rent |
The 30-day accounting
Under NRS 118A.242, once the tenancy ends your landlord has 30 calendar days to hand you or mail an itemized written accounting of the deposit's disposition along with any remainder. The clock runs from when you've actually vacated and surrendered possession — return your keys traceably and provide a forwarding address so there's no ambiguity about day one.
Double-barreled damages
Subsection 6 stacks two awards for a missed return: damages 'in an amount equal to the entire security deposit,' plus a second sum the court fixes at up to the entire deposit again — weighing the landlord's bad faith and the harm caused. On a Las Vegas-typical $1,800 deposit, the exposure runs to $3,600 before costs. The statute's structure rewards tenants who document the landlord's conduct, which is precisely what your demand letter does.
Deductions are narrow and 'nonrefundable' clauses are void
The landlord may claim only what's reasonably necessary for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear, and reasonable cleaning costs. Subsection 8 voids any lease provision calling the deposit nonrefundable (outside a reasonable, agreed cleaning charge) or waiving your rights — public policy, no exceptions. If your lease says 'deposit nonrefundable,' that clause is legally dead on arrival.
The cap and the venue
Nevada caps total security at three months' rent, and Las Vegas and Reno justice courts handle deposit claims in small claims up to $10,000 without attorneys. A letter that establishes the move-out date, the missing or padded accounting, and the doubled NRS 118A.242(6) exposure gives the landlord the full picture a justice of the peace will see.
What a strong Nevada demand letter looks like
It states the deposit amount, the move-out date, the statutory deadline that passed, and the penalty exposure in dollars — citing NRS 118A.242 by name. Here's how the opening of a strong one reads:
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This guide is general information about Nevada law, not legal advice. Statutes are paraphrased; verify current law for your situation. For significant or contested claims, consult a licensed Nevada attorney.
Already hearing from a collection agency?
Landlords hand move-out balances to a small set of specialist collectors. If the letter is from National Credit Systems, Hunter Warfield, IQ Data International, or Source RM, we have a company-specific response guide for each — and the demand letter on this page still applies, because a landlord who missed the statutory deadline may owe you money regardless of who is calling. Any other collector: see the collection agency index and your state’s rules in the debt statute of limitations guide.