Nebraska Standard Residential Lease Agreement

SAVE PDF EMAIL
PDF

The Nebraska Standard Residential Lease Agreement is a written contract formed between the owner or manager of a rental property and a tenant. The form serves the purpose of adding structure and formalness to the renting of a home, apartment, or unit. The document outlines a wide variety of conditions that the tenant is required to follow until the end of the lease. Standard leases have a term of one (1) year, although the exact timeframe can be negotiated between the parties.

Being a template, the contract can be edited by the landlord to allow for unique topics to be included; alternatively, the form can be used on its own. In Nebraska, property managers should keep in mind that they can only charge a maximum security deposit of one (1) month’s rent, unless pets are involved, in which a total of one and a quarter (1.25) months of rent can be required of the tenant(s).

Tenant Screening: Nebraska Rental Application

State Laws

Laws: Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (§§ 76-1401 to 76-1449)

Maximum Security Deposit (§ 76-1416(1)): One (1) months’ rent. If the tenant has a pet, an additional one quarter’s (.25) worth of rent can be added, totaling one and a quarter (1.25) months’ rent.

Returning Security Deposits (§ 76-1416(2)): Deposits must be returned within fourteen (14) days after the lease has officially ended. If the tenant did not provide an address to send the deposit to, the landlord is required to send the deposit (including a list of any deductions) to the tenant’s last known address. If, after thirty (30) days the deposit is still outstanding, the landlord is required to send the deposit to the State Treasurer within sixty (60) days of originally mailing the deposit.

Allowable Deductions to the Deposit (§ 76-1416):

Landlords can take deductions from security deposits for one of two (2) reasons, which are:

  • To cover any unpaid rent, and
  • to pay for the fixing of any damages that resulted from the tenant(s) not complying with the rental contract.

Notice for Increasing Rent: No specific notice mentioned by state law.

Required Notice for Entry (§ 76-1423): Landlords can only enter rental properties without notice in the case of emergencies. In all other situations, the landlord is 1) required to give a minimum of one (1) days’ notice and can only enter at reasonable times.